The Scottish Labour leader is being challenged to order his MPs at Westminster to vote for a parliamentary sleaze inquiry into the Prime Minister.
The Commons will vote on Tuesday over whether to refer Sir Keir Starmer to the Privileges Committee over claims he misled MPs over the way Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador was handled.
Ahead of the vote, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn made clear he and fellow SNP MPs would be voting in favour of an inquiry.
He called on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar – who has already called for Sir Keir to resign as Prime Minister – to do the same.
MPs will vote on Tuesday over whether to refer the Prime Minister to the Privileges Committee of the House of Commons. (Suzanne Plunkett/PA)
In a letter to Mr Sarwar, the SNP Westminster leader said that Tuesday’s Commons vote was “an opportunity to end Keir Starmer’s short and sorry time as Prime Minister”.
The SNP MP told the Scottish Labour chief that it was “therefore also the ultimate test of your claim that you want him to resign”.
In his letter to Mr Sarwar, the SNP MP continued: “The test is obvious – if you truly believe Keir Starmer should resign then you must now instruct every single Scottish Labour MP to vote for an investigation which will likely result in Keir Starmer’s resignation.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has also called for Labour MPs to back the referral to the Privileges Committee, insisting the “Prime Minister misled the House of Commons repeatedly”.
Speaking about Sir Keir, Mrs Badenoch added: “He appointed a national security risk and friend of a convicted paedophile to be our ambassador in Washington, our most sensitive diplomatic post.”
Mr Flynn said the “crucial vote” would “determine whether Keir Starmer will be investigated by the Committee of Privileges for misleading parliament and the public over the scandal”.
The SNP MP continued: “The consequence of this vote couldn’t be clearer or more serious.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn wrote to Anas Sarwar ahead of Tuesday’s vote. (James Manning/PA)
“If the Privileges Committee were to establish that the House of Commons was indeed misled, the seriousness of that offence would inevitably result in the Prime Minister’s immediate resignation.”
He said there was a “clear contradiction” between the Prime Minister and the former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins, saying the one-time senior civil servant had been “clear that ‘pressure’ was applied and applied repeatedly” over Lord Mandelson’s appointment.
Challenging Mr Sarwar to act, the SNP Westminster leader told him: “If you don’t even have the strength to order your MPs to vote on the future of Keir Starmer, people won’t trust another word from you or Scottish Labour.
“It is a disgrace that at a time when the UK is facing a cost-of-living emergency, the Labour government is completely consumed by the Peter Mandelson scandal and is failing to lift a finger to help families.
“The only way to lance the boil and end this distraction is for Keir Starmer to quit – or be forced out.
“The Prime Minister should have resigned months ago – and SNP MPs will be voting for the inquiry into Keir Starmer. The only question is whether you are too weak to order Scottish Labour MPs to do the same.”
Scottish Labour MP Gregor Poynton said: “On May 7 Scotland is voting to decide the future of our NHS, our schools and our local communities – but the SNP is obsessing over what is going on elsewhere.
“Stephen Flynn has found his voice now but he was silent when the SNP covered up allegations against Jordan Linden, tried to make benefit fraudster Sally Donald an MSP, and had two of its last three ex-leaders arrested by Police Scotland.”
