Wes Streeting was the subject of a series of “implied rebukes” at disloyalty by his Cabinet colleagues after a botched coup failed to unseat the Prime Minister.
Starmer chaired an extended meeting of his political cabinet on Tuesday morning during which Labour officials and ministers discussed the party’s May local elections strategy.
But the ministers – who rallied to Starmer’s support on Monday, saving his leadership – are believed to have issued warnings ” to those attempting to undermine the PM”, seen as a reference to the health secretary.
It came after Streeting was accused of being complicit in the botched coup attempt from Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar on Monday – which Streeting vehemently denies.
Streeting intervention ‘has gone down badly’
He was also criticised for releasing messages between himself and the disgraced peer Peter Mandelson and being interviewed for about them while Sarwar was speaking – which was interpreted as clearing the way for a leadership bid.
“I think the main takeaway of this morning is how badly Wes’s intervention has gone down across the government and PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party]. The idea that you publish attacks on economics and foreign policy is so disloyal….” a Cabinet source told The i Paper.
Starmer emerged stronger from Sarwar’s attempt to trigger a leadership election after the Cabinet fell into line to publicly back him, and after he rallied his backbenches at a private meeting in Westminster later on Monday evening.
A Cabinet source said Tuesday’s political Cabinet meeting contained “lots of implied rebukes” from ministers “of those attempting to undermine the PM”, seen as a reference to Streeting.
“Keir has been very, very clear this morning, and overnight that he wants to rebuild his relationship with Anas because that’s the kind of person Keir is, and that’s the moment that he’s in. So, I don’t think for anybody concerned, he’s in a retribution phase,” a Cabinet minister told The i Paper.
Streeting would have needed to be alert to the fact the discussion was aimed at him as he was not named.
“The political cabinet was about everyone needs to pull together and stop playing things out in the media and briefing. But it was nothing particularly aimed at any one person,” the senior minister added.
Earlier Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told Streeting to rally behind Starmer.
Asked about Streeting’s jibe at No 10, Miliband told Sky News, “Move on dot org. I mean, let’s just get on. Let’s just move past all this.
“Come on, I’m saying to our colleagues – don’t focus on yourselves. Focus on the country. That’s what Keir’s message was last night and he’s dead right.”
Streeting ‘can’t afford to be disloyal each week’
Relations between Starmer’s Downing Street and Streeting first soured significantly in November after supporters of the prime minister accused him of plotting a leadership challenge, prompting Streeting to complain of a “toxic culture” in No 10.
Streeting then took a further swipe at the Government last month by saying its New Year’s resolution should be to “get it right first time” after more than a dozen U-turns by the government.
The i Paper revealed last week that relations had broken down between Streeting and Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, who resigned on Sunday.
After Monday’s broadside from No 10 accusing the health secretary of plotting against Starmer, a spokesman for Streeting hit back, saying: “At the same time as Wes was in an interview saying that Keir needed a chance to set out his case and his plan, No 10 was briefing that Wes had told Anas Sarwar to make his statement. This is the problem.”
A Labour MP said that if Streeting was in cahoots with Sarwar “his team didn’t reach out to lots of people who would have supported him if he did reach out so it was a crap operation.
“Whether it is or isn’t true – he can’t afford to look disloyal each week – and it starts to look desperate.”
Whatsapps with Mandelson
Downing Street also suggested Streeting should not have published his WhatsApps with Peter Mandelson.
The Metropolitan Police warned on Tuesday morning that its investigation into Lord Mandelson could be jeopardised if material was prematurely released.
Streeting’s decision to publish his own messages with Mandelson on Monday was interpreted as a fresh attempt to secure pole position in a future leadership race, free of the constraints of the official inquiry into the vetting process which determined the appointment of the former peer as UK ambassador to Washington.
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In the messages, Streeting criticised several of Starmer’s policy positions, including by saying there was “no growth strategy” in No 10 and that the prime minister’s position on Gaza could prove “fatal”.
“People are saying it’s not as bad as everyone thinks it would be,” the Cabinet minister added. “But actually, it’s obviously very friendly and informal and close and often.”
An ally of Streeting said the reason he had chosen to publish the whatsapps is because he was keen to clarify the nature of his relationship with Mandelson following a weekend of briefings against him that the pair had been close.
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