Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Calls on the Labour Party to Focus Forward After Starmer Offers Apology to Streeting for Hostile Media Leaks
High-ranking Labour Party figure Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has demanded the party to leave behind internal tensions after Prime Minister Keir Starmer directly apologised to health minister Wes Streeting over negative briefings coming from the Prime Minister's office.
Key Developments
- Miliband states Starmer will sack the No 10 source behind for attacking Wes Streeting if discovered
- Miliband dismisses any party leader ambitions, stating his previous experience as leader was the "best inoculation" against wanting the position again
- UK economy grew by just 0.1 percent in the July-September period, affected by the JLR security breach
Situation
The internal unrest started after reports surfaced about hostile background comments from the Prime Minister's allies targeting Streeting. Despite initial efforts to minimize the incident, the discussion between Starmer and the health minister reportedly followed a different direction.
The Prime Minister apologised to Wes Streeting, journalists have been told. The discussion was concise, and they did not discuss the chief of staff, whom the PM is now under growing pressure to dismiss.
The Energy Secretary's Statement
In his early morning broadcast interviews, Ed Miliband stressed the need for the Labour Party to focus on country-wide matters rather than party conflicts.
Clearly, I think the media briefing has been bad, without doubt.
But my call to the Labour members now is quite simple, which is we need to concentrate on the country, not our internal matters.
We were given a significant mandate last summer, a major opportunity to improve our country. And we have a historic obligation.
Growth News
Separately, official figures showed the UK economy grew by just 0.1% in the July-September period, with the production sector particularly hit by the recent Jaguar Land Rover security incident.
Today's Agenda
- Morning: NHS England issues its monthly performance figures
- Today: The Health Secretary is visiting Liverpool
- Today: The Chancellor speaks to the press
- Late morning: Number 10 holds its daily lobby briefing
- Today: The Prime Minister announces plans for the Britain's first nuclear power plant at Wylfa on Anglesey
