Imagine if the boot was on the other foot and a Conservative Prime Minister had appointed a friend who was best buddy with a convicted paedophile to be Ambassador to the USA and then admitted he knew that individual maintained a cosy friendship even after the offender had been convicted.
Does anyone believe Starmer wouldn’t have done his pious and high and mighty routine, saddling up his moral high horse and demanding the Prime Minister’s immediate resignation?
But it is a different story when he is Prime Minister. All of a sudden it is someone else’s responsibility.
Advisers advise, ministers decide. A strong Prime Minister owns their decisions, good and bad. Blaming officials only serves to further demonstrate his weakness.
Starmer is doing the country and his party no good by desperately trying to continue. He should step aside now, rather than be forced out after the by-election or the local elections.