The Prime Minister was forced to listen to the fury from his own backbenchers.
Keir Starmer was subjected to a brutal character assassination (Image: Pool)
Keir Starmer was left gobsmacked and stuttering at a press conference this morning, after being told that his own backbenchers are now saying he must resign over the Mandelson scandal.
The Prime Minister attempted to get his premiership back on track with a speech about funding for local communities, but the press conference was completely dominated by questions about his judgment in appointing Peter Mandelson to the top diplomatic role.
A journalist used their question to read out a litany of damning quotes about Sir Keir from his own Labour backbenchers, many of whom said he cannot recover from this scandal and his authority is drained.
They revealed: “I wanted to read out some of the things Labour MPs have told us in the last 24 hours about you.
“One told us, ‘I’m personally not sure I could trust myself to back the Prime Minister in a confidence vote’; another said ‘it’s like Chris Pincher on steroids, it’s over’; another said ‘this government is on the run’.
“One former minister said ‘it’s time for a fresh start, the sooner the better’.
“Isn’t the real lesson from yesterday that you can no longer command a majority in the Commons, and isn’t your authority fatally undermined?”
Keir Starmer replied that he understands the “anger and frustration among Labour MPs about what has happened”, but reiterated he shares that anger as a result of being lied to by Mr Mandelson.
He repeatedly refused to address the criticism from Labour MPs, raised by other journalists at the press conference including Chris Mason and Beth Rigby.
At one point he claimed: “We’re moving forward as a country”
The brutal moment came after Sir Keir used the speech to apologise to victims of Epstein for appointing Lord Mandelson in the first place.
The Prime Minister said: “To [the victims] I say this: I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you. Sorry so many people in power failed you. Sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him. I’m sorry that even now you’re forced to watch this story unfold again.
“In this country we will not look away, we will not shrug our shoulders. And we will not allow the powerful to treat justice as optional. We will pursue the truth, we will uphold the integrity of public life and we will do everything in our power to ensure justice and accountability is delivered.
“That is what the public would expect, it is what the victims deserve and it is what I will do.”
