Keir Starmer has condemned as “absolutely unacceptable” any briefings against cabinet ministers from inside the street as he tries to close a rift at the top of the Government.
Asked by Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister’s questions, Starmer defended Wes Streeting, the Secretary of Health, who was the apparent target of a feared challenge to the Prime Minister’s leadership.
Badenoch said Starmer had “lost control of his government” and asked him to say he had full confidence in Morgan McSweeney, his chief of staff. Starmer Dodged.
The Guardian reported on Tuesday that Downing Street has launched an operation to protect Starmer against a leadership challenge that his allies will face in this month’s or May’s Local Elections.
Starmer’s closest allies said he would fight any “stop” that would alienate him, warning it would affect the UK’s markets and international relations.
On Wednesday morning, the passionate skeptic denied such a plot and said the “self-defeating” attacks indicated to him there was a toxic culture within No 10.
Badenoch kicked off the Prime Minister’s questions by asking: “This morning on the BBC, the Health Secretary said there is a toxic culture that needs to change. Is she right?”
Starmer replied: “My focus, each and every day, is on rebuilding and renewing our country. Let me be completely unacceptable.”
He continued to praise the street record as the health secretary, adding: “He did a great job, like everyone in my cabinet.”
After Badenoch asked if he had full confidence in McSweeney, Starmerm simply replied that his chief of staff, like the rest of the team, was “absolutely focused on delivering the country”.
Starmer continued: “Let me be clear, I do not condone attacks on cabinet members. I appoint them to their posts because they are the best people to do their jobs.”
Badenoch continued to Lambast Starmer on his record of unemployment and the economy is too much, but returned to the left 10 infighting. He concluded his questions by saying: “Isn’t it the case that this prime minister has lost control of his government, lost the confidence of his party and lost the confidence of the British people.”
Starmer replied: “They are [the Conservatives] Turned the economy upside down and now they’ve got this crazy idea that they’re going to find £47bn in cuts, without saying where they’re going to come from. Meanwhile, we are rebuilding the country. “
Speaking to the BBC earlier on Wednesday, the street said the attacks on her showed that Lucy Powell, the newly elected Deputy Leader, was “the newly elected under-10 culture”.
Powell called for a culture change within No 10 and said he was the target of negative reviews from the Prime Minister’s team for singing MCSWEEney.
The street said: “I can tell you without having spoken to the Prime Minister what he thinks of the warning, how he will react to the front pages, and the words that I will certainly use are not suitable for a family show.”