Prime Minister’s Office Denies Involvement in Briefing Against Health Secretary
LONDON – Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reportedly assured colleagues that anonymous briefings against Health Secretary Wes Streeting did not originate from within No. 10 Downing Street, according to sources cited by the BBC. The assurances come amid growing tensions within the Labour party over a perceived “briefing culture” and questions of loyalty to the Prime Minister.
The controversy centers on negative briefings targeting Streeting, a potential future leadership contender, which have reportedly angered his supporters. While Sir Keir apologized to Streeting in a phone call on Wednesday evening, concerns remain that the practice of briefing against cabinet members continues.
Some allies of streeting argue that the briefing culture “followed keir Starmer from opposition into government,” noting a decline in the number of original advisors from his time in opposition still working within his current team. Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s longest-serving advisor from his opposition years, has been approached for comment.
One ally of the Prime Minister suggested the situation is a power struggle within the Labour party, stating, “Morgan is a proxy for Keir. they are coming for morgan because they want to get Keir. This isn’t a parliamentary party battle, it’s a Labour elite battle.”
During Prime minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of “losing control of his government” and questioned his confidence in McSweeney. Starmer responded,stating he had “never authorised attacks on cabinet members” and that “any attack on any member of my cabinet is entirely unacceptable,” specifically praising Streeting’s performance.
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband dismissed speculation about a potential return to the leadership, stating he had “the best inoculation technique against wanting to be leader of the Labour Party which is that I was leader of the Labour Party, between 2010 and 2015. I’ve got the T-shirt – that chapter’s closed.”
