Ed Miliband Urges Labour to Look Ahead After Starmer Says Sorry to Wes Streeting for Hostile Media Leaks
Senior Labour official Ed Miliband has urged the party to move beyond party conflicts after leader Keir Starmer personally apologised to Health Secretary Wes Streeting over damaging media stories coming from the Prime Minister's office.
Key Developments
- Ed Miliband declares the Prime Minister will sack the Downing Street staffer responsible for attacking Wes Streeting if identified
- Miliband rules out future party leader aspirations, declaring his previous experience as leader was the "most effective inoculation" against wanting the role again
- UK economic growth expanded by just 0.1% in the July-September period, hit by the JLR cyber-attack
Background
The political controversy began after reports emerged about negative briefings from Starmer's supporters targeting the Health Secretary. Although early efforts to minimize the situation, the discussion between the PM and Streeting according to sources followed a more serious direction.
Starmer expressed regret to Streeting, reporters have been told. The discussion was short, and they did not address the chief of staff, whom the PM is now under pressure to remove.
The Energy Secretary's Response
In his early morning broadcast appearances, Miliband emphasized the need for the Labour Party to concentrate on national priorities rather than party conflicts.
Look, I think the backgrounding has been bad, no question.
But my message to the Labour members today is straightforward, which is we need to focus on the country, not each other.
We were given a significant mandate last July, a historic opportunity to change our country. And we have a major duty.
Growth Update
Meanwhile, official data indicated the British economic performance increased by just 0.1% in the July-September period, with the industrial sector especially affected by the recently reported JLR hack.
The Day's Schedule
- 9.30am: The National Health Service issues its monthly statistics
- Morning: The Health Secretary is visiting the Liverpool area
- Today: Rachel Reeves makes comments to the press
- 11.30am: Downing Street conducts its daily media briefing
- Morning: Keir Starmer highlights government plans for the UK's pioneering small modular reactor plant at Wylfa site on Anglesey
