Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to sack the individual responsible for briefing against his Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, following a damaging 48-hour period of internal party conflict. The row has exposed significant tensions within the Labour government's most senior ranks.
An Apology and a Vow
The crisis culminated late on Wednesday when Keir Starmer made a phone call to Wes Streeting to personally apologise for the personal attacks that had appeared in the media. This was the first conversation between the two men since the briefing war broke out, though the Prime Minister reportedly stopped short of making any further commitments beyond agreeing they should speak again soon.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband publicly backed Starmer's stance, telling Sky News: "I've talked to Keir before about this kind of briefing that happens and as he always says, if he finds the person, he'll get rid of them. And I absolutely believe he would do that." Miliband expressed his certainty that Starmer would not have authorised the attacks, but conceded that such briefing is a "longstanding aspect of politics."
Chaos and Backlash in Downing Street
The controversy originated from a No 10 operation intended to strengthen the Prime Minister's position against a perceived leadership challenge. However, the strategy appears to have backfired spectacularly.
One cabinet minister was scathing in their assessment, stating: "If it was an orchestrated campaign to shore up the PM, then it's had the opposite effect; it's spectacularly backfired. I don't see how Morgan can survive when Keir has ended up in a weaker position than before." This comment places Starmer's Chief of Staff, Morgan McSweeney, directly in the line of fire, with mounting calls for his dismissal.
In attempts to control the fallout, Labour chair Anna Turley announced on Wednesday night that there would be an investigation into the source of the briefings, clarifying it was not believed to be a formal leak inquiry, but that Starmer would "take action" against the culprit.
A Furious Defence and Justified Paranoia?
Wes Streeting himself mounted a robust defence on Wednesday morning, using a popular TV reference to criticise the anonymous attackers. He said, "Whoever has been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors. It's the most unjustified attack against the faithfuls since Joe Marler was banished in the final."
Despite the criticism of No 10's methods, one minister suggested the underlying concern was not entirely misplaced. "I will defend them to a degree because everyone can see that Wes is in fact running a leadership campaign and that it has been the talk of the PLP [parliamentary Labour party]. We know that. We can see it," the minister said. "But I don't think they intended to personalise this about Wes, and that has been their great mistake."
Reflecting on the situation, Ed Miliband urged the party to stay focused, acknowledging that "turbulence is part of the gig" of government and that overcoming it requires "keeping your eyes on the prize."
