EXCLUSIVE: Keir Starmer told to 'get act together' to end talk of leadership challenge by Labour big beastKeir Starmer is under intense pressure over the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as US ambassador in 2024, despite his friendship with the paedophile Jeffrey EpsteinView 3 Images Keir Starmer was urged to focus on delivering improvement to people's lives (Image: PA)Lord Blunkett has urged Keir Starmer to "get your act together" as the Peter Mandelson scandal threatens to engulf the Government. One Labour backbencher predicted the row over Lord Mandelson was a “slower burner but will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back”. The MP told The Mirror: “He [the PM] knew even without vetting, Mandelson maintained a relationship [with Epstein] after he was convicted. Asked what they thought of the PM’s press conference, where he apologised to victims, a Labour MP from the 2024 intake said: “It doesn’t change anything. I can’t believe I’m saying that.”One MP said the majority of backbenchers recognised it was a mistake and had no appetite for a leadership challenge.

Source: Daily Mirror February 08, 2026 13:13 UTC