Alex Burghart calls for Keir Starmer to resign over Parliament row
Conservative MP Alex Burghart has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, accusing him of misleading Parliament over the security vetting of Peter Mandelson and his alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking on GB News, Burghart said the Prime Minister had “clearly misled Parliament”, arguing that the issue went far beyond a minor procedural error. He described the situation as a decisive turning point, stating: “It’s not so much the straw that breaks the camel’s back as the anvil.”
The controversy centres on statements made by Starmer in February, when he appeared to indicate that Mandelson’s security vetting had not raised concerns. However, Downing Street has since said the Prime Minister had not personally reviewed the vetting at the time, a discrepancy Burghart claims undermines his credibility.
Burghart argued that once Starmer became aware of the issue, he had a duty to return to the House of Commons to correct the record promptly. “Under the rules, he has a solemn obligation to come back and admit any mistake,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister failed to do so in the days following the revelation.
The Conservative MP concluded that Starmer had therefore breached parliamentary standards, placing him “in very serious trouble”. He also suggested that dissatisfaction within Labour ranks is growing, with some MPs reportedly angered by the handling of the situation.
“It’s becoming a question of when, not if,” Burghart said of Starmer’s future, adding that the Prime Minister had “run out of road”.
Labour figures have pushed back against the claims. Speaking separately, Labour MP Tom Hayes defended Starmer, attributing the issue to failures within the vetting system and confirming that the Prime Minister will address MPs in the House of Commons on Monday.
The developments come as political scrutiny intensifies over the Mandelson affair, with the government facing mounting pressure to clarify the sequence of events.
