Kemi Badenoch has called on Labour MPs to remove Sir Keir Starmer from office, launching a blistering attack in the House of Commons during an emergency debate on the appointment of Lord Mandelson.
The Leader of the Opposition dismissed Downing Street’s claim that it had been let down by failures elsewhere in the vetting process, branding the suggestion “laughable” as she opened the debate.
She told MPs in the Commons: “The decision about whether he will ultimately take responsibility for his actions is now up to Labour MPs.
“Labour MPs know that the Prime Minister has let the country down, he’s let Parliament down and he’s also let the Labour Party.
“It is clear to everyone except the Prime Minister himself that he has failed on his own terms.
“It is clear to the public that he is failing at the job, it is clear to civil servants that he is throwing them under the bus.
“And it is clear to members across this House that he is not fit to lead. This cannot go on.
“This House deserves better, the country deserves better, the Prime Minister is not fit for office.
“The first duty of any Prime Minister is to keep this country safe.
“This Prime Minister has put the country’s national security at risk. He must take responsibility, it is time for him to go.”
Her intervention marks a dramatic escalation in the political fallout from the controversy, with opposition figures seeking to turn mounting questions over the appointment into a direct challenge to the Prime Minister’s authority.
Badenoch argued that responsibility ultimately rests with No 10, rejecting attempts to shift blame onto officials and insisting that ministers must be held accountable for decisions taken at the highest level of government.
The debate, triggered amid intensifying scrutiny of the vetting process surrounding Lord Peter Mandelson, has become a focal point for wider concerns about transparency and due process in senior appointments.
Labour MPs are expected to rally behind the Prime Minister, but the tone of the exchange underlines the growing political pressure on Sir Keir Starmer as the row continues to dominate Westminster.
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