Sadiq Khan has dismissed suggestions Keir Starmer should be replaced as prime minister, saying it would be an act of ‘folly’ from Labour to force him out.
The prime minister has been under pressure over the last week following revelations about Peter Mandelson’s security vetting process for the role of US ambassador.
There have been calls from opposition parties for Starmer to step down over the scandal, whilst there are reports that parts of the parliamentary Labour party have lost faith in him.
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However, one of Labour’s most significant figures, London mayor Sadiq Khan, has said replacing Starmer is not the way forward.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Khan was asked if he thought Starmer would still be prime minister by the end of 2026.
He replied: “Yes, I do. I think it would be folly, when we’ve got what’s happening in terms of geopolitics.”
Khan went on to point out that one of the things people abroad admire most about the UK is a “certainty and a stability,” with the mayor saying this was the nation’s “USP.”
He continued: “Why would we want to jeopardise our USP by changing leader at this stage?”
Khan highlighted that Starmer as a majority of 170 in the House of Commons and the next election doesn’t need to take place until the summer of 2029.
“The way I describe it, in football terms, is we’re approaching half time,” Khan said. “We are losing. The opinion polls shouldn’t be ignored.”
But he added: “There’s so much to go in the game and the most important poll is what happens at the final whistle.”