PM prepared to ‘get rid’ of those responsible for briefing war, Miliband signals

The Prime Minister will “get rid” of the person behind a briefing war which has riven the Government if he finds them, a senior minister has insisted after it emerged Sir Keir Starmer plans to investigate the source of the row.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband suggested that Sir Keir would sack anyone found to be responsible for the briefings, as the Prime Minister faces pressure to overhaul his “toxic” Downing Street operation.

Last night, the Prime Minister apologised to Health Secretary Wes Streeting for anonymous attacks from No 10 that he was plotting a coup.

Mr Streeting said the “self-defeating” claims – which he denied – showed problems with the culture in Sir Keir’s administration.

Speaking on Thursday morning, Mr Miliband told Sky News: “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.”

Asked if he thought the Prime Minister 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.

Mr Miliband elsewhere ruled out any suggestion he was among those jostling to replace Sir Keir as Labour leader in future, telling BBC Breakfast: “I had the best inoculation technique against wanting to be leader of the Labour Party because I was leader of the Labour Party between 2010 and 2015.

“I’ve got the T-shirt, that chapter’s closed.”

The future of Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir’s long-time ally and chief of staff, at the top of Government is under threat, as fingers are pointed for the fallout from the apparent ploy to warn off potential leadership contenders.

Sir Keir was forced to condemn “completely unacceptable” attacks on Cabinet ministers, as he told the Commons on Wednesday: “Morgan McSweeney, my team and I are absolutely focused on delivering for the country.”

He later moved to smooth relations with Mr Streeting directly in a brief chat the same evening, their first since the hostilities erupted.

Sir Keir apologised to him for the briefing campaign, without going into details, according to a source.

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

Sir Keir is “looking into” the source of the attacks, Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said.

She told ITV: “He is going to investigate and we’ll see what happens as a consequence of that.”

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”.

But Sir Keir is under growing pressure from within the party to dismiss his powerful aide.

Mr Streeting has hit out at the “toxic culture” around the No 10 operation and called for anyone behind the “juvenile” briefing against him to be sacked.

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

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.

It precedes Rachel Reeves’ Budget in a fortnight, which 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.