Keir Starmer has stared into the political abyss and pulled himself back, but the vultures are merely circling higher, not flying away.

Following a chaotic 24 hours that threatened to capsize his premiership, the Prime Minister has secured a temporary reprieve. Addressing the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) on Monday night, Starmer delivered a speech described by insiders as a mix of "Scottish Presbyterian repentance" and "Southern Baptist hallelujah." It was enough to silence the immediate calls for resignation, but it has not cured the rot at the heart of his government.

The Night of Long Knives That Wasn't

The chaos began last Wednesday with the explosive release of the Peter Mandelson documents, triggering a panic that saw Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar openly question Starmer’s position. For a moment, it seemed the end was inevitable. "Is it over?" was the whisper in the tea rooms.

But Starmer, often criticized for being wooden, found a fighting spirit when it mattered most. His Monday address was a masterclass in crisis management—humble enough to acknowledge the anger, yet forceful enough to remind his MPs that a leadership contest now would be electoral suicide. He bought time. But in politics, time is a loan, not a gift.

The Peril Remains

Despite the "hallelujahs," the fundamentals remain grim. The Labour Party is polling at historic lows, trailing Reform UK and flirting with fourth place behind the Greens in some surveys. The "Starmer Must Go" genie is out of the bottle, and no amount of backroom speeches can force it back in.

• The Looming Tests: Crucial by-elections and local council votes loom on the horizon. A bad result in any of these could be the spark that finally ignites the tinderbox.
• The Sarwar Factor: Anas Sarwar's failed "coup" has left deep scars. The rift between Scottish Labour and Westminster is now a gaping chasm, threatening the Unionist cause in the north.
• Policy Paralysis: With his authority wounded, Starmer faces the danger of becoming a "lame duck" PM, unable to push through bold reforms for fear of upsetting his fragile coalition of support.

A Dead Man Walking?

A cabinet minister, fleeing the Commons on Monday, was asked if the peril was over. Their one-word answer—"No"—echoes the mood in Westminster. Starmer has won the battle for today, but the war for his political survival is being fought on a crumbling landscape. He is still the Prime Minister, but for how long is now a question of when, not if.