A defiant Keir Starmer is going to try to put himself front and centre of his beleaguered government’s fightback next week as calls grow for him to resign over the Mandelson scandal.
Downing Street has confirmed that the prime minister will be “out and about making the case for why [his Labour] government is delivering for working people” around the country next week as the fury over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US escalates.
But the surprisingly bold move comes as a senior trade union leader broke ranks to call on Starmer to quit as PM, joining a growing number of Labour MPs and peers in demanding that he faces the consequences of his mistakes.
His decision came despite Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell being unable to tell The Independent in an exclusive interview whether Starmer would be campaigning in the crucial Gorton and Denton by-election which could seal his fate.
Even those who rallied to say it would be wrong for the beleaguered prime minister, who joined fellow Arsenal fans in the stands at a match with Sunderland on Saturday, to go demanded dramatic changes to his operation with the sacking of his controversial chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
The government has been rocked by the revelations of Mandelson’s close relationship with the convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Sir Keir last week was left on the ropes after he admitted to knowing that Mandelson’s relationship had been ongoing with Epstein even after the financier had been convicted, but still appointed him as ambassador to the US anyway despite serious reservations in the Trump White House.
This was followed by a humiliating U-turn as Labour rebels lead by former deputy PM Angela Rayner forced him to hand over all the vetting documents on Mandelson’s appointment.
Email exchanges in the latest US government release in January on Epstein included those while Mandelson was a member of Gordon Brown's cabinet.
Among them is one that indicates Lord Mandelson gave Epstein advance notice of a €500bn bailout by the EU to save the Euro in 2010. Mandelson has not responded to requests for comment it is understood that his position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.
Police are now investigating Mandelson and raided his homes on Friday.
Asked by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg whether Sir Keir should quit, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary Steve Wright said: "Everybody's thinking it."
He noted that senior figures such as the current deputy prime minister David Lammy, who was foreign secretary at the time of the appointment, and his predecessor as DPM Angela Rayner, have said they advised against appointing Mandelson at the time.
Mr Wright said: “Unfortunately we're seeing MPs being wheeled out again today to sweep up the mess behind the prime minister at the moment.
"I want to see the change that was promised and that this country needs."
Meanwhile, Labour peer baroness Ayesha Hazarika revealed that she was told to “shut up” and had other Labour peers make a complaint about her when she raised questions about the appropriateness of appointing Mandelson.
She warned that there was “a boy’s club” which had protected the disgraced former Labour peer despite having to resign twice before over inappropriate behaviour and the prime minister admitting last week that he knew of Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with Epstein.
She praised Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and senior female Labour MPs Ms Rayner and Dame Meg Hillier for forcing the PM to hand over all the vetting documents on Mandelson ahead of his appointment to the UK’s most sensitive diplomatic role.
She said: “Everyone knew Mandelson mixed in these circles. The calculation was these are the slightly tawdry circles in which the US President moves... we need a guy who sits in those hot tubs.”
Meanwhile, in a sign over the growing panic in Number 10, Downing Street sent out welfare secretary Pat McFadden, a former close ally and friend of Mandelson who is used to try to deal with crisis situations.
He suggested he should donate the taxpayer-funded five figure handout for being sacked as ambassador, a sum which could run into the tens of thousands, "to a charity, perhaps one involving violence against women and girls".
Mr McFadden insisted that even when he was Mandelson’s deputy in 2009 he had “no idea” of the other side of his life and did not really know of Epstein at the time he was “live downloading” government market sensitive documents for the disgraced American financier.
Pressed on the party's promise to move on from Tory sleaze, he suggested that meant they should not change prime minister.
He said: "Maybe one way we can be different is to not drop the pilot after 18 months and to stick with a leader and have consistency in leadership.”
Mr McFadden insisted Sir Keir had "acted in good faith throughout this", and was "horrified" by the recent revelations about Lord Mandelson's ties with the late paedophile Epstein.
He struggled to hide his irritation at Mr Lammy and Ms Rayner for briefing that they had advised against Mandelson’s appointment.
“They're over 21, you know, they'll have to answer for themselves on what they're saying," he said.
And he defended his close ally, Mr McSweeney, saying that he should not be sacked as chief of staff.
One Starmer loyalist from the backbenches, John Slinger, came out to defend him saying he should not be forced out saying of the government that "there's success everywhere you look.”
Former home secretary Lord Blunkett suggested that the PM is weighing up his own future, saying: “Only Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria can decide on their future. No-one else this weekend or in the days ahead are going to determine that.”
While joining for prime minister Gordon Brown in saying Sir Keir should not quit yet, Lord Blunkett described the government as “dire” and called for Mr McSweeney to be sacked.
He warned: “He needs a new chief of staff, he needs an opening up of the routes to him so that people can reach him and he can hear what people are thinking and feeling.”
Starmer ally admits PM ‘must take responsibility’ over scandal as pressure grows
It’s time to end impunity for those on the edge of treason
Mandelson urged to hand back payoff after sacking over Epstein link
Sacked US ambassador Mandelson’s payoff ‘to be reviewed by government’
Starmer’s deputy warns Mandelson scandal will impact crucial by-election
‘It’s over for Starmer. The only questions are when, how, and how painful’
