Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he will lead Labour into the next general election - as a poll suggested only a third of his own voters want him to.
The Prime Minister said he was “utterly focused” on tackling the cost of living, as he warned Labour against wasting time on leadership rows.
Sir Keir used a Mirror interview to attempt to silence doubts about his position, after the extraordinary briefing war last week over suggestions Health Secretary Wes Streeting was plotting a leadership challenge.
Asked if he would lead Labour into the next general election, Sir Keir said: “Yes, I will. Let me be really clear - every minute that's not spent talking about and dealing with the cost of living is a minute wasted of the political work of this Government.
“That's my response to last week. I remain utterly focused on what matters to me most, which is bearing down on the cost of living and making people feel better off.
“I'm very conscious of the fact that people want to get on in life, they want to progress, they want more money in their pocket to do the things that matter to them.”
He added: "Give their kids a treat, go out for a meal, have a holiday, get on and progress, and feel safe and secure.
“These are human things that matter hugely to me in terms of how people feel about themselves, their family and their community.
“Everything we're doing is to make them better off, and every minute we waste on other issues is a minute we're not bearing down on that.”
Sir Keir said he understood that “cost of living is the number one issue” for many voters and the Budget on November 26 would have “Labour values right through it”.
The £9.90 prescription charge in England is to be frozen, Sir Keir indicated.
“We’ve had a freeze in place, which is really important, and you can expect more on that in the coming days,” he said.
“But I think I'd hope you've got a strong sense of where I'm coming from on this. For families across the country, this (the cost of living) is the single most important issue.”
Among the measures expected to be announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Budget are powers for London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, and other metropolitan leaders, to introduce a levy for overnight stays in hotels and Airbnb-style accommodation.
The Prime Minister’s assertion that he will lead Labour into the next election comes as a YouGov poll of 2,100 people for the Times suggested 23% of the party's voters think he should quit now.
A further 22% think he should stand down before the next election, due in 2029 at the latest, while only 34% think he should lead Labour then.
