Keir Starmer admits being prime minister is “tougher than anything I’ve done before” and says multiple employment scandals have caused “hectic days” as he blasts Transport Secretary Louise Haigh over P&O gaffe ‘1 billion pounds.

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted his first 100 days in government have been beset by “hectic days” and “bumps and crosswinds”, as the embattled Prime Minister confessed that leading the country was the hardest job he’s ever had has ever faced.

The former director of public prosecutions has weathered a storm of scandal and allegations of cronyism, while critics say he is not up to the task as the transport secretary’s comments could have scuppered a deal with the ports of 1 billion pounds.

Starmer visibly pursed her lips as she was quizzed over Louise Haigh’s comments about P&O Ferries, whom she described as “cowboy operators” following a 2022 scandal that saw 800 workers sacked and replaced by cheap agency workers.

Haigh encouraged others to boycott the company, which reportedly angered Dubai-based owners P&O, which has announced plans to expand its London Gateway container port.

And he appeared dejected as he had to respond that his position was “not the government’s view”, despite the accompanying press release directly calling out P&O Ferries and referring to the sacking companies and recruitment as “rogue employers”.

He was interviewed on the BBC’s Newscast podcast as he approached the milestone target, seen as a key point at which the initial success of a new government is reviewed since the US presidency of Franklin D Roosevelt in 1933.

But those first 100 days have been marred by scandal after scandal, including:

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he has found his first 100 days as prime minister difficult, after Labor was hit with scandal after scandal.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh’s comments about P&O Ferries could have torpedoed a £1bn investment deal for Britain, it emerged last night.

He used a TV interview to describe P&O Ferries as a “cowboy operator” after they sacked 800 workers and replaced them with cheaper agency staff.

Buoyed by the Labor government’s record so far, the Prime Minister said the job had been “a lot harder than anything I’ve done before, but a lot better”.

He said: “There are always going to be hectic days, hectic times, I’ve been through that before, you have those days and weeks where things are hectic.

“You can’t help it, that’s the nature of government, you’re under enormous scrutiny.”

He went on to admit that there had been “bumps and crosswinds, which, you know, I wish we hadn’t bumped into and pushed.”

And when asked what they were, he acknowledged that he was referring to “things about donations, staffing issues, that kind of thing.”

And Labor was plunged into another scandal last night as it emerged transport secretary Ms Haigh’s comments about P&O Ferries had angered bosses at ferry owner DP World.

He has been working on a deal to expand London Gateway port for months and was due to announce details of the investment at Sir Keir’s flagship investment conference aimed at putting Britain on the map.

But after Ms Haigh described P&O as a “cowboy operator” who had been boycotting since the fire and rent scandal, DP reversed the announcement and announced a review of the port’s expansion.

The company’s boss, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, with an estimated net worth of $7.5 billion (£5.7 billion), will also not be attending the event.

The government-led conference now resembles a farce with a flagship announcement torpedoed and the event overshadowed by what looks like anti-business sentiment from one of its top ministers.

Downing Street tried to distance itself from the comments, despite the press release, which would have been sanctioned by Number 10, referring to “rogue operators”.

Sir Keir tried to distance himself from the comments made by Ms Haigh, saying they were “not the government’s view”.

Labor has weathered a series of scandals since coming into government three months ago, including controversial donations provided by Lord Alli (pictured)

Sir Keir bowed to pressure and agreed to return £6,000 in donations, including a clothing hire contract for his wife Victoria (pictured)

He also quoted Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner as describing P&O’s actions in 2022 as an “outrageous example of manipulation”; Ms Haigh called it a “national scandal” in the same statement.

Asked whether major investors would be welcome after Ms Haigh’s comments, the Prime Minister said: “We will sort it out. But if you look at the last three or four weeks, you’ve seen over £40bn of investment

“The proof of the pudding in terms of the strategy we’ve adopted is that it’s these big numbers coming to invest and the answer is yes. I’m sure more will come out of the top.’

Pressed on whether it was correct for Ms Haigh to describe P&O as a “rogue operator”, he added: “That is not the government’s view”.

Sir Keir also admitted it has been “very difficult” to keep time off for his family since becoming prime minister, describing No 10 as a “strange environment” because his 13-year-old daughter and his 16-year-old son grow up. in

This included Friday nights, after the Prime Minister said shortly after being elected that he had a firm rule of not working after 6pm at the end of the week, prompting howls of derision from critics and opposition parliamentarians.

Asked if he had managed to keep the time off to “maintain some semblance of normality and family time”, Sir Keir replied: “No, it’s been very hard.”

He continued: “Friday nights are almost always eaten up by work now and that’s okay. That’s understandable.

“It’s very important for me to spend time with Vic and the children and, therefore, as much time as I can devote, I will,” he added.

“I had children because I want to be with them, to enjoy their company,” continued the prime minister. “They are my pride and joy and so I love spending time with them.”

He went on to say that there were some advantages to living so centrally: his children can “pop down” to see him for a few minutes after school instead of traveling home to Kentish Town while he worked in Westminster.

It came as a landmark poll, published in the Daily Mail today, revealed that almost half of Labor voters felt they had been let down by the new government.

The poll of UK adults by YouGov found that 47 per cent of those who voted for Sir Keir’s party felt “disappointed” after initially hoping the prime minister would live up to their expectations after his residency at number 10.

It prompted Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick to say: “It is terrifying to think that after Labour’s disastrous 100 days, there are 1,700 more to go (until the next election).

“They have already broken their promises, surrendered British territory and plunged into chaos and chaos.”

A Downing Street spokesman said: “The government is focused on delivery and the action it takes.”

On whether the first 100 days had been a success, they added: “That’s what the public judges him for.”