Category Archives: keir starmer

Exclusive: Labour MPs Offered Tours Of No.10 As PM Tries To Repair Relations With Backbenchers

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Labour MPs are being offered tours of 10 Downing Street as Keir Starmer tries to repair relations with his disgruntled backbenchers, HuffPost UK can reveal.

An email sent to members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) offers them the chance to bring guests with them to see what goes on behind the famous black door.

The email, which was sent by PLP secretary Ella Watson, said: “We are pleased to announce that the PLP office, together with the No.10 political office, will be hosting a series of tours of No.10 Downing Street for MPs and their invited guests.”

MPs are then invited to fill in a booking form to arrange a time for their tour.

The email added: “If your booking is confirmed, the PLP office will contact you via the email address provided, and send you a pro-forma for you to complete with your guest names. It will also include important security information.”

Starmer has been criticised for not spending enough time in the House of Commons, and for failing to set aside time since becoming prime minister to get to know more of his 405 MPs.

One MP joked: “When one of the complaints is that the PLP feel like they are kept at arms length by No.10, a booking form really breaks down barriers.”

A backbencher added: “I did wonder if it was a ploy by the political team to learn the names of the PLP.”

Referring to criticism of the number of foreign trips the prime minister goes on, a Labour source said: “Has anyone asked if the PM wants to visit one day too?”

The Labour Party has been approached for comment.

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Exclusive: Keir Starmer Cabinet Ally Pledges To Ramp Up Support For Embattled PM

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One of Keir Starmer’s closest cabinet allies has vowed to step up his support for the embattled prime minister.

Lord Hermer said the PM’s working class background will help him deliver for voters and see off “populists” on the left and right of British politics.

The attorney general’s comments, in a speech on Tuesday night, will come just hours after Starmer made a plea for cabinet unity following days of bitter Labour in-fighting.

The prime minister was even forced to insist he will still be Labour leader come the next general election amid mounting speculation about his future.

Hermer will tell the Law for Change group that things like the Hillsborough Law, the Employment Rights Bill and improved rights for renters prove Starmer is on the side of ordinary people.

He will say: “When the law helps extend rights and delivers justice where it’s most needed, it earns not just respect, but belief.

“Not as a shield for the status quo, particularly when that status quo may fail too many. But as a promise that across the country, we all stand equal before the law, and no one stands alone.”

Hermer will add: “That’s what this prime minister believes in – the idea that power can be rebalanced, that the law can and should evolve to meet the changing needs of society.

“Injustices can be addressed, wrongs can be made right, through graft, patience and, above all, determination. That’s the story of the man I know, Keir Starmer.

“Populists to the left and right say you don’t need any of that. Just ban this thing, leave this convention. All will be well. But who is left to pick up the pieces, when it all goes south? Working class people. Like the family Keir Starmer grew up in.”

A source close to Hermer told HuffPost UK he wanted to help Starmer see off the twin threats of both Reform UK and the Tories.

He said: “He will be ramping up his efforts in the coming months in support of the rule of law as a platform for change, and of the prime minister.

“Populists falsely claim there are some easy, magical solutions to his country’s challenges, but the attorney general and the prime minister both completely understand you need proper solutions to give rights to working class people and tackle inequality.

“He will be making the case that because of Keir’s working class background, he gets the challenges this country faces.

“But the PM also understands the risks – Reform’s false solutions wouldn’t harm Nigel Farage and his friends, but working class people in this country.”

Starmer’s government was rocked last week by a briefing war which saw No.10 sources accuse health secretary Wes Streeting of plotting to replace him.

But that backfired on Downing Street, with Streeting emerging stronger from the row and the PM facing calls to sack Morgan McSweeney, his chief of staff.

In an attempt to draw a line under the controversy, Starmer told the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning that the government must get back to “working as a team”.

His spokesman said: “He said distractions meant our focus shifted from where it mattered most – working every day in the service of the British people

“People were rightly impatient for change and we have to deliver that rather than talking about ourselves. That means working as a team offering opportunity and security and delivering on our mandate.”

In an interview with the Daily Mirror published this morning, Starmer insisted he will still be Labour leader at the next election despite a poll suggesting only a third of his own voters want him to.

Asked directly if he will still be PM when the country next goes to the polls, he said: “Yes, I will. Let me be really clear – every minute that’s not spent talking about and dealing with the cost of living is a minute wasted of the political work of this government.

“That’s my response to last week. I remain utterly focused on what matters to me most, which is bearing down on the cost of living and making people feel better off.”

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Trevor Phillips Skewers Labour For Treatment Of Rachel Reeves Amid Rental Row

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Trevor Phillips called out a senior Labour minister today over the way Rachel Reeves has been treated after breaking property law.

The chancellor has been in the spotlight this week after it was revealed she was renting out her family home without the correct licence.

She claimed it was an “inadvertent” mistake as she had not been aware of the necessary requirements.

Within 24 hours, new emails showed her husband had actually been aware – but their estate agents had promised to obtain the correct licence on their clients’ behalf, and then failed to do so.

This was still a breach of property law, but Keir Starmer and his independent adviser on ministerial standards said Reeves’ apology and new attempts to get a licence were “sufficient” as resolutions.

The prime minister did still show his frustration at the way the situation was handled, telling Reeves it was “regrettable” she did not share all of the details when she first told him about the issue on Wednesday.

But, as Sky News presenter Phillips pointed out while interviewing defence secretary John Healey: “In the past, that would have been pretty much ground for resignation, wouldn’t it?”

Healey replied: “Of course it would have been better if they’d managed to get all of the information together in one go, but I think she wanted to act immediately – which she did.”

He then insisted this was not comparable to the Tory government, when ministers breached the ministerial code but did not leave their posts.

Phillips reminded Healey how Labour, when in opposition, used to insist the Tories were acting as though it was “one rule for them, one rule for everybody else”.

“How come it’s so different when you make pretty much the same level of error?” The presenter said.

“Totally different!” Healey insisted. “The independent adviser in a case like Priti Patel said she breached the ministerial code. The independent adviser in Rachel’s case –”

Phillips cut in to list all of the ministers who have been forced to quit over a scandal since Labour came to power, including former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who quit over her own tax scandal in September.

“These things happen in government,” the minister said. “The test is how a prime minister responds. And the start of this government, the prime minister set new standards for ministerial conduct, he gave the independent adviser new powers…”

“Why isn’t he getting rid of his chancellor?” Phillips asked.

Healey said: “Because his adviser said it was an inadvertent error, there is no course for further action, the prime minister is taking his recommendation.”

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Starmer Raises Eyebrows By Promoting Labour’s Work On ‘Renters’ Rights’ Amid Reeves’ Rental Row

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Keir Starmer surprised his online critics this morning by boasting about Labour’s work on renters’ rights – even as his chancellor is embroiled in a row over rental law.

Following reports from the Daily Mail, Rachel Reeves admitted this week that she “inadvertently” failed to take out the correct rental licence before allowing tenants to move into her family home last year.

While the chancellor said she had now applied for the correct licence and the prime minister’s independent adviser on ministerial standards said her apology was a sufficient remedy, the scandal has hardly improved the government’s reputation.

So it was pretty remarkable for the prime minister to boast about the government’s success with “strengthening renters’ rights” this week.

Prime minister wrote on X this morning: “Action not words.

“This week we have: Secured 20,000 jobs across our country through our deal with Türkiye.

“Strengthened renters’ rights through Awaab’s Law.

“Increased support for 6 million households by extending the Warm Home Discount.

“Carried out the largest crackdown on illegal workers in British history. That’s national renewal.”

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Action not words. This week we have:

Secured 20,000 jobs across our country through our deal with Türkiye.

Strengthened renters’ rights through Awaab’s Law.

Increased support for 6 million households by extending the Warm Home Discount.

Carried out the largest crackdown on…

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 31, 2025

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Action not words. This week we have:

Secured 20,000 jobs across our country through our deal with Türkiye.

Strengthened renters’ rights through Awaab’s Law.

Increased support for 6 million households by extending the Warm Home Discount.

Carried out the largest crackdown on…

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 31, 2025

His official account did initially release a similar post at 8.05am, only to delete it soon afterwards, and repost the one above.

The original post was identical, aside from promising that Labour had “secured 20,000 jobs in the North West through our deal with Türkiye” – a detail changed to “across the country” in the later post.

Starmer has tried to put the row around Reeves’ property to bed twice since Wednesday.

When the story first broke, he and his chancellor exchanged letters where she admitted fault – while saying she was not aware she needed a licence – apologised, and promised she was taking out the correct licence.

The following day, their estate agents apologised and acknowledged they had promised to get the licence out for the property.

Downing Street soon published a series of emails between Reeves’ husband and the agents proving this was correct.

Both Starmer and his independent adviser Sir Laurie Magnus responded overnight.

The prime minister said he still thought it was an “inadvertent failure” but added it was “clearly regrettable” she did not share these details with him sooner, while Sir Laurie said he found “no evidence of bad faith”.

But some outlets now claim it’s possible Reeves’ tenants could ask for their rent back after staying in an unlicensed property for more than a year – meaning Reeves could be out of pocket by at least £38,000.

It all comes as Reeves prepares to unveil the government’s Budget at the end of November.

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