Keir Starmer handed strict deadline to prove his government is not dysfunctional
Allies of the British PM have admitted that he needs to personally "get a grip" or risk losing control after just a few months in power.
Senior Whitehall figures have said that Sir Keir Starmer has four weeks to sort out the chaos engulfing Downing Street, or the public backlash will be severe.
The warning comes as the British leader is in the midst of a political crisis over his acceptance of freebies, gifts and donations for clothes. There is also an ongoing bitter briefing war between top figures in Downing Stree involving his embattled chief of staff Sue Gray.
The Prime Minister, who has only been in power since July, has already seen his approval rating plummet to its lowest level.
A poll on Saturday from Opinium showed he was now even more unpopular than his predecessor Rishi Sunak, with a net approval rating plummeting to -26.
This comes ahead of the Labour Party conference, which starts today and offers a chance for Sir Keir to reset his leadership.
Speaking to The Telegraph, a senior Whitehall figure said time was running out for the PM to fix the mess he created.
They said: “If this is continuing in four weeks time then there’s something fundamentally wrong.
"That will show how dysfunctional it is, or whether it’s just growing pains that they do need to sort out. They have not handled it well, to be honest.”
The well-connected source said that the political operation inside Downing Street needed to be smoothed out before Rachel Reeves' first Autumn Budget on October 30, or else the damage to his premiership would be serious.
According to the source, allies close to the PM in Downing Street had personally told him that he needed to intervene himself and "get a grip" on the crisis before it's too late.
Despite the uproar surrounding Sir Keir, a No 10 source told the Telegraph that the government was "laser-focused" on its priorities delivering for the British people.
The source said: “Whatever the noises off, this Government is completely focused on stabilising the economy and delivering the change Britain voted for. Nothing will distract us from that task.”
In an interview with the Observer newspaper, Sir Keir admitted it was his "responsibility" to solve the leaks upending his office.
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Earlier this week, a leak revealed that Sue Gray had a £170,000 salary - more than the PM is paid himself.
There are also reports that No 10 is split into three rival camps, led by Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir's top political adviser, Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, and Ms Gray.
There was speculation this week that Ms Gray could abruptly quit due to the public scrutiny on her following the leaks and briefings.
