Starmer to face PMQs after pledging to ‘never walk away’

Sir Keir Starmer will face Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday after fighting back against pressure to quit.

It comes after the Prime Minister pledged to “never walk away” from his mandate, and said he would lead the Labour Party into the next general election.

Sir Keir hit out at infighting within his party and said the political “turmoil” would not stop him after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for him to resign.

The Prime Minister insisted his top team was “strong and united” as he thanked ministers at a Cabinet meeting for rallying around him with public messages of support.

Sir Keir also said his Government should be “acting together” over the release of files on Peter Mandelson after Wes Streeting published his exchanges with the former ambassador.

He expressed his “100%” support for Mr Sarwar, who had cited concern that the “distraction” from Downing Street would harm his party’s chances of unseating the SNP in May’s Holyrood elections.

The lack of support for Mr Sarwar’s position from ministers in Westminster suggests the immediate danger has passed, but Sir Keir’s authority remains fragile amid simmering discontent following the fallout from the Peter Mandelson scandal.

In Wales, Labour First Minister Eluned Morgan insisted Sir Keir had her “full confidence”, while Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, seen as a potential challenger for the Labour leadership, declared his support but said he had spoken to Sir Keir about the party needing a “strong sense of a stronger team again”.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir’s former communications chief had the Labour whip removed for his ties to a paedophile councillor.

Lord Matthew Doyle apologised for campaigning for Sean Morton in 2017 after he had been charged over indecent images of children.

But he is now facing calls to lose his peerage altogether, including from Labour Party chair Anna Turley.

Sir Keir is expected to continue efforts to shake up his No 10 operation, with the country’s top civil servant Sir Chris Wormald rumoured to be on his way out in the coming days.

Sir Chris failed to attend a meeting of Parliament’s Intelligence and Security committee on Tuesday, the group tasked with screening the files to be released related to Peter Mandelson’s appointment.

There is speculation he could be replaced by Antonia Romeo, currently top civil servant at the Home Office.

Sir Keir’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications chief Tim Allan have already departed as the Prime Minister seeks to revive his fortunes after a bruising start to 2026.