Daily Telegraph 28/04/28 Labour MPs have demanded Sir Keir Starmer refer himself to the privileges committee over the Mandelson scandal. Backbenchers have said that despite pressure from No 10, they will not vote to protect the Prime Minister from an ethics inquiry over claims he misled MPs. The crunch vote is seen as a vote of confidence in Sir Keir’s leadership, after the Prime Minister held a meeting with MPs on Monday urging them to back him. John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn, said Sir Keir should refer himself to the committee to clear his name. “When you’re under attack like this you don’t run from the attack, you run to face it,” he told the Commons. Andy McDonald agreed, adding that the Prime Minister had made it clear “he has not misled this House. So in those circumstances, would it not be the right thing to do to embrace this process and wipe the floor with the critics that put these things to him?” Nadia Whittome, the Labour MP for Sou...
Peter Dowd refuses to deny reports that he would step aside for Greater Manchester mayor, seen as a front-runner to replace PM Daily Telegraph 27/04/26 A veteran Labour MP has opened the door to giving up his safe seat to help Andy Burnham return to Parliament. Peter Dowd, who has represented Bootle, on Merseyside, since 2015, refused to deny reports that he was prepared to stand down for the Mayor of Greater Manchester. Mr Burnham’s previous attempt to return to Westminster by standing in Gorton and Denton by-election was blocked by Sir Keir Starmer and his allies on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee. Sir Keir is widely expected to face a challenge in the aftermath of next week’s local elections as a backlash continues to grow over his handling of the Mandelson vetting scandal. Mr Burnham is seen as a front-runner to replace Sir Keir but is ineligible for any Labour leadership contest because he is not an MP. Reports surfaced at the weekend that Mr Dowd was one of ...