Sir Keir Starmer is facing his toughest week as Prime Minister yet as MPs will decide whether or not to order an investigation into his involvement in the Peter Mandelson scandal.
On Monday, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle decided to grant a debate on Sir Keir being referred to the Privileges Committee.
The Prime Minister is attempting to shore up support from Labour MPs to vote down the probe into whether he misled the House over the Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.
Sir Keir has been accused of misleading the Commons by stating that "due process" was followed during the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador and that "no pressure whatsoever" was applied to the Foreign Office to push it through.
The vote will take place on Tuesday afternoon after Sir Keir's former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, and the ex-head of the Foreign Office, Sir Philip Barton, give their evidence about the row over the peer’s security vetting.
The Tories called for Sir Keir to face Parliament’s Privileges Committee, which is the same body that investigated Boris Johnson over the Covid-19 partygate affair.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones accused the Conservatives of “using tactics” ahead of crucial local elections on May 7.
Labour veterans Alan Johnson and David Blunkett branded the privileges motion a “nakedly political stunt”.
The former senior cabinet ministers accused Tory leader Kemi Badenoch of changing “the accusations she is levelling against the PM on an almost daily basis".
They added that the refferal "would be both a waste of public money and a diversion from the major challenges this country faces both nationally and internationally".
Ms Badenoch said: "Labour MPs need to look into their consciences and know that what they are doing should be what is right for the country, not just what's right for the Labour Party."
Responding to reports that Sir Starmer is set to whip Labour MPs to oppose his referral to the Privileges Committee, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: “Even Boris Johnson didn’t block his MPs voting for scrutiny.
“Labour MPs must be given a free vote on any motion to refer Starmer to the Privileges Committee, not forced into being accomplices to a cover-up.
“If Keir Starmer has misled the House and the public, he must be held to the same standard that we should expect of any Prime Minister."
Sir Keir is facing mounting pressure over the revelations about Lord Mandelson’s vetting process and the handling of it, including his decision to sack Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins.
The Foreign Affairs Committee is on Tuesday due to hear from Sir Keir’s former chief of staff, Mr McSweeney, widely regarded as a protege of Lord Mandelson.
He resigned in February over his part in the peer getting the coveted job.
The committee will also hear from Sir Olly’s predecessor, Sir Philip Barton, and receive written evidence from Foreign Office official Ian Collard, who Sir Olly said briefed him on the vetting findings that deemed Lord Mandelson a borderline case and leaned towards recommending that clearance be denied.
The Prime Minister said last week any claims he misled Parliament had been put to bed by Sir Olly’s evidence.
