Sir Keir Starmer faced a fresh blow after new polling showed almost half of Labour voters want him out. The survey found that 23% of Labour voters think the under pressure Prime Minister should quit now.

A further 22% said he should stand down at some point before the next general election. About a third – 34% – said he should continue to lead Labour when the country next goes to the polls, due by 2029. The poll of 2,100 people, carried out from November 12-13, reported by The Times, comes after a leadership row erupted last week.

A briefing war broke out over suggestions Health Secretary Wes Streeting was plotting a leadership challenge.

But the Prime Minister has insisted he will lead Labour, which has been pushed into fourth place in some national opinion polls, into the next election.

He said he was “utterly focused” on tackling the cost of living, as he warned Labour against wasting time on leadership rows.

Asked if he would lead Labour into the next ballot, Sir Keir told the Mirror: “Yes, I will. Let me be really clear – every minute that’s not spent talking about and dealing with the cost of living is a minute wasted on the political work of this Government.

“That’s my response to last week. I remain utterly focused on what matters to me most, which is bearing down on the cost of living and making people feel better off.”

He said people wanted to “give their kids a treat, go out for a meal, have a holiday, get on and progress, and feel safe and secure”.

Sir Keir said he understood that “cost of living is the number one issue” for many voters and said the Budget would have “Labour values right through it”.

It comes as Britons are bracing for tax hikes when Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her November 26 statement.