ANAS Sarwar was accused of “treacherous” behaviour by one of his own MPs at Westminster, according to reports.
It comes after the Scottish Labour leader called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign on Monday over the Peter Mandelson scandal.
In a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party later on Monday, Scottish Labour MP Johanna Baxter reportedly was “in tears” according to The Times and Politics Home – also accusing Sarwar of “treacherous behaviour” and pleading with Starmer to “not give up on Scotland”, according to sources.
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Sarwar became the most senior Labour figure to call for Starmer to go, citing concern that the “distraction” from Downing Street would harm his party’s chances of unseating the SNP in May’s Holyrood elections.
He has since faced backlash from many MPs, with both the current and former Scottish Secretary – Douglas Alexander and Ian Murray – backing Starmer publicly.
Starmer issued a defiant response at Monday night’s meeting of the PLP, telling a packed room in Westminster: “I’ve won every fight I’ve ever been in.”
The Prime Minister said he was “not prepared to walk away” as he received a warm reception from MPs reluctant to join Sarwar in calling for him to quit.
The lack of a concerted effort by MPs to depose Starmer suggests the immediate danger may have passed.
But some discontent remains, with one critic comparing the meeting to the Battle of the Little Bighorn, a Wild West massacre also known as Custer’s Last Stand.
The Prime Minister is expected to continue efforts to shake up his No 10 operation, with the country’s top civil servant Chris Wormald rumoured to be on his way out in the coming days.
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His chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications chief Tim Allan have already departed as Starmer seeks to revive his fortunes after a bruising start to 2026.
Speaking to broadcasters on the morning media round, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the Prime Minister had faced a “moment of peril” on Monday and Labour MPs had “looked over the precipice”.
“In a sense, yesterday was a moment of peril for the Prime Minister. I make no bones about that,” he told BBC Breakfast.
“But, as a collective body, the Cabinet, the Labour Party looked at the alternatives of going down this road of a chaotic leadership election, trying to depose a prime minister, and they said ‘no, that’s not for us’.”
He said “the private Keir I know” had felt “slightly constrained” but that last night’s PLP had seen the Prime Minister “passionate” and “clear about his purpose”.
Anas Sarwar was accused of “treacherous” behaviour at tonight’s PLP.
Joanna Baxter made the comment through tears and “pleaded with the PM not to give up on Scotland”, sources say.
Those in the room said it was an uncomfortable moment, given the intervention came in front of other Scottish MPs who “privately agree with Anas but have clearly bottled following him over the top”.
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