Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been forced to issue a personal apology to his Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, following a damaging internal briefing war that has exposed deep tensions at the top of the Labour government.
The Prime Minister condemned what he labelled 'completely unacceptable' attacks on a senior member of his own Cabinet, after reports surfaced alleging that Mr Streeting was plotting a leadership challenge.
An Apology and an Investigation
According to a source from Number 10, Sir Keir spoke directly with the Health Secretary on the evening of Wednesday 12 November 2025. During their conversation, the Prime Minister apologised for the briefing campaign against him, though the pair did not delve into specific details.
Labour chairwoman Anna Turley later confirmed that Sir Keir is 'looking into' the source of the accusations and will 'take action' to ensure such attacks do not happen again. She stated to ITV, 'He is going to investigate and we'll see what happens as a consequence of that... this is not in his name.'
Ms Turley also dismissed speculation that the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, was behind the briefings, referring to such claims as 'tittle tattle' and stressing that the responsible party has not yet been identified.
Streeting Condemns 'Juvenile' and 'Toxic' Culture
Earlier on Wednesday, a visibly frustrated Wes Streeting had hit out at the 'toxic culture' surrounding the Number 10 operation. In a series of broadcast interviews, he described the briefings as 'totally self-defeating' and 'juvenile', vehemently denying any truth to the claims of a leadership plot.
When asked if the individuals responsible should be sacked, Mr Streeting told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, 'Yes. But he's got to find them first and I wouldn't expect him to waste loads of time on this.'
He also made a pointed remark, commending the anonymous briefer for 'at least picking on one of the men instead of the women in Cabinet', in a clear reference to previous attacks on female ministers like Angela Rayner, Lisa Nandy, and Bridget Phillipson.
Political Fallout and Leadership Doubts
The public unrest comes at a challenging time for the Labour Party, whose poll ratings have reportedly plummeted since Sir Keir delivered a landslide general election victory in July 2024.
The situation escalated during Prime Minister's Questions, where Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused the government of having 'descended into a civil war' and pressed Sir Keir on his confidence in Mr McSweeney.
In response, the Prime Minister defended his team, stating, 'Morgan McSweeney, my team and I are absolutely focused on delivering for the country. I've never authorised attacks on Cabinet members.' He reaffirmed that Mr Streeting was doing a 'great job'.
Behind the scenes, the mood among Labour MPs is one of concern. One MP told the PA news agency that 'whoever thought it was clever wants shooting', while another from the party's left suggested there is a widespread belief that Sir Keir may not lead the party into the next election.
All eyes are now on Chancellor Rachel Reeves' upcoming Budget, which could see the party break a key manifesto pledge on income tax, amid fears of a difficult set of elections for English councils and the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments in May.
