Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign, deepening the crisis engulfing his premiership.
Sarwar, who had been seen as a Starmer ally, is the most senior Labour figure to date to call for the UK prime minister’s departure.
Sarwar said that “the leadership in Downing Street has to change”, adding that his intervention was “not without pain” but that his first loyalty was to Scotland.
As Sarwar was talking, a Downing Street spokesperson said that Starmer had “a clear five-year mandate from the British people to deliver change and that is what he will do”.
Angela Rayner, former deputy prime minister and favourite to succeed Starmer, offered her “full support”. The cabinet, including other potential leadership rivals such as health secretary Wes Streeting, also issued statements backing the prime minister.
UK gilt and currency markets stabilised as the MPs’ messages were seen as improving Starmer’s chances of holding on to power, at least in the short term.
Labour is expected to fare poorly in May elections in Scotland, Wales, London and parts of England. The party had at one point anticipated victory in the Scottish elections but has been dragged down by Starmer’s unpopularity.
“In three months we have an election that must be about one thing and one thing only: Scotland,” Sarwar said, adding: “The leadership in Downing Street has become a huge distraction.”
Earlier on Monday, Starmer’s director of communications Tim Allan stepped down amid a scandal over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
Former Number 10 chief of staff Morgan McSweeney also resigned on Sunday, saying he took full responsibility for advising the prime minister to appoint Mandelson as envoy to the US.
Starmer has faced calls to stand down as prime minister in recent days, including from within his own party, as the fallout from the Mandelson revelations has gathered momentum.
He will address Labour MPs on Monday evening in an effort to shore up his position.