Labour leadership latest: Angela pays £40,00 stamp duty to start her challenge, Wes

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said there had been ‘twists and turns’ in the Labour Party’s leadership ‘drama’, but stressed there was no bid as yet to oust the Prime Minister.

Mr Alexander said: ‘For all the headlines, there is a process by which a challenge to the Labour Party leadership can be conducted, and that process hasn’t been triggered.’

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme, the Scottish MP accepted ‘these are difficult days’ for the party across the UK after last week’s poor election performance.

But he said the Prime Minister had been ‘clear’ that he accepted responsibility for the ‘very bad set of results’.

Mr Alexander said: ‘The Prime Minister has my support, I am a member of the Cabinet.

‘I think for all of the speculation, for all of the headlines, it’s worth holding on to the fact we’ve seen twists and turns in this drama even in recent days.

‘There’s a process by which a challenge to the Labour Party leadership can be conducted, and that process simply hasn’t been triggered this morning.’