Keir Starmer insisted he is ‘absolutely fighting’ to make his premiership work today amid claims a key ally has refused to become his chief of staff.

The PM admitted he was ‘angry’ and enduring a ‘tough’ time, as reports emerged that national security adviser Jonathan Powell had turned down the key post.

Friends of the Blairite political appointee have also been suggesting he could leave by the end of the year, and saying he argued against making Lord Mandelson ambassador to the US.

The PM narrowly survived a coup attempt last week, but lost chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications director Tim Allan.

Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald has also been ousted just 19 months after being hand-picked by Sir Keir. 

The departures – the latest in a string of high-profile casualties – have the premier looking dangerously isolated.

But he looks set to cling on for the time being with rivals not yet in a position to move. 

Appearing on BBC Radio 2 today, Sir Keir bizarrely tried to make a virtue of his habit of U-turning in the face of Labour mutinies, describing himself as a ‘common sense merchant’.  

Keir Starmer admitted he was ‘angry’ and enduring a ‘tough’ time, as reports emerged that national security adviser Jonathan Powell had turned down the key post

National security adviser Jonathan Powell is said to have turned down the chief of staff post, and indicated he could leave this year. No10 sources insisted he had not been offered the role and is staying 

According to the Guardian, Mr Powell has decided not to ‘take forward discussions’ about becoming chief of staff.

He held the role for a decade under Tony Blair.

The paper also claimed the 69-year-old is considering leaving Downing Street at the end of the year in order to return to his mediation consultancy – in what would be seen as another major blow to Sir Keir.

Mr Powell has been blamed for some of the Labour government’s most controversial decisions including the surrender of the Chagos Islands.

However the Guardian claimed that he ‘very strongly’ advised Sir Keir against appointing Lord Mandelson as US Ambassador.

It was reported that from his personal experience of the Blair years he felt the New Labour grandee courted controversy and would cause trouble for the PM.

No10 sources denied Mr Powell had any plans to step down and insisted he would continue as National Security Adviser.

The sources also said it was untrue that he had been offered the role of Chief of Staff, which is temporarily being shared by Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson.

Keir Starmer (pictured playing football yesterday) is fighting to stabilise his hollowed-out Downing Street operation today amid claims a key ally has refused to become his chief of staff

The PM narrowly survived a coup attempt last week, but lost chief of staff Morgan McSweeney (pictured)