Labour leader Keir Starmer has condemned any internal briefings against cabinet ministers from Downing Street as "completely unacceptable", in a bid to quell tensions within his own party. The comments came after Health Secretary Wes Streeting was targeted by pre-emptive briefings that suggested he could be a potential challenger to Starmer's leadership.
Starmer, facing criticism for alleged infighting within his government, defended Streeting and downplayed the notion of a plot against him. He maintained that any attack on a cabinet member would be "unacceptable" but refused to comment on whether he had confidence in his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
The situation escalated as Health Secretary Streeting accused Downing Street of launching an operation to protect Starmer from a potential leadership challenge. Streeting described the briefings against him as "self-defeating" and indicative of a toxic culture within No 10.
Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell, who has faced negative briefings herself, echoed Streeting's sentiments, saying she had been right about the need for change inside Downing Street. Her warnings come amid rising tensions between Starmer's allies and those who question his leadership.
The dispute highlights deep divisions within Labour, with some party members calling for a shake-up of Starmer's team. The situation has sparked concerns that infighting could affect the party's performance in the May local elections and impact its overall prospects.
Starmer, facing criticism for alleged infighting within his government, defended Streeting and downplayed the notion of a plot against him. He maintained that any attack on a cabinet member would be "unacceptable" but refused to comment on whether he had confidence in his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
The situation escalated as Health Secretary Streeting accused Downing Street of launching an operation to protect Starmer from a potential leadership challenge. Streeting described the briefings against him as "self-defeating" and indicative of a toxic culture within No 10.
Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell, who has faced negative briefings herself, echoed Streeting's sentiments, saying she had been right about the need for change inside Downing Street. Her warnings come amid rising tensions between Starmer's allies and those who question his leadership.
The dispute highlights deep divisions within Labour, with some party members calling for a shake-up of Starmer's team. The situation has sparked concerns that infighting could affect the party's performance in the May local elections and impact its overall prospects.
I'm getting so sick of these internal power struggles in politics! It's like, can't they just focus on helping people instead of fighting amongst themselves? 
It's not like it's going to make a difference in the end, but it's still so unprofessional. And what's with all this whispering and backstabbing? Just have an honest conversation about your concerns if you want change! 
I mean, Wes Streeting is just trying to do his job as Health Secretary and he gets briefed against because of it? That's not right. 
Labour needs to get its act together before we start worrying about their chances in the local elections... or anything else for that matter. 
. And what really gets my goat is the fact that Starmer is trying to turn it around and say everyone's being paranoid 
. This whole thing reeks of backroom deals and politicking. I'm not convinced this isn't just a distraction from the real issues facing Labour 
.
. It's like they say, you can't have it both ways - if they're trying to project unity, but then we see these backstabbing briefings going on behind the scenes... no wonder people are skeptical about Starmer's leadership. I mean, who needs that kind of stress and tension in their own party? 
Newsflash: no one likes a puppeteer trying to control their strings from behind the scenes 
. First, it's about Keir Starmer, then it's about Wes Streeting... who's next? 
I just think they should focus on the real issues, like how to improve healthcare and fix our failing transport system instead of having an internal power struggle. It's not exactly reassuring when your own party members are questioning each other's loyalty 
. It feels like Labour is going through a rough patch, but isn't this what happens when you're in power? The 90s had Tony Blair, who was more of a uniter than a divider 
. Now it's all about "who's got their back" 
. I'm worried that with the local elections coming up, Labour might not put its best foot forward 
. Starmer needs to focus on policy and unity rather than internal squabbles 
. It's time to get back to basics and let the people decide who should lead the party 
.
. Starmer needs to sort out his own house before worrying about others getting briefed against him. And what's with the weird timing of these briefings? Trying to create a narrative that Streeting is a potential challenger? Not buying it 
Whatever it is, they need to do something soon or risk losing even more momentum.
So Keir Starmer is all like "Dude, no one messes with my cabinet guys!"