High-ranking Labour Party official Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has called for the party to put aside party disputes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer directly said sorry to Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP over negative media stories originating from Downing Street.
Major Events
- Miliband confirms Starmer will fire the Downing Street source responsible for targeting Wes Streeting if found
- Miliband dismisses any party leader aspirations, saying his past experience as Labour leader was the "most effective protection" against wanting the role again
- UK economy increased by just 0.1% in the July-September period, affected by the Jaguar Land Rover hack
Situation
The political turmoil began after allegations circulated about critical background comments from Starmer's team targeting the Health Secretary. Although early attempts to dismiss the situation, the discussion between Starmer and Streeting according to sources took a different turn.
The Prime Minister expressed regret to Streeting, the media have been told. The discussion was brief, and they did not discuss the chief of staff, whom Starmer is now under pressure to sack.
Miliband's Reaction
In his early morning media appearances, Miliband emphasized the need for the party to concentrate on country-wide matters rather than internal divisions.
Clearly, I think the briefing has been damaging, certainly.
But my call to the Labour members now is straightforward, which is we need to prioritize the country, not our internal matters.
We were given a historic election win last July, a major opportunity to improve our nation. And we have a historic obligation.
Growth News
Separately, official figures revealed the British economic performance increased by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, with the manufacturing sector particularly hit by the recent JLR hack.
The Day's Schedule
- Morning: NHS England issues its monthly statistics
- Morning: Wes Streeting visits Liverpool
- Today: The Chancellor speaks to the journalists
- Late morning: Downing Street conducts its daily media briefing
- Today: Keir Starmer highlights plans for the Britain's pioneering small modular reactor plant at Wylfa site on Anglesey
