Prime Minister Keir Starmer insists ‘any attack on any member of my Cabinet is completely unacceptable’ amid leadership plotting briefings targeting Wes Streeting
Keir Starmer has insisted “any attack on any member of my Cabinet is completely unacceptable” amid leadership plotting briefings targeting Wes Streeting.
In his first comments since an extraordinary briefing war emerged at the top of the government, the Prime Minister also said the Health Secretary was doing a “great job”. Last night Mr Streeting was forced to deny plotting a coup against Mr Starmer as speculation over the PM’s future broke out into the open.
Addressing the civil war at PMQs, Mr Starmer praised the Health Secretary’s work in cutting NHS waiting lists – but faced laughter from the Tory benches as he insisted the Cabinet was a “united team”.
He also said Morgan McSweeney, his chief-of-staff, and his top team “are absolutely focused on delivering for this country.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch had asked if Mr Streeting was right when he said there was a “toxic culture in Downing Street that needs to change”. Mr Starmer replied: “My focus each and every day is on rebuilding and renewing our country. But let me be absolutely clear, any attack on any member of my cabinet is completely unacceptable.”
He said Mr Streeting had out-performed expectations by delivering five million extra appointments within the first year of a Labour government, higher than the two million pledged.
It came after Ms Streeting was forced defend himself on Wednesday morning, saying a Labour leadership challenge is “self-defeating” and “doesn’t help anyone”, as he denied plotting to oust the Prime Minister.
He compared the civil war to an episode of Celebrity Traitors, saying this is “the worst attack on a faithful” since rugby star Joe Marler was banished in last week’s BBC final. He backed the PM and said he was completely behind him.
Speaking to Sky News this morning, Mr Streeting said: “I think whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too many episodes of Celebrity Traitors. This is just about the worst attack on a faithful since Joe Marler was kicked out and banished in the final. It’s totally self-defeating briefing, not least because it’s not true, and I don’t understand how anyone thinks it’s helpful to the Prime Minister.”