Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Urges the Labour Party to Focus Forward After Keir Starmer Offers Apology to Streeting for Negative Backgrounding
High-ranking Labour Party official Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has demanded the party to put aside party conflicts after PM Sir Keir Starmer directly apologised to Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP over hostile media stories originating from the Prime Minister's office.
Key Updates
- Ed Miliband declares the Prime Minister will dismiss the Downing Street source behind for targeting Streeting if identified
- The Energy Secretary rejects future party leader ambitions, saying his previous experience as Labour leader was the "most effective protection" against desiring the role again
- British economic growth increased by just 0.1 percent in the July-September period, hit by the JLR cyber-attack
Context
The internal unrest started after reports circulated about negative background comments from the Prime Minister's allies targeting Streeting. Despite initial efforts to downplay the incident, the conversation between the PM and the health minister apparently took a more serious turn.
The Prime Minister expressed regret to Wes Streeting, journalists have been told. The exchange was short, and they did not address Morgan McSweeney, whom Starmer is now under increasing scrutiny to remove.
Miliband's Statement
In his morning broadcast interviews, Ed Miliband emphasized the need for the party to concentrate on country-wide matters rather than internal conflicts.
Clearly, I think the backgrounding has been bad, without doubt.
But my call to the party now is straightforward, which is we need to concentrate on the country, not ourselves.
We were given a significant election win last summer, a historic chance to change our country. And we have a historic responsibility.
Economic News
Meanwhile, official figures indicated the UK economic performance grew by just 0.1% in the third quarter, with the production industry particularly impacted by the recently reported JLR security incident.
Today's Schedule
- Morning: The National Health Service releases its monthly statistics
- Morning: Wes Streeting is visiting the Liverpool area
- Today: The Chancellor speaks to the press
- Late morning: Number 10 holds its regular lobby briefing
- Morning: Keir Starmer announces government plans for the Britain's first small modular reactor facility at Wylfa site on Anglesey
