Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Encourages Labour to Look Ahead After Starmer Offers Apology to Wes Streeting for Aggressive Briefings
High-ranking Labour Party figure Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has called for the party to move beyond party tensions after leader Keir Starmer directly expressed regret to health minister Wes Streeting over damaging briefings linked to the Prime Minister's office.
Important Updates
- Miliband confirms Starmer will dismiss the No 10 official behind for briefing against Streeting if discovered
- Miliband rules out any leadership ambitions, stating his past time as Labour leader was the "most effective protection" against desiring the role again
- UK economic growth grew by just 0.1% in the July-September period, hit by the Jaguar Land Rover security breach
Situation
The political unrest started after reports circulated about hostile briefings from the Prime Minister's team targeting the Health Secretary. Although initial attempts to minimize the matter, the conversation between Starmer and Streeting according to sources followed a more serious turn.
The Prime Minister apologised to Streeting, reporters have been told. The discussion was concise, and they did not address Morgan McSweeney, whom the PM is now under pressure to sack.
The Energy Secretary's Statement
In his early morning broadcast interviews, Miliband stressed the need for the Labour Party to focus on national issues rather than internal divisions.
Look, I think the briefing has been bad, certainly.
But my call to the Labour members today is straightforward, which is we need to concentrate on the public, not each other.
We were given a major mandate last summer, a historic opportunity to transform our nation. And we have a major duty.
Economic Update
In other news, official figures showed the UK economic performance expanded by just 0.1% in the July-September period, with the manufacturing sector especially impacted by the recently reported JLR security incident.
The Day's Schedule
- 9.30am: NHS England releases its latest performance figures
- Today: The Health Secretary visits Liverpool
- Morning: The Chancellor speaks to the journalists
- Late morning: Number 10 conducts its daily lobby briefing
- Today: The Prime Minister highlights plans for the Britain's first nuclear power plant at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey
