Starmer apologises to Streeting for briefing war and launches probe into source

Sir Keir Starmer has apologised to Health Secretary Wes Streeting for briefings against him after a civil war erupted at the top of the Labour Party.

The Prime Minister will investigate the source of the accusations that Mr Streeting was plotting a leadership challenge and “take action” to prevent further attacks, Labour chairwoman Anna Turley said.

The Health Secretary earlier hit out at the “toxic culture” around the No 10 operation, focusing fresh attention on whether Sir Keir’s long-time ally and chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, could survive in post.

The Labour leader was forced to condemn “completely unacceptable” attacks on Mr Streeting, and later moved to ease relations with him directly.

He spoke briefly to the Cabinet minister on Wednesday evening and apologised for the briefing campaign, but did not go into details, according to a No 10 source.

The pair did not discuss Mr McSweeney, and agreed to speak again soon.

Sir Keir is “looking into” the “unacceptable” attacks, Ms Turley said after meeting with the Labour leader earlier.

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 Party chairwoman added: “It’s not 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”.

Senior No 10 sources said Sir Keir would fight any leadership challenge but suggested the briefing against Mr Streeting had not come from Downing Street.

The Prime Minister told MPs that he had “never authorised attacks” on Cabinet ministers.

Mr Streeting called for anyone behind the “juvenile” briefing against him to be sacked as he complained about the culture within Sir Keir’s administration.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said, “the Government has descended into a civil war” and asked Sir Keir to say whether he still had full confidence in Mr McSweeney.

“Morgan McSweeney, my team and I are absolutely focused on delivering for the country,” Sir Keir told her.

“I’ve never authorised attacks on Cabinet members. I appointed them to their posts because they are the best people to carry out their jobs.”

He said “any attack on any member of my Cabinet is completely unacceptable” and Mr Streeting was doing a “great job”.

Mr Streeting gave a series of broadcast interviews on Wednesday morning before speaking at a health conference.

He told Sky News: “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 either.”

Mr Streeting said the briefings showed problems with the “culture in No 10”, although he added that “I’d just like to commend the briefer on at least picking on one of the men instead of the women in Cabinet” after a series of attacks on female ministers including Angela Rayner, Lisa Nandy and Bridget Phillipson.

Asked if he should sack those responsible, Mr Streeting told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “Yes. But he’s got to find them first and I wouldn’t expect him to waste loads of time on this.”

The unrest at the top of the party comes as Labour’s poll ratings have plummeted since Sir Keir delivered a landslide general election victory in July 2024.

Rachel Reeves’ Budget in a fortnight could see the party rip up its manifesto promise not to increase income tax and MPs fear a bloodbath in elections next May in English councils and the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments.

A Labour MP told the PA news agency they were left in despair over the briefing, saying “whoever thought it was clever wants shooting” and “there is clearly a cultural problem”.

Another MP, on the left of the party, said there was widespread belief that Sir Keir may not lead the party into the next election.

This included colleagues across the party’s different political stripes, many of whom believe their seats are at risk from Reform UK, they said.

An MP from the right of the party acknowledged the Prime Minister had had a “tough few weeks” but insisted to PA it was far too early ahead of the next general election to consider ousting Sir Keir.

Labour parliamentarians have “no idea” whether Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans will turn around the fortunes of the party before the country goes to the polls again, they added.

“It is very premature, and people have too much time on their hands,” they said, adding: “Everyone needs to get on with the job.”

There is a high bar to launch a leadership challenge against the Prime Minister.

A challenger for the Labour leadership can only initiate an election with the public support of 20% of the party’s MPs, which currently means 80 nominations would be needed.

Labour affiliates, including the trade unions, would be able to vote in any subsequent ballot alongside individual members.