Streeting and Burnham pledge support for Starmer

Two of the prime minister's potential leadership rivals, Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham, have given their backing to Sir Keir Starmer, a day after his political future appeared to be in peril.

Speaking as he was leaving a meeting of the cabinet, the health secretary said Sir Keir had his "full support" and was leading the country with "integrity".

The Greater Manchester mayor who was at a think tank event in central London, also said the PM had his support as he called for "stability" in the Labour Party.

"Of course stability comes from greater unity and that would be helped by a more inclusive way of running the party but recent events makes that now feel possible," he added.

The expressions of support come after a turbulent Monday, which saw the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar urging the prime minister to resign.

Had senior ministers publicly backed his call, Sir Keir could have been forced to step down.

However, shortly after Sarwar began his press conference, the cabinet started posting messages of support for the prime minister on social media.

A few hours later, the prime minister also received an enthusiastic response when he addressed a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Although he survived a difficult day, the prime minister's position remains fragile.

The Gorton and Denton by-election on 26 February and elections in Scotland, Wales and for councils in England in May could trigger fresh leadership challenges.

Reflecting on the day's events, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told BBC Breakfast, the Labour Party had "looked over the precipice" on Monday but "thought the right thing to do was to support our leader".

Miliband - a former Labour leader - said Sir Keir had faced "a moment of peril" but that cabinet ministers had collectively "looked at the alternatives of going down this road of a chaotic leadership election, trying to depose a prime minister, and they said that's not for us".

Labour MP Karl Turner said his colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party "expect change" from their leader.

"We want policy areas to be mentioned to us and a bit of consultation. We don't expect everything, we just want to be included," he told the BBC.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it was "quite clear" that the Labour Party had "lost confidence in Keir Starmer".

She said it was "a matter of if, not when" he stepped down.

Burnham, who along with Streeting has been touted as a possible leadership contender, would not be able to challenge Sir Keir without becoming an MP and his application to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election was seen as the first step in making a leadership bid.

At the time, Burnham insisted he wanted to return to Parliament "to support the work of the government, not undermine it" but Labour's National Executive Committee denied him permission to stand saying it would mean "an unnecessary mayoral election".

Asked on Tuesday if Sir Keir had his full support, Burnham replied: "Yes, he has my support.

"The government has my support and they had my support when I put myself forward for the by-election."

Asked if he would rule himself out of any future leadership challenges, he said: "What I am calling for very clearly today is for the unity to create the stability, to give the government the platform, to focus on all of the things that I'm talking about today.

"We need to get that strong sense of a stronger team again than there has been in recent times and that, I think, is what needs to come from this."

He added: "We need to sort of dial down all of this constant briefing."

Elsewhere, the prime minister received backing from the Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan.

Having stayed quiet on Monday, she put out a statement saying "the country needs stability in an age of instability".

However, she added that the row over the appointment of Lord Mandelson had been "deeply troubling" and that the "failure must be acknowledged and confronted honestly".