PM Keir Starmer visits Newcastle in wake of Mandelson scandal

The Prime Minister spent this morning (Thursday, April 23) at the Newcastle United Foundation, amid mounting speculation over his future in the wake of the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal.

Jonathan Brash, Labour’s MP in Hartlepool, told GB News that it was “not a case of if, it’s when” Sir Keir will leave Downing Street and that he did not think anyone “reasonably expects the Prime Minister to lead the party into the next election”.

Speaking at the foundation’s NUCASTLE community centre, the Labour leader rejected suggestions that cabinet members were losing confidence in his premiership.

Sir Olly Robbins was sacked as head of the Foreign Office for failing to tell the Prime Minister that officials had recommended against granting Lord Mandelson high-level security clearance for his post as ambassador to Washington.

Asked if the cabinet was 100 per cent behind him, Sir Keir said: “Let me deal with the issue head on, because last week my political opponents were saying it was inconceivable that a civil servant wouldn’t have provided the security vetting information to me. Turns out they were wrong about that.

“Then they accused me of dishonesty. Turns out they were wrong about that. Now my political opponents – by which I mean the Tories, Reform, and all those other parties – are going after any allegation they can.

“The real divide here is what is happening in politics.

“We are a government that has delivered the biggest investment to the NHS on record, which is bringing down waiting lists.

“The Employment Rights Act, which is giving people more rights at work, including statutory sick pay from day one, rights to time off for bereavement if it is a loved one, really important.

“And the Renters Rights Act is coming in just a few days time to give people in rented accommodation more rights. 

“I know why the Tories and Reform are opposed to all of that, but it is important we see it in that context.

“As for the cabinet, I can tell you what we are focused on in the cabinet is delivering – with a particular focus on the cost of living.

“The last few cabinet sessions have been discussing at some length the conflict in Iran. It is really important we do not lose focus on that while we are dealing with all these other issues.

“There is a huge conflict in Iran, it is having an impact on the cost of living, and so at cabinet level we have been discussing internationally what we can do to de-escalate the situation and domestically what we need to do to protect people in our country from the impact of that conflict.

“The cabinet is working really hard and together on that issue.”

Newcastle is one five Labour-run councils in Tyne and Wear staging local elections on May 7.

Like authorities in Sunderland, South Tyneside, and Gateshead, it also has ‘all out’ elections this year – meaning that every single council seat is up for grabs, instead of the usual one-third.

That could result in a dramatic power shift across our region, with Labour bracing for heavy losses across the country and both Reform UK and the Greens targeting massive gains.

Asked if he could remain in Downing Street if Labour lost control of councils in areas like Newcastle and Sunderland, Sir Keir told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We have excellent candidates.

“Not a single vote has been cast at the ballot box yet. I was with quite a number of the candidates and activists last night. They are in good spirits, we have great candidates, many of them have been serving their communities for some considerable time already.

“They have delivered real results across the North East and they are asking for permission to continue to serve their communities and to deliver those results.

“And I am absolutely with them and right behind them.”