Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Encourages Labour to Move On Following Starmer Offers Apology to Wes Streeting for Aggressive Briefings
Senior Labour official Ed Miliband has urged the party to move beyond internal tensions after leader Sir Keir Starmer personally apologised to Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP over damaging leaked comments coming from the Prime Minister's office.
Important Developments
- Ed Miliband states Starmer will dismiss the Downing Street staffer responsible for targeting Streeting if identified
- The Energy Secretary rejects future leadership ambitions, saying his previous experience as Labour leader was the "best vaccine" against seeking the position again
- UK economy expanded by just 0.1% in the third quarter, impacted by the JLR hack
Background
The internal controversy erupted after allegations circulated about negative background comments from Starmer's team targeting Streeting. Despite early attempts to downplay the situation, the conversation between Starmer and the health minister reportedly took a more serious turn.
The Prime Minister apologised to Wes Streeting, journalists have been advised. The discussion was short, and they did not address Morgan McSweeney, whom the PM is now under pressure to dismiss.
The Energy Secretary's Statement
In his morning media interviews, Miliband highlighted the need for the Labour Party to concentrate on country-wide priorities rather than internal conflicts.
Look, I think the backgrounding has been bad, certainly.
But my advice to the Labour members now is quite simple, which is we need to focus on the public, not ourselves.
We were given a major election win last summer, a historic opportunity to change our nation. And we have a serious obligation.
Growth Update
In other news, government statistics revealed the British economic performance increased by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, with the manufacturing sector especially affected by the recent Jaguar Land Rover hack.
The Day's Schedule
- 9.30am: NHS England releases its latest statistics
- Today: Wes Streeting is visiting Liverpool
- Morning: The Chancellor speaks to the media
- 11.30am: Downing Street conducts its regular media briefing
- Morning: The Prime Minister promotes government plans for the UK's first small modular reactor plant at Wylfa site on the island of Anglesey