Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Calls on Labour to Focus Forward Following Starmer Offers Apology to Streeting for Hostile Backgrounding
Senior Labour Party official Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has demanded the party to move beyond internal tensions after PM Keir Starmer personally apologised to Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP over hostile briefings linked to Number 10.
Key Events
- Miliband confirms the Prime Minister will fire the No 10 staffer responsible for briefing against Streeting if identified
- The Energy Secretary rules out future party leader ambitions, declaring his previous experience as leader was the "best inoculation" against wanting the role again
- UK economy grew by just 0.1% in the July-September period, hit by the JLR cyber-attack
Context
The political unrest erupted after reports circulated about negative background comments from Starmer's allies targeting Streeting. Although initial efforts to minimize the matter, the discussion between Starmer and Streeting apparently followed a different direction.
Starmer expressed regret to Streeting, journalists have been told. The exchange was brief, and they did not discuss Morgan McSweeney, whom the PM is now under increasing scrutiny to remove.
The Energy Secretary's Response
In his morning broadcast interviews, Ed Miliband emphasized the need for the Labour Party to focus on country-wide priorities rather than party conflicts.
Look, I think the media briefing has been unhelpful, certainly.
But my message to the Labour members now is straightforward, which is we need to concentrate on the nation, not ourselves.
We were given a significant mandate last summer, a major chance to change our country. And we have a historic duty.
Growth Update
In other news, government statistics revealed the UK economic performance increased by just 0.1% in the July-September period, with the manufacturing sector particularly hit by the recently reported JLR hack.
Today's Schedule
- 9.30am: NHS England releases its monthly data
- Today: Wes Streeting visits Liverpool
- Morning: Rachel Reeves makes comments to the press
- Late morning: Number 10 conducts its daily media briefing
- Today: Keir Starmer promotes plans for the Britain's first small modular reactor plant at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey
