A BBC Question Time audience united in condemning Labour after a week in which Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership appeared to be hanging by a thread. Several audience members at Thursday’s show, filmed in central London – a traditional hotbed of Labour support – blasted Sir Keir and the Government for the chaos that ensued after a briefing that attacked Health Secretary Wes Streeting for supposedly plotting against the PM.

The episode began with one Londoner asking: “At the last election Labour, promised that the ‘adults would now be back in the room’. After this week’s Cabinet briefings and internal sniping, where are they?” Labour minister Alex Davies-Jones admitted that the week’s headlines had been “a regrettable distraction to say the least” from the Government’s policy agenda.

Ms Davies-Jones said she understands why voters care about this, “because they care about the character of the man leading our country – that is only right, that is only natural”.

She said this week’s briefing and headlines “made me angry, I think it made everybody angry because it’s drama we don’t need”.

She added: “I’m blaming whoever is responsible for leaking this, for briefing against us. We’ve got a really big job to do in terms of rebuilding our country … this is not helpful to say the least.”

Defending Sir Keir, she insisted he was focused on delivering for voters.

However, as host Fiona Bruce returned to the audience for their input, it was clear the Labour minister’s defence had failed to win them over.

A second audience member demanded to know why voters should believe Sir kEIR has “full faith” in his chief of staff, after sacking two high-profile figures he previously claimed to have “full faith” in.

The audience member pointed out: “One of the other people that’s not been mentioned is Morgan McSweeney, and his whole role in this. The Prime Minister’s said that he has ‘full confidence’ in him and he’s not going anywhere.

“We have heard that twice already, with Angela Rayner – whom he had full confidence in and is now gone – and Lord Mandelson, whom he had full confidence in and is now gone.

“So why is it different the third time? Why should we believe him when twice before he had confidence in a high-ranking minister, and a few days later he didn’t?”

A third member quipped that this week had looked “like No 10 is in an episode of The Traitors!”

A fourth blasted: “I think the whole country has its head in their hands. Every time they put the television on or watch the news, it’s all doom and gloom. When’s something positive going to happen? That’s what the country needs.

Lastly, a woman fumed: “This is a mess, actually, and people have lost faith in all parties. No one trusts anyone and we’re actually a joke globally as well.”

Reform UK’s Danny Kruger said the reason the Government is falling apart is because the Prime Minister “doesn’t actually believe in anything, and he came into Government saying he was going to deliver change but without any plan”.