Sir Keir Starmer “needs a miracle” and a No10 “clearout”, Labour MPs have said, as the fallout over Peter Mandelson’s US ambassador appointment continues.

Speaking to Sky News, Ian Byrne, Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, said the Prime Minister is “in a very perilous political situation at this moment.”

“He needs a miracle,” Mr Byrne added. “He needs something to turn it around.”

While the MP welcomed Sir Keir’s public apology on Thursday, he said the “red flags” were clear when Mandelson was appointed, and he “should never, ever have been near the post with what was known about him”.

Meanwhile, Simon Opher, MP for Stroud, this morning called for a “clearout” at No10, including Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney.

“There’s a lot of anger amongst Labour MPs, because really we want to, I mean, yesterday, I want to be talking about the cancer care plan, not about Peter Mandelson,” Mr Opher told the BBC.

“So I think what we need to do, I think what needs to really happen, Keir Starmer needs to change his advisers in No10, I think he’s been badly advised, and he’s been really let down, particularly on this decision.

“I know in politics, we really rely on people to sort of cover our backs, our advisors, and I think they patently haven’t done this with Peter Mandelson, and I think so we need a bit of a clearout really at No10.”

When pressed whether this meant Mr McSweeney leaving, Mr Opher replied: “I think so yes”.

“If my chief of staff had done this I think he would be looking for another job to be honest,” he added.