Labour leadership truce holds for now but clock is ticking for Starmer

Countdown to May has begun and dejected Labour MPs want to see in that time that PM is capable of change

When Labour's Scottish leader, Anas Sarwar, urged Keir Starmer to stand down two weeks ago, Starmer's closest advisers presented him a choice: fight, flight or hand over his destiny to his party by calling a leadership contest.

The prime minister chose the first option and his Downing Street team sprung into action to contain the threat. At the moment of greatest peril for Starmer, MPs peered over the precipice and didn't like what they saw.