Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Urges the Labour Party to Look Ahead After Starmer Apologises to Wes Streeting for Hostile Media Leaks
Senior Labour figure Ed Miliband has demanded the party to put aside internal tensions after Prime Minister Keir Starmer personally apologised to health minister Wes Streeting MP over damaging leaked comments coming from the Prime Minister's office.
Key Developments
- Miliband declares the Prime Minister will sack the Downing Street official responsible for targeting Wes Streeting if found
- The Energy Secretary dismisses any leadership plans, saying his previous experience as Labour leader was the "best vaccine" against seeking the role again
- UK economy grew by just 0.1% in the third quarter, hit by the Jaguar Land Rover cyber-attack
Context
The political controversy erupted after reports emerged about critical briefings from the Prime Minister's allies targeting Streeting. Although early attempts to downplay the matter, the conversation between the PM and Streeting reportedly took a different turn.
Starmer expressed regret to Wes Streeting, journalists have been advised. The discussion was brief, and they did not address the chief of staff, whom Starmer is now under growing pressure to dismiss.
The Energy Secretary's Statement
In his morning media interviews, Miliband stressed the need for the party to focus on national matters rather than internal conflicts.
Look, I think the media briefing has been bad, certainly.
But my call to the Labour party now is quite simple, which is we need to focus on the country, not ourselves.
We were given a significant mandate last summer, a major opportunity to change our country. And we have a historic duty.
Growth News
Meanwhile, official statistics showed the UK economic performance grew by just 0.1% in the July-September period, with the industrial industry particularly affected by the recent Jaguar Land Rover hack.
Today's Schedule
- 9.30am: NHS England publishes its latest statistics
- Today: The Health Secretary is visiting the Liverpool area
- Today: Rachel Reeves makes comments to the press
- Late morning: Downing Street holds its daily lobby briefing
- Today: Keir Starmer highlights plans for the Britain's first small modular reactor facility at Wylfa site on Anglesey