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Nigel Farage predicted that Sir Keir Starmer will not last the summer if he makes it through the May elections. The Reform UK leader said the scandal over Lord Mandelson was "yet a further blow" to the embattled Prime Minister as he faces ongoing questions over his leadership.

Mr Farage made the comments as he gave a press conference on Reform UK's five-point plan to "save Britain's pubs".

He said: "Difficult for somebody who was already the most unpopular prime minister in living memory, this deals yet a further blow. I still stick to the view that after May 7 when you see, in Wales for example Labour that's dominated the place, very difficult for me to think Keir Starmer will survive the summer if he even gets through to May 7."

Mr Farage also questioned whether Lord Mandelson had breached the Official Secrets Act in his discussions with Jeffrey Epstein.

He said: "It is highly sensitive market information. It is government secrets.

"I also wonder whether, in emails to Epstein, he talked about the security apparatus that exists underneath No 10 and at the heart of Whitehall. That is information that is of national security importance. "

And he revealed that he is in discussions with "two or three" Labour figures about defecting to Reform.

Asked for an update on the Labour defector promise last month, he said it was a "work in progress".

The Reform leader added: "In fact, there are two or three formerly quite senior Labour figures we are in negotiations with and I'm absolutely confident that over the course of the next few weeks we will have some Labour names of some substance, maybe even one or two that want to stand for us."