Labour MP declares he has '100 per cent faith' in Keir Starmer in heated GB News grilling

Georgia Pearce
Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:35:41 +0000

Alex Norris has leapt to the defence of Sir Keir Starmer amid the ongoing Peter Mandelson scandal, declaring he has "100 per cent faith" in the Prime Minister.

Speaking to GB News, the Home Office Minister assured that if Sir Keir had "known what he knows today" about the disgraced peer, he "wouldn't have been appointed".

The Prime Minister is now facing a possible "sleaze probe" to investigate whether he knowingly misled Parliament over the appointment of Lord Mandelson.

During Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch demanded Sir Keir "take responsibility" and resign.

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Mr Norris was pressed by GB News host Stephen Dixon on the state of the Lord Mandelson scandal, and how the nation is witnessing an "unravelling" of the Prime Minister.

The Labour MP disagreed, telling Stephen: "Well, I don't recognise that to any degree. I know the GB News viewers and I know the country are impatient for change, that is the change that's coming forwards with Government, with more to come, including the announcement that I'm making today.

"The Prime Minister has been very clear about his sorrow as to that decision, we would not have made it if we had the information available today that we did then, and what has been made clear by multiple sessions in Parliament and select committees that what he said has been exactly how events transpired, his accountability is to Parliament.

"His accountability ultimately is to the British public, and he's getting on with that job of change with a cabinet united behind him."

Challenged by host Ellie Costello on Sir Keir's previous declarations that he would "carry the can" for his staff, she questioned Mr Norris on whether the Prime Minister has "become the problem that he promised to fix".

Disagreeing with Ellie, Mr Norris hit back: "No, I don't believe so. We believe, as I know your viewers will as well, that we need to drive up standards in public life.

"This event has clearly identified weaknesses in the vetting process. We want to drive up standards in public life and we're making the changes to do so."

Stephen pushed back on the Labour MP's argument, questioning "how many red flags" the Prime Minister needed when appointing Lord Mandelson in the first place.

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Mr Norris responded: "Ultimately, as I say, we are sorry for that appointment, and if we knew what we knew today, we wouldn't have made it.

"But the reality is that there was information withheld from the Prime Minister, and that now is a matter of agreement and of records.

"So without that full information, a full decision wasn't able to be made, and that's why we're in the situation that we are here."

Asked whether he has "100 per cent faith" in the Prime Minister, Mr Norris simply stated: "Yes."

MPs have urged Sir Lindsay Hoyle to refer the Prime Minister for an ethics investigation, over claims he misled Parliament about Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is thought to be pressing for his referral to the privileges committee, the same body that brought down Boris Johnson after he was found to have lied to MPs over Partygate.

Addressing MPs on Wednesday, Sir Keir made clear: "I was elected by the British people because they [the Tories] let the country down for 14 years.

"Whatever she [Kemi Badenoch] says, whatever noise they make, nothing is going to distract me from delivering for our country."