Work & Pensions Secretary and Starmer ally Pat McFadden has said that the PM is feeling “surprisingly resolute” before the local elections. McFadden gave a defence of Starmer’s need to serve out his full term:
“I think this country has tested to destruction the idea that the answer to our problems is to swipe left on our prime ministers. We’ve seen too much of that in the past 10 to 15 years. Uh it hasn’t solved our problems. It has added to political chaos and uncertainty. That has economic as well as political consequences and I don’t think that’s the answer to the situation that we’re in at the moment… The prime minister was elected for a 5-year term and uh he should serve out that term.”
Asked if he would face down any challenge, McFadden said:
“Yes, he is feeling that. He’s remarkably resolute and he knows that to turn inward at this moment or to turn turn inward after Thursday would be a mistake.”
See if that convinces any of the backbenchers…
Speaking to Adam Boulton on Times Radio about kicking the Golders Green suspect, Heidi Alexander said:
“I thought that if I was in the shoes of that police officer, then if I’m honest, given the situation, and the fact that he had a backpack on his back, and they were worried about whether that might go off, I could, if I was a police officer, frankly, I could see myself having taken similar action.”