PM’s chief of staff ‘not involved’ in briefing against ministers – reports

The Prime Minister’s chief of staff is “not going anywhere” and had no involvement in briefings against Cabinet ministers, it has been reported.

Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls to sack his top adviser, Morgan McSweeney, over anonymous briefings from Downing Street sources claiming Health Secretary Wes Streeting was plotting a bid for the Labour leadership.

But sources who have spoken to Mr McSweeney told the BBC on Thursday he would remain in his post.

They said: “He’s done absolutely nothing wrong. He’s not going anywhere.”

They added: “I can categorically say he was not involved indirectly or directly.”

Earlier, Sir Keir had thrown his weight behind his long-standing ally, saying he “of course” retained full confidence in Mr McSweeney.

During a visit to North Wales, the Prime Minister told reporters: “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.”

Mr Streeting, meanwhile, refused to revisit “yesterday’s news” after a tumultuous day in which he criticised the “toxic” culture in Downing Street.

Saying he did not care if the Prime Minister was investigating the source of the briefing against him, the Health Secretary told the PA news agency: “I don’t think voters give two monkeys about what on earth is going on in the sort of Westminster village soap opera.

“What they do care about is, if they’re on an NHS waiting list, are we getting them down?”

Mr McSweeney has been blamed by some within Labour for the fallout from the attacks on Mr Streeting, which were an apparent ploy to warn off potential leadership contenders.

On Wednesday, Mr Streeting denied the claims he could launch a leadership challenge, called for anyone behind the “juvenile” briefing to be sacked, and said they pointed to a “toxic culture” in Sir Keir’s administration.

The Labour leader moved to smooth relations with Mr Streeting by apologising to him in a brief chat the same evening, their first since the hostilities erupted.

Cabinet colleague Ed Miliband, another target of this week’s briefing war, noted that briefing is a “longstanding aspect” of politics and said there was “lots and lots of briefing” under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

He ruled out any suggestion he was among those jostling to replace Sir Keir as Labour leader, 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.”

In another headache for the Prime Minister, the Conservatives have called for an investigation into whether his communications chief, Tim Allan, should be allowed to hold shares in a lobbying firm and discuss politics with one of its consultants.

A No 10 spokesman said a rigorous process had been followed over Mr Allan’s appointment in September.

It is understood that Mr Allan has waived his rights to dividends and decision-making from his shares in the company, and will not be involved in the business’s operations while in Government.

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 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s November 26 budget, in which the party could rip up its manifesto promise not to increase income tax, and what MPs fear could be a bloodbath in elections next May in English councils and the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments.