Sir Keir Starmer's government is grappling with significant internal conflict, with rumours of a potential leadership challenge emerging as early as the new year.
Turmoil at the Top
The political crisis was ignited by a damaging briefing against Health Secretary Wes Streeting, which suggested he was preparing a leadership coup against the Prime Minister. This incident, occurring on Thursday 13 November 2025, has been largely blamed on Sir Keir's own chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
In a move to contain the fallout, Sir Keir has personally apologised to Mr Streeting. The Prime Minister stated he was "assured" that no one in Downing Street was responsible for the malicious briefing, which he condemned as "unacceptable" behaviour.
The 'Unsackable' Chief of Staff
Despite widespread calls for the individual responsible to be dismissed, many Labour MPs believe Morgan McSweeney is "unsackable". His pivotal role in securing Sir Keir's leadership and engineering the party's general election victory makes him an indispensable figure within Number 10.
This perceived invulnerability is fuelling anger and frustration among MPs, who feel that different rules apply to those at the very centre of power.
A Looming Political Battle
Concerns are now mounting about a full-scale civil war among senior Downing Street figures. The internal strife is so severe that some within the party are already speculating about a formal leadership challenge in January.
This potential move is seen as a pre-emptive effort to mitigate expected losses in upcoming elections, with senior figures fearing that the current instability could severely damage the party's prospects.
The situation presents Sir Keir Starmer with his most serious internal test since entering Downing Street, caught between loyalty to a key architect of his success and the need to assert his authority over a fractious party.
