Starmer tells MPs to ‘fight together’ before critical day for his premiership

Keir Starmer faces a critical day for his premiership on Tuesday. Photograph: Toby Shepheard/ReutersView image in fullscreenKeir Starmer faces a critical day for his premiership on Tuesday. Photograph: Toby Shepheard/ReutersKeir StarmerStarmer tells MPs to ‘fight together’ before critical day for his premiership The prime minister faces a standards investigation over Mandelson affair and testimony from Morgan McSweeneyPippa Crerar Political editorMon 27 Apr 2026 15.46 EDTLast modified on Mon 27 Apr 2026 19.12 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleKeir Starmer has told Labour MPs to “stick together and fight together” as ministers launched a massive operation to shore up his fragile position before a critical day for his premiership.The prime minister faces the double threat of a standards investigation into his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US and potentially damaging testimony from Morgan McSweeney, his former chief of staff.Allies including Richard Hermer, the attorney general, and Jenny Chapman, a Foreign Office minister, were among those who rang round Labour MPs before Tuesday’s Commons vote on whether to refer him to parliament’s privileges committee.Senior Labour figures including Gordon Brown and former cabinet ministers Alan Johnson and David Blunkett called for restraint from backbenchers, dismissing the vote as a political stunt designed to destabilise the party before the May elections.The Guardian understands that Labour MPs will be whipped to vote against the Conservative motion to refer Starmer to the committee. Any rebellion is likely to be limited because most appear to accept that, while there is anger towards the prime minister, they do not want to hand the opposition a win.However, Starmer faces a second moment of jeopardy on Tuesday with McSweeney’s appearance in front of the foreign affairs committee (FAC) inquiry into Mandelson’s appointment.While McSweeney, who left government over the row, has said he takes “full responsibility” for advising Starmer to appoint the former ambassador, he is likely to face questions over whether due process was followed, including whether he put pressure on the Foreign Office over Mandelson.He is also expected to be questioned over who in No 10 had argued that Mandelson did not require vetting at all, and on the theft of his official phone shortly after Mandelson was sacked as ambassador over his links to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Philip Barton, who ran the Foreign Office before Olly Robbins – the top official sacked by Starmer last week – will also give evidence, and will be asked whether McSweeney told him to “just fucking approve” the appointment.In a further development, a letter from Ian Collard – the director of security who briefed Robbins – to the FAC on Mandelson’s vetting revealed on Monday night that he had not seen the document which recommended security clearance was denied.Instead, he received an oral briefing from officials who told him it was “overall … a borderline case” that could be handled through “robust risk management”. He admitted he felt under pressure to deliver a “rapid outcome” to the case, but that it did not have an impact on his final judgment.In an attempt to bolster support among his own MPs, many of whom have been dismayed by the Guardian’s revelation that Mandelson was installed as ambassador despite failing security vetting, Starmer addressed the parliamentary party before the vote.“I have…

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