Ed Miliband Urges the Labour Party to Move On After Keir Starmer Offers Apology to Streeting for Hostile Backgrounding
Senior Labour Party figure Ed Miliband has called for the party to put aside party disputes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer directly expressed regret to Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP over negative media stories linked to Downing Street.
Important Events
- Miliband declares the Prime Minister will fire the No 10 staffer responsible for attacking Wes Streeting if identified
- Miliband dismisses future party leader ambitions, saying his previous time as Labour leader was the "strongest protection" against desiring the position again
- UK economic growth grew by just 0.1 percent in the July-September period, affected by the Jaguar Land Rover hack
Situation
The internal controversy erupted after reports circulated about hostile background comments from the Prime Minister's allies targeting Streeting. Although early efforts to downplay the situation, the talk between the PM and the health minister according to sources followed a more serious direction.
Starmer said sorry to Wes Streeting, the media have been told. The discussion was short, and they did not discuss Morgan McSweeney, whom Starmer is now under increasing scrutiny to sack.
Miliband's Reaction
In his morning media appearances, Ed Miliband emphasized the need for the party to focus on national issues rather than party disputes.
Look, I think the media briefing has been damaging, certainly.
But my message to the Labour party today is quite simple, which is we need to concentrate on the public, not each other.
We were given a historic victory last summer, a historic opportunity to transform our nation. And we have a historic responsibility.
Economic News
Separately, government figures showed the British economic performance increased by just 0.1% in the third quarter, with the manufacturing industry especially impacted by the recent Jaguar Land Rover cyber-attack.
Today's Agenda
- 9.30am: NHS England releases its latest performance figures
- Morning: The Health Secretary visits the Liverpool area
- Today: The Chancellor speaks to the media
- Late morning: Number 10 holds its daily lobby briefing
- Morning: The Prime Minister promotes plans for the UK's first small modular reactor facility at Wylfa site on the island of Anglesey