London, UK – Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, is reportedly facing imminent resignation amid claims he misled Parliament. Ministers are predicting Starmer will step down next week following a contentious performance at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).

Controversy Over Mandelson Vetting

The controversy centers around Starmer’s statements concerning pressure applied during the vetting of Peter Mandelson. Sources indicate Starmer may have provided inaccurate information to the House of Commons regarding the extent of influence exerted during the process.

PMQs Performance Under Scrutiny

Starmer’s difficulties arose during Wednesday’s PMQs, where he deviated from a prepared response to address allegations made by Sir Olly Robbins, the former Foreign Office permanent secretary. He stated emphatically that ‘no pressure existed whatsoever’ in the case, a claim now being heavily questioned.

Initially, Starmer’s team had planned to argue that officials should have resisted any undue influence. However, he abandoned this script during the PMQs session, opting for an extemporaneous response that is now considered a critical error.

Impending Testimony and Potential Inquiry

The upcoming testimony of Sir Philip Barton, Sir Olly’s predecessor, is expected to further expose discrepancies. Officials anticipate Barton will confirm the existence of significant pressure to expedite Mandelson’s appointment.

Reported Pressure on Barton

Reports suggest Barton was directly ordered to ‘just f*****g make the appointment’ by Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s former chief of staff. While the exact wording of this quote is disputed, officials expect Barton’s testimony to contradict Starmer’s previous statements.

This anticipated contradiction is described as a ‘coup-de-grace’ and is expected to trigger a formal inquiry by the Parliament’s standards committee. Ministers believe Starmer may preemptively resign to avoid a fate similar to Boris Johnson, who faced scrutiny from the same committee.

Downing Street’s focus has shifted from McSweeney’s upcoming appearance to the potentially more damaging revelations from Sir Philip Barton. The prevailing sentiment is that Starmer’s position is untenable and a resignation is likely.