Keir Starmer has put on hold his call for Boris Johnson to resign over the Partygate scandal.
The Labour leader said now was the time for British politicians to show “unity” against Vladimir Putin following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Starmer urged the prime minister to quit in January as he was engulfed by accusations of lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.
He said Johnson had misled parliament in his initial response to the allegations.
But on the BBC’s Sunday Morning show, Starmer refused to repeat his demand for the prime minister to go.
Asked if he now withdrew his call for the PM to resign immediately, he said: “I do think there’s a basic question of trust, and it does seem a long time ago that we were talking about all of the allegations the prime minister faces. He of course is still being investigated by the Metropolitan Police. I do think there is still a question of trust.
“But I’m very clear as the leader of the opposition and leader of the Labour party, that when it comes to standing up to Russian aggression and standing in support of Ukraine, it’s very important in the UK and in our politics that we show the world that we’re united.
“And therefore whatever other challenges and frustrations and criticisms I have of the prime minister, and I’ve got many, on this issue there is unity and it’s very important we demonstrate that unity.”
Asked again whether he withdrew his call for Johnson to quit, Starmer said: “At the moment the prime minister is obviously concentrating on the job in hand and we stand united as the United Kingdom on that issue.”
Labour later insisted that Starmer was not withdrawing his call for the PM to resign.
A source said: “We wanted him to resign weeks ago. That hasn’t changed.”