Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to never walk away from his job to change the United Kingdom, brushing off a challenge to his authority by the Labour leader in Scotland and other figures in the party who have called on him to quit.
Under pressure over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington DC because of the Labour veteran's close ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Starmer came out fighting, urging his party to fight what he called the real enemy - the populist Reform UK party - rather than among themselves.
He used a visit to a community centre in southern England to try to show that his political career was anything but dead, a day after the biggest challenge to his authority when Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on him to quit and he lost a second aide in as many days.
"I will never walk away from the mandate I was given to change this country," Starmer told an audience.
"I will never walk away from the people that I'm charged with fighting for, and I will never walk away from the country that I love."
Starmer said the real fight was with "the politics of Reform, the politics of divide, divide, divide, grievance, grievance, grievance that will tear our country apart".
He won a reprieve late on Monday after winning the backing of his top team of ministers, the support from potential leadership rivals such as former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and from many of his Labour MPs in parliament.
On Tuesday, another possible leadership contender, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, also said he supported Starmer.
"Yes, he has my support, the government has my support," he said after a speech to the Resolution Foundation think-tank.
"I think what we all need to do now is to drive the pace of change more quickly and that means greater unity across the whole family of the Labour movement."
Revelations about the depth of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein have spurred the greatest threat yet to Starmer, who has repeatedly said the former ambassador and Labour veteran had lied over his ties to the late sex offender.
Last month, the US Justice Department included emails suggesting Mandelson had leaked discussions on possible UK asset sales and tax changes to Epstein during the financial crash.
Mandelson has not commented publicly on allegations he leaked documents, and has not responded to messages seeking comment.
He is now under police investigation for alleged misconduct in office.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said on Tuesday that Labour MPs had "looked over the precipice ... and they didn't like what they saw".
"And they thought the right thing was to unite behind Keir," Miliband told the BBC.
Starmer said he had the "most working-class cabinet" in history but it was "utter nonsense" to suggest that means everyone from a poorer background gets a fair chance in life.
He reflected on the difficulties faced by his brother as he set out why he was so determined to fight on in Downing Street.
Starmer's younger brother Nick died aged 60 in 2024.
"He had difficulties learning when he was growing up, he spent his adult life wandering from job to job in virtual poverty," Starmer said.
"This system, this political system, didn't work for him and there are billions of people in the same boat, children in poverty, young people who don't get the opportunities they deserve.
"Millions of people held back because of a system that doesn't work for them, who are not given the dignity, the respect, the chance that they deserve.
"And I'm fighting for them. I am their prime minister, and this is their government and I will never give up on that fight."
with AP and PA
