Ed Miliband Calls on the Labour Party to Focus Forward After Starmer Says Sorry to Wes Streeting for Aggressive Briefings
Senior Labour official Ed Miliband has called for the party to leave behind internal disputes after leader Sir Keir Starmer directly said sorry to health minister Wes Streeting over hostile briefings originating from the Prime Minister's office.
Key Updates
- Ed Miliband confirms Starmer will sack the Downing Street official responsible for targeting Streeting if identified
- The Energy Secretary rules out future leadership aspirations, saying his past experience as leader was the "strongest protection" against wanting the role again
- UK economic growth grew by just 0.1 percent in the July-September period, impacted by the JLR hack
Background
The political controversy started after allegations emerged about negative briefings from Starmer's team targeting Streeting. Despite early efforts to downplay the situation, the conversation between Starmer and Streeting according to sources took a different turn.
Starmer apologised to Streeting, journalists have been informed. The discussion was brief, and they did not talk about the chief of staff, whom Starmer is now under increasing scrutiny to sack.
Miliband's Response
In his early morning broadcast appearances, Miliband emphasized the need for the Labour Party to focus on national priorities rather than party conflicts.
Clearly, I think the media briefing has been unhelpful, certainly.
But my advice to the Labour members now is clear, which is we need to prioritize the nation, not each other.
We were given a significant victory last summer, a historic opportunity to transform our country. And we have a major responsibility.
Economic News
Meanwhile, government figures indicated the British economy grew by just 0.1% in the third quarter, with the production sector especially hit by the recently reported JLR security incident.
The Day's Agenda
- Morning: The National Health Service releases its monthly performance figures
- Today: The Health Secretary visits the Liverpool area
- Today: Rachel Reeves speaks to the media
- 11.30am: Number 10 holds its regular lobby briefing
- Today: Keir Starmer highlights government plans for the UK's pioneering small modular reactor project at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey
