Starmer sees off Tory calls for inquiry into Mandelson role after No 10 flexes muscle

Vote goes PM’s way but he faces anger from his own MPs who accuse him of creating perception of ‘cover-up’

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Keir Starmer saw off an opposition bid to refer him to a standards committee over Peter Mandelson’s appointment after Downing Street deployed its full weight to force Labour MPs to shore up the prime minister.

However, the Labour leader bore the brunt of anger from some of his own backbenchers who accused him of creating a situation where they would be perceieved as being complicit in “a cover-up.”