Joseph Muscat receives Labour executive's full backing

Joseph Muscat has received the unanimous backing of the Labour Party executive at a meeting held on Tuesday evening

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat

Joseph Muscat has received the unanimous backing of his party's executive after a vote of confidence was taken this evening, the Labour Party said.

The executive includes elected members and representatives from all the party branches.

In a statement, the PL said that the national executive "took note of the decisions taken in the last hours" and the vote was taken after a "responsible" discussion was held on the latest developments in the country.

The vote of confidence follows another unanimous vote by the parliamentary group on Monday.

The move appears to be part of Muscat's strategy to consolidate internal support as he faces mounting calls for his resignation after his former chief of staff Keith Schembri was interrogated by the police.

Schembri resigned on Tuesday but the fact that he has been linked to corrupt deals by Yorgen Fenech, who is himself being investigated over the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, has made his proximity to Muscat even more toxic.

Ministers Konrad Mizzi and Chris Cardona have also resigned their ministerial posts, with Cardona describing it as an autosuspension until all investigations are complete.

Cardona was questioned briefly by police last Saturday and asked whether he had any involvement whatsoever in the murder. He denied any involvement.