Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar to urge Keir Starmer to resign ahead of PMs crunch meeting with MPs: Live updates

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is reportedly set to urge Keir Starmer to resign as Prime Minister, marking the first major party figure to call on him to leave office.

  • 09 февраля 2026, 17:01

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is reportedly set to urge Keir Starmer to resign as Prime Minister, marking the first major party figure to call on him to leave office.

Appearing at a press conference in Glasgow, Sarwar is expected to call on Starmer to go following the Peter Mandelson scandal which has called the PMs judgment into question.

His intervention could pave the way for Cabinet ministers to weigh in on Starmers future after he insisted he would not be resigning in the wake of Morgan McSweeneys departure from Downing Street.

Earlier, the Prime Ministers press chief Tim Allan also resigned his post to allow a new No10 team to be built.

The former Tony Blair adviser had only been in the post since September and had pledged to help Starmer turn the corner with a reset but senior Labour sources accused him of being completely useless.

Follow the latest updates on Keir Starmers future in Downing Street

13:55

Why Sarwar is calling time on Starmer leadership

Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer pictured in Glasgow in December

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 4: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (R) and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (L) share a joke with local people during a visit to a community centre on December 4, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar are visiting the community centre to speak with families following the Autumn Budget. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Anas Sarwar will use a press conference in Glasgow to call on Keir Starmer to leave Downing Street.

He will become the most senior Labour politician to urge Starmer to quit, perhaps conscious of the task facing Scottish Labour in May’s Holyrood elections.

Last week, Sarwar said Peter Mandelson 'should never even have been considered to be the ambassador the US,' but backed Starmer to remain in his job.

13:49

Sarwar set to call on Starmer to quit Downing Street

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar during a press conference and Q&A at the Usher Institute, Edinburgh University, marking 100 days to go until the Holyrood election. Picture date: Tuesday January 27, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Hello and welcome to the Daily Mail's live coverage as Anas Sarwar is set to become the first major Labour Party figure to call on Keir Starmer to leave Downing Street.

The Scottish Labour chief is expected to make the plea for a change of leadership at an unscheduled press conference in Glasgow.

His intervention could pave the way for Cabinet ministers to weigh in on Starmer who earlier today insisted he would not be resigning in the wake of Morgan McSweeney's departure from Downing Street.

Follow our live updates for the latest on this breaking news story.

GlasgowPeter MandelsonUK PoliticsLabour