Ed Miliband Urges the Labour Party to Focus Forward After Starmer Offers Apology to Wes Streeting for Hostile Backgrounding
Senior Labour Party official Ed Miliband has called for the party to leave behind internal tensions after PM Sir Keir Starmer directly apologised to health minister Wes Streeting over hostile media stories linked to Downing Street.
Major Updates
- Miliband declares the Prime Minister will fire the Downing Street official responsible for attacking Streeting if discovered
- Miliband rejects any party leader aspirations, saying his past time as Labour leader was the "most effective inoculation" against wanting the role again
- British economy grew by just 0.1% in the July-September period, affected by the Jaguar Land Rover cyber-attack
Background
The internal turmoil started after media stories surfaced about negative background comments from the Prime Minister's supporters targeting the Health Secretary. Despite early efforts to dismiss the matter, the discussion between Starmer and Streeting reportedly followed a different direction.
The Prime Minister apologised to Streeting, reporters have been advised. The conversation was concise, and they did not address the chief of staff, whom the PM is now under growing pressure to remove.
Miliband's Reaction
In his morning broadcast interviews, Ed Miliband stressed the need for the Labour Party to concentrate on country-wide matters rather than party disputes.
Look, I think the briefing has been damaging, without doubt.
But my message to the Labour members now is quite simple, which is we need to focus on the public, not our internal matters.
We were given a significant election win last summer, a important chance to improve our nation. And we have a historic obligation.
Economic News
Meanwhile, official figures showed the British economic performance increased by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, with the manufacturing sector especially affected by the recently reported JLR cyber-attack.
Today's Agenda
- 9.30am: NHS England releases its monthly performance figures
- Today: Wes Streeting visits the Liverpool area
- Morning: Rachel Reeves speaks to the press
- Late morning: Number 10 holds its regular media briefing
- Today: The Prime Minister highlights plans for the Britain's pioneering small modular reactor project at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey
