Ed Miliband Urges Labour to Move On After Keir Starmer Apologises to Streeting for Hostile Media Leaks
Senior Labour figure Ed Miliband has urged the party to leave behind party conflicts after leader Sir Keir Starmer directly apologised to health minister Wes Streeting over damaging media stories originating from Number 10.
Important Updates
- Miliband states the Prime Minister will sack the No 10 staffer behind for briefing against Streeting if found
- The Energy Secretary dismisses any party leader plans, saying his previous experience as Labour leader was the "strongest inoculation" against seeking the position again
- British economy expanded by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, hit by the JLR cyber-attack
Context
The internal controversy started after reports surfaced about negative briefings from Starmer's team targeting the Health Secretary. Despite initial efforts to downplay the incident, the talk between Starmer and the health minister reportedly took a different turn.
The Prime Minister apologised to Streeting, reporters have been told. The exchange was concise, and they did not talk about Morgan McSweeney, whom the PM is now under pressure to sack.
Miliband's Reaction
In his morning broadcast interviews, Miliband stressed the need for the party to direct attention on country-wide priorities rather than internal divisions.
Look, I think the backgrounding has been unhelpful, certainly.
But my message to the Labour party today is quite simple, which is we need to focus on the country, not our internal matters.
We were given a major election win last July, a important chance to change our country. And we have a historic obligation.
Economic Update
Separately, official data revealed the UK economy expanded by just 0.1% in the third quarter, with the production sector especially impacted by the recently reported JLR cyber-attack.
The Day's Agenda
- 9.30am: The National Health Service releases its monthly performance figures
- Today: The Health Secretary is visiting the Liverpool area
- Morning: The Chancellor speaks to the press
- Late morning: Number 10 holds its regular media briefing
- Morning: Keir Starmer promotes government plans for the Britain's first small modular reactor project at Wylfa site on the island of Anglesey
