Today, as during Starmer’s Commons statement on Monday, the Labour benches were full of sombre faces. Despite sacking him on Thursday evening, during this week’s grilling Starmer was keen to make use of the evidence given by the former Foreign Office boss Oliver Robbins in his select committee appearance yesterday. Of Robbins’ confirmation that he did not share that Mandelson had in fact not passed vetting with the Prime Minister, Starmer said self-assuredly: “That puts to bed all the allegations levelled at me by the opposition about dishonesty.” Kemi Badenoch, also armed with Robbins’s evidence, reacted with indignation.

“He keeps leaning on Sir Olly Robbins,” she said, “a man he sacked”. Starmer’s defence – that it was a “serious error of judgement” that he was not told about the outcome of Mandelson’s vetting, is weakened by the timing of events. As Robbins pointed out yesterday – and Badenoch repeated – Mandelson’s vetting was only completed after his appointment as ambassador had been announced, approved by the King and agreed by the US in time for the inauguration of Donald Trump.

“Mandelson was a done deal,” she said, “it clearly wasn’t a proper process”. Starmer shot back. “Oliver Robbins could not have been clearer,” he told MPs, that he “didn’t feel under pressure personally”.

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping revelation to come from Robbins’s Commons grilling was that Starmer’s private office was considering installing Matthew Doyle – the Prime Minister’s former director of communications – in an ambassadorial role. During the session Starmer was asked about the revelation twice, and both times failed to deny that he knew such an appointment was being pursued. “Matthew Doyle worked for many years in public service,” Starmer said, “when people leave roles in any organisation, there are often conversations about other roles they may want to apply for.” He added: “But nothing came of this.” This latest revelation has certainly not gone down well among members of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

As one told me yesterday, it only reinforces allegations that there was a boy’s club in Downing Street. Badenoch sought to play on this accusation. “He promised [Labour MPs] probity.

What he’s given them is cronyism and an old boys club,” she said. During this afternoon’s outing, Starmer was urged to resign not once but twice. Rounding off her six questions, Badenoch tiptoed around parliamentary convention in a sideways attempt to accuse the Prime Minister of unintentionally misleading the House.

“Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and go?” she boomed. But Starmer would not be moved. A short while later, Ellie Chowns, the Parliamentary Leader of the Green Party had another go.

Accusing Starmer of appointing Mandelson in a “desperate and doomed attempt to pander to Donald Trump” Chowns asked the Prime Minister if he would resign. Starmer brushed her off. Today may have been the final PMQs before the local elections (there is speculation that Parliament will be prorogued on Tuesday ahead of the next King’s Speech on 13 May).

Labour MPs, frustrated that so much of the government’s energy in the lead up to the 7 May has been spent cleaning up the Mandelson mess, are beginning to grow tired of the Prime Minister. Though the points scored by Badenoch each week remain important, Starmer’s fate remains with his MPs. Observing them in the corridors of the House of Commons, and on the Labour benches, it is fair to say that many of them are beginning to lose patience. [Further reading: Keir Starmer is all alone]