Welcome to an exclusiveAsk Me Anythingsession with me,John Rentoul, chief political commentator atThe Independent.
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It has been a bruising week forKeir Starmer. What began as a row over thevetting of Peter Mandelsonhas spiralled into something more destabilising – a test of authority, discipline and political survival.
Theprime ministerhas sought to bat away the controversy by focusing on process – leaning on the evidence ofOlly Robbinsand insisting he was not told about the “red flags” against Lord Mandelson’s name. But in doing so, he has opened himself up to a different charge: that he isarguing like a lawyerwhile the political case against him is unanswerable.
At the same time, questions are growing louder within Labour itself. Restless backbenchers, a fracturing cabinet and the looming prospect of further scrutiny of senior figures such as Morgan McSweeney all point to a government under sustained internal pressure.
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Across the Commons,Kemi Badenochhas opted for a more forensic approach – probing the detail, building a case and, perhaps, playing a longer game as she looks to shape the political narrative and her own standing.
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So what is the real mood inside Westminster right now? How precarious isStarmer’s position– and what might happen next if the pressure intensifies? Are there credible successors waiting in the wings, or is the lack of an obvious alternative still his greatest protection? And how does this saga affect Badenoch’s stock as an opposition leader?
Join me below onFriday 24 Aprilbetween11amand12pmBST for the Q&A.
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