Ed Miliband Urges Labour to Look Ahead Following Keir Starmer Offers Apology to Streeting for Aggressive Briefings
Senior Labour figure Ed Miliband has demanded the party to move beyond party disputes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer directly expressed regret to health minister Wes Streeting over hostile media stories coming from Downing Street.
Key Developments
- Miliband declares the Prime Minister will dismiss the Downing Street staffer behind for briefing against Streeting if discovered
- The Energy Secretary rejects future party leader ambitions, saying his previous experience as Labour leader was the "best inoculation" against wanting the position again
- British economic growth grew by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, hit by the JLR hack
Context
The political controversy erupted after allegations circulated about hostile background comments from the Prime Minister's team targeting Streeting. Although early efforts to minimize the situation, the conversation between the PM and the health minister according to sources took a different direction.
Starmer expressed regret to Wes Streeting, reporters have been told. The exchange was concise, and they did not discuss the chief of staff, whom the PM is now under pressure to sack.
Miliband's Statement
In his morning media appearances, Miliband highlighted the need for the party to direct attention on country-wide issues rather than party disputes.
Clearly, I think the media briefing has been bad, without doubt.
But my call to the party now is quite simple, which is we need to prioritize the country, not each other.
We were given a historic election win last summer, a historic opportunity to transform our nation. And we have a serious responsibility.
Growth Update
In other news, official statistics revealed the British economic performance expanded by just 0.1 percent in the July-September period, with the manufacturing industry especially impacted by the recent JLR cyber-attack.
The Day's Schedule
- 9.30am: NHS England issues its latest data
- Morning: The Health Secretary is visiting Liverpool
- Today: Rachel Reeves speaks to the journalists
- 11.30am: Number 10 conducts its daily lobby briefing
- Today: Keir Starmer announces plans for the UK's pioneering small modular reactor facility at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey
