Keir Starmer dodged saying that Rachel Reeves is safe from a rumoured reshuffle today as he reels from the latest Mandelson scandal revolt.
Taking the final PMQs before local elections, Sir Keir was challenged by Kemi Badenoch on whether he would sack the Chancellor – who was sat next to him grim-faced.
After the premier seemed to refuse to address the issue, the Tory leader joked that he was ‘wetting himself’ about the prospect of a challenge from Andy Burnham and ‘not in control’.
Claims have been circling in Westminster that Sir Keir has offered Angela Rayner a comeback as soon as next week, despite her ongoing wrangling with HMRC over unpaid stamp duty.
In a swipe at the Government’s failure to get the economy going, Mrs Badenoch said the only thing that was growing was the welfare bill.
But Sir Keir insisted he was ‘proud’ of his record and looking forward to laying out a new programme of legislation in the King’s Speech next month.
The clashes came as the premier dithers over whether to punish 14 Labour MPs who voted for a privileges committee inquiry into whether he lied to Parliament.
Up to 50 more look to have broken a three-line whip on opposing the motion last night – something that would normally lead to disciplinary action.
However, Sir Keir’s position is so weak that it is unclear whether he will be able to enforce the dire threats made before the vote.
Labour’s huge majority means that the probe was comfortably blocked despite the revolt. Kemi Badenoch said it was a ‘cover-up’ to protect the premier with a local elections drubbing looming next week. Sir Keir himself did not show his face in the chamber yesterday, although he did vote.
Keir Starmer is fighting to quell dissent in his ranks today after dozens of MPs defied his threats to back a standards probe into the Mandelson scandal
Sir Keir has repeatedly insisted he wants to see Ms Rayner back on the political front line after she had to resign last year over unpaid stamp duty (pictured together in 2024)
The PM is already believed to be plotting ways of surviving the expected disastrous local election results next week.
Ministers are nervous about the idea of Ms Rayner returning while the tax issues are still unresolved. One told the Daily Mail that No10 seemed keen to ‘appease the Manchester massive’.
In the Commons today, Mrs Badenoch said: ‘He’s got a welfare plan until 2031, but he’s not produced a defence investment plan, we have gone backwards on defence under him, because we are borrowing to pay for welfare.
‘Yesterday, we learned that the cost of Government borrowing is now the highest in two decades.
‘Instead of getting a grip on the economy, the Chancellor is briefing out rent controls to curry favour with left-wing backbenchers.
‘It is time the Prime Minister gives her an easier job, so will he listen to businesses, listen to the country, and reshuffle the Chancellor?’
Responding, Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘In the spring statement, the Chancellor was very proud to say inflation was down to 3 per cent and falling. We’ve seen the growth figures for the early part of this year…’
However, Mrs Badenoch noted that the PM had not committed to keeping Ms Reeves in place. ‘It sounds like she’s toast,’ she added.
After a day of high drama at Westminster, MPs eventually voted against an inquiry by 335 votes to 223. The 112 margin was significantly lower than the Government’s working majority of around 165.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed was deployed to broadcast studios this morning to try to shore up Sir Keir’s leadership, insisting the Government would not be ‘distracted’ by infighting.
Mr Reed told Sky News: ‘You’ve got a handful of usual suspects that will repeatedly vote against the Government. They’re not going to distract us.
‘You know, we’ve got the renters’ rights reforms coming in this Friday, which gives renters, people who rent their home, the biggest increase in protections and rights that we’ve had for a generation.
‘That is what voters want us to focus on, not a handful of people that go off and don’t play the team game with the rest of us.
Ninety-nine percent of us are united with the Prime Minister so that we can focus on the issues that matter.’
Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) announced last night that it has finished reviewing papers related to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.
The official division list showed 14 Labour MPs defied Sir Keir to back the motion. Cat Smith voted both for and against the motion, which is often called an ‘active abstention’
There are claims Sir Keir has asked Angela Rayner to return to the Cabinet in a reshuffle as soon as next week
The Commons ordered the publication of the material in February, amid a wave of fury that almost swept Sir Keir out of power.
The documents are set to include a range of embarrassing messages between ministers and the New Labour architect.
ISC chairman Lord Beamish, a Labour peer, said the committee had ‘made exceptional efforts to ensure that it is not holding up the publication of documents’ and any delay in publication of the documents was ‘in no way due to the committee’s part in the process’.
However, the Government could still challenge those decisions at a private committee hearing, and it is unlikely that any further documents will be published before Parliament returns for the new session.
