EXCLUSIVE: The former Labour PM used his influence to support Starmer as he faced calls to quit.
Gordon Brown helped save Keir Starmer after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on the Prime Minister to quit.
The Labour heavyweight shored up support for the ailing PM as he faced an early exit from Downing Street.
One source said: “Gordon was clear Keir should be given a chance.”
Sarwar used a dramatic press conference in Glasgow last month to urge Starmer to stand down.
He accused his one-time ally of making too many mistakes and of leading a Government that is “not good enough”.
The quit call sent shockwaves through Labour and was a moment of peril for the Prime Minister.
But Starmer’s position was secured by the end of the day after he received public declarations of support from Cabinet ministers.
And only two Scottish Labour MPs came out to support Sarwar – despite a number of others agreeing with him.
The Record understands Brown, who was Prime Minister between 2007 and 2010, played an important role behind the scenes.
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He is said to have privately urged Labour figures to back Starmer in his time of need.
One Labour source said the rebellion, particularly in Scotland, would have been greater had Brown not got involved:
“Gordon is hugely respected in the party and people listen to him.”
A second insider said Brown’s pro-Starmer stance was likely influenced by some of his colleagues trying to oust him when he was PM.
Months before the 2010 general election, former Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon plotted to remove Brown, but the attempt failed.
It comes after Brown, who was also Chancellor between 1997 and 2007, helped influence Rachel Reeves’ last Budget.
He had been pushing the Government to scrap the two child benefit cap and introduce a tax on gambling profits, both of which were announced by Reeves.
He has also launched his own investigations into the activities of billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Brown wrote to six police forces demanding a probe into whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor used taxpayer-funded jets and RAF bases during his time as trade envoy to meet Epstein.
He has also been highly critical of Peter Mandelson, who served in his administration, for leaking confidential Government information to Epstein.
An SNP source said: “It’s hard not to feel a bit sorry for Anas Sarwar – he’s way out of his depth and this embarrassing episode just keeps getting more toe curling by the day.
“The only people backing his coup were Jackie Baillie, Davy Russell and a couple of MSPs – you could fit that rabble in the back of his swanky motor.
“Gordon Brown once said he saved the world, he could have at least tried to save Anas Sarwar some dignity.”
A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: “Labour are too weak to stand up to the failing SNP government because of the civil war tearing their party apart.
“Anas Sarwar is desperate to wash his hands of Keir Starmer, despite fighting tooth and nail to put the hopeless PM in Downing Street, but his attempted putsch has been ignored by colleagues and undermined by Gordon Brown.”
A spokesperson for Brown was approached for comment. Scottish Labour declined to comment.