Sir Keir Starmer has boldly declared that he has “won every fight” he has “ever been in” during an impassioned defence of his premiership at a meeting with Labour MPs on Monday.
In a meeting with his assembled colleagues on Monday night, the Prime Minister faced down a call for him to resign from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, in what some have described as “the best speech he has ever given”.
Sir Keir’s speech came after his Cabinet ministers rallied around him following Mr Sarwar’s bombshell declaration on Monday afternoon, which followed heavy criticism of the Prime Minister’s appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador in 2024.
Having spoken to Labour MPs who were in the meeting, Aggie added: “People inside were telling me [Sir Keir’s speech] was genuinely pretty stirring, emotional.
“A Labour MP told me it was the best speech he has ever made.”
During the address, Sir Keir “talked about the fact that he’d won every fight he’d ever been in: he fought to change the Crown Prosecution Service so it better served victims of violence against women and girls”.
Detailing the Prime Minister’s attempt to cling onto power, Aggie also noted that questions at the meeting were broadly positive and no one directly called for Sir Keir to resign
Around 43 questions were taken, with only “three or four slightly negative questions” with the tone of them said to be about the need for Labour “to do better”.
Starmer also apologised to his party “for the damage that had been done by appointing Peter Mandelson”.
Sir Keir may have been enthused after prominent Labour figures came out in support of him, with former deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner insisting he has her “full support”, before urging MPs to “come together… as a team”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves was also seen to back Starmer on Monday, saying: “With Keir as our Prime Minister, we are turning the country around.”
Anas Sarwar called on the PM to stand down on Monday during an impromptu press conference at Trades Hall in Glasgow, insisting: “the distraction needs to stop”.
