Keir Starmer scrambled to shore up his chief aide today amid a Labour meltdown over brutal briefing against the Cabinet.
The PM voiced ‘confidence’ in his senior team after receiving ‘assurances’ that none of them were involved in the extraordinary pre-emptive strike against Wes Streeting‘s alleged leadership manoeuvring.
The effort to draw a line under the issue came despite the Health Secretary delivering a furious riposte yesterday accusing No10 of ‘self-destruction’ and urging the premier to fire culprits.
Fingers have been pointed at powerful chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, although Labour insiders fear the pair are so closely tied that Sir Keir would not survive his departure.
The party chairman had revealed last night that an investigation was being launched, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves said this afternoon that she ‘thought’ there would be a leak inquiry.
However, on a visit to North Wales Sir Keir effectively closed off the prospect.
He said: ‘First, let me be clear that any briefing against ministers is completely unacceptable. That is not a new position for me, it is a position I have adopted ever since I became Prime Minister. I have made it very clear to my team.
‘I have been talking to my team today. I have been assured that no briefing against ministers was done from No 10, but I have made it clear that I find it absolutely unacceptable.’
He added: ‘I have been assured it didn’t come from Downing Street, but I have been equally clear that whether it is this case or any other, I intend to deal with it.’
Asked if he would sack those responsible, Sir Keir replied: ‘I will absolutely deal with anybody responsible for briefing against ministers, Cabinet ministers or any other ministers. I have always said that is the standard that I expect, and that is the standard that I will enforce.’
The PM’s spokesman denied that the process amounted to a ‘whitewash’ saying Sir Keir had made clear that there would be consequences if people did brief.
Keir Starmer (pictured in North Wales with Rachel Reeves and Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens today) is struggling to contain mounting pressure to turf out No10 aides behind brutal briefing against the Cabinet
Ministers have insisted the PM will hold an investigation into the apparent pre-emptive strike on leadership manoeuvring by Wes Streeting (pictured) – and fire whoever was responsible
Sir Keir apologised to Mr Streeting when they spoke last night for the first time since the crisis erupted.
At a brutal PMQs, he denied he had ‘authorised’ any barbs against his own ministers. ‘Any attack on any member of my Cabinet is completely unacceptable,’ he said.
Asked by Kemi Badenoch if he had confidence in Mr McSweeney, Sir Keir did not answer, instead saying everyone in government was ‘absolutely focused on delivering for the country’.
The PM’s press secretary said afterwards that unauthorised attacks would be ‘dealt with’ – but claimed the briefings against Mr Streeting came from outside Downing Street and clarified that Sir Keir did have confidence in Mr McSweeney.
Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband was sent out to field questions in TV studios this morning.
‘I’ve talked to Keir before about this kind of briefing that happens. As he always says, if he finds the person, he’ll get rid of them, and I absolutely believe he would do that,’ he told Sky News.
Asked if he thought Sir Keir would sack the person, he said, ‘Sure, yeah.’
He also noted that briefing is a ‘longstanding aspect’ of politics and pointed back to there being ‘lots and lots of briefing’ under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
‘Look, I think the briefing has been bad, no question. But my message to the Labour Party, though, is quite simple today, which is, we need to focus on the country, not ourselves,’ he told Sky News.
He added: ‘Turbulence is part of the gig, is part of the DNA of being in government.’
A source said Sir Keir apologised to Mr Streeting for the briefing campaign, without going into details. The pair did not discuss Mr McSweeney and agreed to speak again soon.
Mr Streeting declined to revisit ‘yesterday’s news’ when asked during a visit to the Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre in Liverpool.
He said ‘no idea. Don’t care’ to a question on whether the PM was investigating the source of the attacks on him.
Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said last night that Sir Keir would conduct an investigation.
She told ITV: ‘He is going to investigate and we’ll see what happens as a consequence of that.
‘But the reality is, he’s absolutely clear, this is not in his name. This is not what he wants to see and he’s determined to drive it out.’
The Labour chair added: ‘He was not aware of this briefing… He’s going to take action in this to make sure it doesn’t happen again.’
Asked about calls for Mr McSweeney to be sacked, Ms Turley dismissed claims he was behind the briefings as ‘tittle tattle’ as she stressed ‘we don’t know who’s responsible’.
Even admirers admit Mr McSweeney – the election campaign architect – could be on ‘borrowed time’. However, one Labour veteran warned ‘Keir will follow’ if his long-time ally has to go.
Leadership rumours have been sweeping Westminster with Labour at historic poll lows, and friends of Sir Keir are concerned he could be dethroned if the Budget – expected to include massive tax hikes – lands badly.
Furious MPs accused No 10 of having ‘lost the plot’, with fingers pointed at his powerful chief of staff Morgan McSweeney
The assault from No 10 was seemingly timed to coincide with Mr Streeting touring broadcast studios yesterday morning for a big NHS announcement.
The Tories accused Sir Keir of ‘machine-gunning’ his own ministers instead of ‘fixing the country’.
Tom Baldwin, Sir Keir’s biographer and known to be a close ally, insisted the PM is ‘going nowhere’.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Mr McSweeney needed to focus on his main role instead of briefing journalists.
‘He is very, very important to Keir Starmer and I suspect he will stay… I think he should stick to doing the job he’s been given, which was chief of staff,’ Mr Baldwin said.
