Newslinks for Friday 6th February 2026

PM labelled ‘gullible and weak’ over Mandelson

“Sir Keir Starmer looks “weak, naive and gullible” after apologising for accepting Lord Mandelson’s claim — before he was appointed ambassador to the US — that he “barely knew” the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Baroness Harman, a former deputy Labour leader, has said. The prime minister said on Thursday that he had “no reason” to believe that Mandelson was telling him “anything but the truth”, despite being presented with evidence that he and Epstein were close friends. Starmer’s explanation was described as “not credible” by one minister, who said that “no one has faith or trust in him”. Some Labour MPs called on Starmer to go, describing his position as “untenable”. Harman warned that the scandal would “finish” Starmer unless he changed course with a “real reset” of his No 10 team and returned to his pledge to clean up politics… On Wednesday Starmer was forced to commit himself to disclosing all “electronic communications and minutes of meetings” involving Mandelson from the seven months he served as ambassador, after a revolt by Labour MPs. Officials said that gathering the information would be a “huge” exercise that was likely to take months, and had the potential to be politically explosive. Mandelson was close to most senior figures in Starmer’s government.” – The Times

• Kemi Badenoch makes extraordinary offer to Labour MPs over Keir Starmer resignation – Daily Express
• The Mandelson evidence that skewers Starmer’s defence – Daily Telegraph
• No 10 defies calls to sack Morgan McSweeney over Mandelson appointment – The Guardian
• What could the Mandelson files tell us — and which may be blocked? – The Times
• ‘If someone had pulled the trigger’: MPs rue lack of challenger to oust Starmer – The Guardian

Comment:

• My offer to Labour MPs to help them get rid of calamity Keir Starmer – Kemi Badenoch, Daily Express
• Keir Starmer’s hollowness is clear for all to see – Patrick Maguire, The Times
• He’s been a disaster, but I still believe he’s a decent man. And this is how Starmer’s time in No 10 will end, most likely within days – Dan Hodges, Daily Mail
• This pathetic attempt to shift the blame has to be the end of Starmer – Janet Daley, Daily Telegraph
• In Broken Britain, sorry is the default word while victims are left to pick up the pieces – Julia Hartley-Brewer, The Sun
• It’s tragic that a decent PM will be brought down by Mandelson’s sleaze – but it’s a matter of when, not if – Polly Toynbee, The Guardian

> Today:

> Yesterday:

Rayner: I’m ready to go

“Angela Rayner has told friends she is ‘ready’ to launch a leadership campaign – as Labour MPs warned Keir Starmer that his premiership is ‘hanging by a thread’. The former deputy prime minister, who has quietly amassed a £1million war chest, gave Sir Keir a bloody nose on Wednesday when she led a Labour revolt against attempts to ‘cover up’ files surrounding Peter Mandelson’s disastrous appointment as US ambassador. The Daily Mail understands that in the wake of Wednesday’s Commons vote, Ms Rayner told an MP who observed that the Prime Minister would have to resign: ‘I will be ready.’ Sir Keir issued a grovelling apology for the Mandelson scandal yesterday – but insisted he would not bow to growing Labour pressure for him to quit. At an emergency press conference in Hastings the rattled-looking PM said he was ‘utterly disgusted’ by revelations about Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and ‘sorry’ he had appointed him as ambassador to Washington DC. But he insisted that he would ‘go on’, despite mounting Labour fury over the fiasco. And Downing Street rejected calls from Labour MPs to sack the PM’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who championed Mandelson’s appointment. Seven Labour MPs directly called for Mr McSweeney to go, while numerous others called for a wider No10 clearout – and two said Sir Keir should resign.” – Daily Mail

• A Notting Hill power dinner, chicken and chips with MPs – how Angela Rayner is plotting her Left-wing coup – Daily Mail
• ‘Rayner’s back in the game’: Inside the de facto Labour leadership race – The i
• Rayner tells pals ‘I’m ready’ as Starmer hangs on by a thread – but could tax probe halt leadership bid? – The Sun
• Rayner’s tilt at No 10 hit by tax inquiry – Daily Telegraph
• Now you see him, now you don’t! Wes Streeting deletes pictures of mentor Mandelson who he’s now calling ‘stupid and reckless’ – Daily Mail

Comment:

• Angela Rayner’s next move is clear: Labour’s first woman PM – Andrew Fisher, The i
• Why Starmer may yet be squatting in No10 for some time even though he doesn’t have many cards left to play – Jack Elsom, The Sun
• Starmer’s crippling isolation reeks of the last days of Boris – David Frost, Daily Telegraph

Palestine Action activists acquitted of sledgehammer attack on weapons factory should be retried, demand Tories

“The Palestine Action activists acquitted of raiding a weapons factory should be retried, the Tories have demanded. In a letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp urged prosecutors to try again after a jury failed to reach verdicts on criminal damage and assault occasioning grievous bodily harm. The break-in at the Israeli-owned Elbit Systems factory near Bristol saw military equipment worth more than £1million wrecked — and a female officer struck with a sledgehammer, leaving her with a fractured spine. Mr Philp warned the case risked “giving the green light to mob violence in pursuit of a political objective”. He said: “I believe a retrial is necessary on these two charges because the jury could not reach a verdict. I believe it is in the public interest to proceed to a second trial and that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.”” – The Sun

• Tories call for retrial of Palestine Action activists – Daily Telegraph
• Palestine Action activists should face retrial, says Chris Philp – The Times
• Fury at Green leader for celebrating court’s failure to convict Palestine Action protesters over break-in that left policewoman with ‘shattered spine’ from sledgehammer attack – Daily Mail
• Police Federation rebukes Polanski over celebratory Palestine Action trial tweet – Jewish News

Comment:

• Palestine Action verdict shows peril of outside interference – Jonathan Ames, The Times
• Left-wing ideology is skewing integrity of legal system – this one case proves it – Leo McKinstry, Daily Express
• Surely it’s a crime to hit a police officer with a sledgehammer – Rory Geoghegan, Daily Telegraph

Boris Johnson: Starmer acting like a dictator over delayed elections

“Boris Johnson has accused Sir Keir Starmer of behaving like a dictator after Labour postponed local elections for 4.5 million people. The former prime minister said Sir Keir would “reap the whirlwind” of his decision and warned him: “You can run but you can’t hide.” In January, the Government confirmed the postponement of elections across 30 local authorities, which had been scheduled to take place in May. In some cases, it means councillors will have kept their seats for seven years without having to face a ballot. Mr Johnson said that councils – which were allowed to decide for themselves whether to hold elections – should reverse those decisions and proceed with the polls. He told The Telegraph: “What is the difference between Starmer’s Britain and Burkina Faso [where the military junta has taken over]? This is what dictators do. They come up with some pretext for postponing elections and they stifle democracy. There is no excuse good enough for this.”… The former prime minister’s intervention is likely to fan the flames of a revolt against the delays. The Government claimed elections had to be postponed until next year because of a looming reorganisation of local authorities that would make it expensive, complicated and unnecessary to hold them. But opponents have argued that the real reason is to avoid a wipeout in the polls that could put Sir Keir’s leadership at risk.” – Daily Telegraph

• The council leaders who insisted on their elections going ahead – Daily Telegraph

News in brief:

• Is Reform committed to the Union? – Owen Polley, The Critic
• The dark shadow of the Blairites – Aaron Bastani, UnHerd
• Do MPs really want to save the Houses of Parliament? – Isabel Hardman, The Spectator
• Don’t like Keir Starmer? Just see what comes next – Joseph Dinnage, CapX
• Keir Starmer’s real problem – George Eaton, The New Statesman