Sir Keir Starmer has mentioned he “never authorised attacks” on cupboard members after his Quantity 10 workforce briefed that Wes Streeting was plotting a coup.
The prime minister backed his well being secretary, who spent the morning batting off in a single day claims – which he mentioned got here from Quantity 10 – that he was planning to oust Sir Keir after the finances and take his place.
However the Labour chief did not say he had full confidence in his chief of workers Morgan McSweeney, when requested by Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch.
Politics newest: Starmer says any assault on cupboard members is unacceptable
He instructed Prime Minister’s Questions: “Morgan McSweeney, my team and I are absolutely focused on delivering for the country.
“Let me be clear. I’ve by no means authorised assaults on cupboard members. I appointed them to that publish as a result of they’re the most effective individuals to hold out that job.”
Extra on Prime Minister’s Questions
Ms Badenoch mentioned she didn’t hear Sir Keir again Mr McSweeney.
The prime minister’s spokesperson later mentioned he had full confidence in his chief of workers – and claimed the briefing towards Mr Streeting got here from outdoors Quantity 10, in what seems to be a blame recreation.
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Sir Keir did publicly again Mr Streeting, telling PMQs he has helped ship 5 million further NHS appointments and is “doing a very good job”.
“Any attack on any member of my cabinet is completely unacceptable,” Sir Keir added.
“This is a united team and we are delivering.”
His final line acquired jeers from the opposition benches, with Speaker Lindsay Hoyle having to intervene, telling MPs in the event that they “want to audition for the pantomime, I suggest you go to the Old Vic”.
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4:11
Well being secretary insists he is ‘a devoted’
Ms Badenoch accused Sir Keir of getting “lost control of Number 10” and mentioned two weeks from the 26 November finances, “the government has descended into civil war”.
She mentioned Labour MPs had been “chuntering” from the benches going through her and mentioned they had been the “feral MPs that Number 10 has been talking about”.
“Unbelievably, the prime minister’s advisers have been reduced to briefing that MPs can’t get rid of him and – I’m not making this up – they can’t get rid of him because it would destabilise international markets,” Ms Badenoch added.
“Why does the prime minister think that there would be a market meltdown if the health secretary took over?”
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5:29
Jenrick says Starmer seems ‘weak’
Hours earlier, at 7am, Mr Streeting instructed Mornings with Ridge and Frost he wouldn’t attempt to oust Sir Keir and accused allies of the prime minister in Quantity 10 of briefing towards him.
“I do think that going out and calling your Labour MPs ‘feral’ is not very helpful,” he mentioned.
“I do think that trying to kneecap one of your own team when they are out, not just making the case for the government, but actually delivering the change that we promised, I think that is also self-defeating and self-destructive behaviour.”
He added: “Whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors.
“That is simply concerning the worst assault on a devoted I’ve seen since Joe Marler was kicked out and banished within the last.”
