The prime minister’s aides have insisted none of them have engaged in briefing against cabinet ministers, as he warned his senior team they will be fired if they do so.
Sir Keir Starmer reiterated on Thursday that he would never sanction briefings against ministers and said they were “unacceptable”.
Starmer’s warning comes after Wes Streeting brushed off repeated questions about the anonymous attacks on him as “silly Westminster soap opera stuff”.
The prime minister said he had been “assured it didn’t come from Downing Street”, but made clear that if anyone falls below standards expected “there will be consequences”.
The prime minister apologised to Mr Streeting after reports that he was plotting to oust Sir Keir earlier this week, sparking the eruption of a civil war within the Labour Party.
Concern around leadership has deepened ahead of chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget on 26 November, as the UK economy grew by 0.1 per cent in the three months to September, according to the Office of National Statistics. This is a marked slowdown from the 0.3 per cent in the previous quarter.
Who is Morgan McSweeney?
Sir Keir Starmer has said he “of course” retains full confidence in his under-pressure chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
Mr McSweeney has been blamed by some within Labour for the fallout from the attacks on Wes Streeting, which were an apparent ploy to warn off potential leadership contenders.
The Labour Together campaign group was set up by McSweeney, and is credited with toppling Jeremy Corbyn as leader and replacing him with Starmer.
An influential figure in the Labour Party, he is also credited with securing their landslide victory last year.
Watch: Starmer to investigate who briefed against Wes Streeting from No 10, Labour party chair confirms
Aides tell Starmer briefing didn’t come from them
Sir Keir Starmer has been assured that no No 10 staff have engaged in briefing against Cabinet ministers after he reiterated to them it is “completely unacceptable”, Downing Street said.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “The Prime Minister has this morning gathered and spoken to his senior team in Downing Street. The Prime Minister reiterated the briefings against Cabinet ministers are completely unacceptable, which has always been his position.
“He underlined, as he told Parliament yesterday, that he has never and would never sanction any such briefings against colleagues.
“The PM said he had been assured that no Number 10 staff briefed against ministers. The Prime Minister made abundantly clear the high standards that he expects from staff, and if anyone falls below those standards there will be consequences.”
The meeting is understood to have taken place via a video call while the Prime Minister visits North Wales, with some staff alongside him and others in Downing Street.
No leak inquiry has been launched, No 10 indicated, and when the spokesman was asked whether this meant Sir Keir was attempting to whitewash over the situation, he replied: “I don’t accept that.”
Reeves: No evidence of where briefing came from
Rachel Reeves insisted there was “no evidence” of where briefing against Cabinet ministers is coming from and suggested there may be a leak inquiry into the matter.
Asked about the briefing war, the chancellor said: “The prime minister was really clear yesterday that there is no place for that sort of briefing and that sort of behaviour, and I absolutely agree with the prime minister.”
Pressed on whether she had confidence in Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, Ms Reeves replied: “Yes, I do. But the prime minister was really clear that there really is no role for briefing against colleagues and I very much agree with the prime minister.”
When asked if the briefings should result in sackings, the chancellor replied: “Well, there I think is going to be a leak inquiry, but at the moment there is no evidence of where that briefing is coming from.”
Starmer has full confidence in his communications chief, No 10 say
The Independent’s whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Downing St has said that the PM has full confidence in Tim Allan, after calls for an investigation into his communications chief amid claims of a conflict of interest.
These centre on his shares in a lobbying company and reported discussions on politics with one of its consultants.
The Tories have called for a full Cabinet Office investigation, while the Lib Dems have also demanded a probe.
Labour says the allegation he has done anything to benefit Strand whilst in No 10 is “categorically false” and said any interactions with Tom Baldwin “are in his capacity as a journalist and have not related to Strand, its business or its clients.”
A Strand Partners spokesperson said Mr Baldwin, the PM’s biographer, was a journalist who “does not engage in government relations for Strand and this is not part of his terms of engagement with us.”
It added that Mr Allan sought advice on his interests from the Cabinet Office and followed “every element of the advice received. He receives no financial benefit from Strand and is not involved in our operations.”
Starmer: ‘I will deal with anybody briefing against ministers’
Keir Starmer has said he will “absolutely deal with anybody responsible for briefing against ministers” following the bitter briefing war which erupted at the heart of Government.
Speaking from North Wales, the prime minister told reporters: “First, let me be clear that any briefing against ministers is completely unacceptable. That is not a new position for me, it is a position I have adopted ever since I became prime minister. I have made it very clear to my team.
“I have been talking to my team today. I have been assured that no briefing against ministers was done from No 10, but I have made it clear that I find it absolutely unacceptable.”
He added: “I have been assured it didn’t come from Downing Street, but I have been equally clear that whether it is this case or any other, I intend to deal with it.”
Asked if he would sack those responsible, Sir Keir replied: “I will absolutely deal with anybody responsible for briefing against ministers, Cabinet ministers or any other ministers. I have always said that is the standard that I expect, and that is the standard that I will enforce.”
Full story: UK economic growth slows ahead of Budget after JLR shutdown
UK economic growth slowed to 0.1 per cent in the last three months, in a blow to the chancellor ahead of the forthcoming Budget.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said UK gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.1 per cent between July and September, following a 0.3 per cent increase between April and June.
Henry Saker-Clark reports:
Slowing of UK economic growth is ‘disappointing’, No 10 admits
The slowing of UK economic growth to 0.1% for the past three months is “disappointing”, Downing Street admitted.
A No 10 spokesman told reporters: “These numbers are disappointing.”
“It’s obviously important to recognise the significance of the cyber attack” on Jaguar Land Rover, the official added, which is “clearly the primary driver behind the weaker September figures”.
“But we are determined to deliver that growth. We had the fastest-growing economy in G7 in the first half of this year. But there is clearly more to do to build an economy that works for working people.”
Asked whether the Chancellor should take responsibility for the slowing growth, the spokesman said: “I don’t accept that.”
Starmer warns his senior team that anyone briefing against ministers will be fired
The Independent’s whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
The prime minister this morning talked to his senior team in Downing Street, warning that anyone briefing against ministers would be fired.
He reiterated that he would never sanction briefings against ministers and said they were “unacceptable” and he had “zero tolerance” for them.
Downing Street said Keir Starmer had been assured that no No 10 staff had briefed against ministers and made clear that if anyone falls below standards expected “there will be consequences”.
