‘It can be survivable’: Inside Keir Starmer’s efforts to stop a coup

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The approaching storm

Probably the most rapid process is methods to take care of the now-promised launch of information referring to Mandelson’s appointment, a transfer for transparency that might show damaging for Starmer and his high staff in addition to the previous envoy.

Managing this second might put him on the entrance foot once more, if dealt with with excessive warning and fortitude.

One former aide who labored intently with Starmer, granted anonymity like others on this piece to talk candidly, stated: “What is evident is the prime minister isn’t going to only quit. That’s not him. That’s not his nature… If he thinks he’s in the best place, he'll hunker down.”

<img decoding="async" width="1024" height="668" src="https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/06/2600383-1024x668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7900245" srcset="https://www.politico.eu/cdn-cgi/image/width=1024,quality=80,onerror=redirect,format=auto/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/06/2600383.jpg 1024w, https://www.politico.eu/cdn-cgi/image/width=300,quality=80,onerror=redirect,format=auto/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/06/2600383.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Probably the most rapid process is methods to take care of the now-promised launch of information referring to Peter Mandelson’s appointment. | Andy Rain/EPA

MPs are despairing that Starmer has been blaming Mandelson’s “lies” relatively than wholeheartedly accepting his personal judgement was in query. The identical ex-aide quoted above stated that when extra info is made public, Starmer might lastly should say: “I made a mistake… it’s not simply the vetting, I made a mistake, and I remorse appointing him.”

A second senior Labour insider echoed this, saying Starmer was “at his greatest when he will get forward of stuff” and “he wants one thing decisive to say when all the knowledge comes out.”

After apologizing publicly to Epstein’s victims on Thursday, Starmer renewed his apology to MPs gathered at Chequers, based on two individuals current. It’s unlikely to be the final time he does so.