Senior Labour figures tell Keir Starmer to stop making mistakes

Prime minister faces criticism from Emily Thornberry, who highlights risk of ‘handing country to Farage’

Keir Starmer has been warned by senior Labour figures to stop making mistakes, before a battle over the party’s deputy leadership contest and fears the government could row back on workers’ rights.

As candidates began to jostle to replace Angela Rayner, the prime minister faced public criticism from Emily Thornberry, a potential contender, who said further mistakes from Starmer could lead to having to “hand our country to [Nigel] Farage”.