Keir Starmer vows ‘I’ll by no means stroll away’ in first public feedback since calls to give up

In a passionate speech – 24 hours after facing calls to resign – the Prime Minister took aim at those in the party thinking Labour should be having a ‘fight with itself’

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A defiant Keir Starmer has hit out at infighting in Labour’s ranks as he vowed to never walk away from his mandate or “the country I love”.

In a passionate speech – 24 hours after facing calls to resign – the Prime Minister took aim at those in the party thinking Labour should be having a “fight with itself”. Yesterday the Cabinet rallied around Mr Starmer after the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, called for a change in leadership in Downing Street.

In his first public comments since Mr Sarwar broke ranks, the PM echoed the message delivered to Labour MPs in Westminster on Monday evening after a day of turmoil.

The PM said: “There are some people in recent days who say the Labour Government should have a different part, a fight with itself, instead of a fight for the millions of people who need us to fight for them. And I say to them: I will never walk away from the mandate I was given to change this country. I will never walk away from the people that I’m charged with fighting for and I will never walk away from the country that I love.”

Speaking on a visit to Hertfordshire, he added: “That is who we are as a country, and I want to serve every single part of that country, the country that I love. The fight coming up in politics, the real fight is not in the Labour Party. It’s with the right-wing politics that challenges that, the politics of Reform, the politics of divide, divide, divide, grievance, grievance, grievance. That will tear our country apart. That is the fight that we are in, and I will be in that fight as long as I have breath in my body.”

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The PM said the political “turmoil” would not stop him focusing on tackling cost-of-living pressures and improving opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. He said: “I am their Prime Minister, and this is their Government and I will never give up on that fight.

It came after Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, became the latest senior Labour figure to back the under-fire PM. Mr Burnham called for “greater unity” and stability across the Labour movement after a turbulent week in which Downing Street was rocked by the Peter Mandelson scandal. Two of the PM’s top aides – chief-of-staff Morgan McSweeney and director of communications Tim Allan – have resigned from the posts amid the turmoil.

Asked whether he supported Mr Starmer, Mr Burnham told an event hosted by the Resolution Foundation today: “Yes he [the PM] has my support. The government has my support. They had my support when I put myself forward for the by-election.”

Last month Mr Burnham was blocked by Mr Starmer and Labour’s governing body from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election later this month. The Labour Mayor insisted today the by-election was “winnable” by Labour despite Reform UK and the Green Party pouring resources into the seat.

Earlier, Mr Starmer thanked his top Cabinet for their show of support on Monday after Scottish Labour broke ranks to call on the PM to resign. Downing Street said he told his top team “they were strong and united”.

They added: “He highlighted the ways ministers are delivering on their mandate to change the country, including investing in local communities through Pride in Place and restoring economic stability, which has led to six interest rate cuts and lower mortgage costs for families. He said the government would continue its relentless focus on the priorities of the British people, including tackling the cost of living. The Prime Minister said that the whole of the Labour Party wants Anas Sarwar to become First Minister and will fight for a Labour government in Scotland.”