Prime Minister Keir Starmer has delivered a stern warning to his Cabinet during a tense weekly meeting, demanding an immediate end to government "distractions" following a disastrous period of internal fighting and damaging Budget leaks.
Cabinet Confrontation Over Government Turmoil
The Prime Minister told his senior team that the public were "rightly impatient" with the government focusing on internal matters rather than delivering for the country. This intervention came despite evidence suggesting that Sir Keir's own allies had been involved in briefing against ministers.
The confrontation occurred after Sir Keir was forced to publicly confirm he would lead Labour into the next election, highlighting the growing leadership concerns within his party. The sense of crisis at the heart of government has been escalating since what many described as an extraordinary pre-emptive strike against Cabinet rivals backfired spectacularly.
Health Secretary's Explosive Intervention
The situation reached boiling point when Health Secretary Wes Streeting launched a public attack on Number 10's "toxic culture" and "self-destruction", forcing the Prime Minister to defend his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney. Sir Keir subsequently claimed he had received assurances that neither Mr McSweeney nor anyone else in Number 10 had briefed against Mr Streeting.
Further compounding the government's troubles, Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves executed what observers described as a "shambolic U-turn" on plans to increase income tax at the Budget. This reversal came despite weeks of deliberate hints about potential tax changes, creating confusion and damaging the government's credibility.
Polling Reveals Leadership Doubts
A recent YouGov poll has exposed significant concerns about Sir Keir's leadership among Labour supporters. The survey found that 23% of Labour supporters believe the party leader should quit immediately, while a further 22% think he should step down before the next election. Only 34% of supporters expressed confidence that he should continue to lead Labour into the next contest.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman stated: "The Prime Minister opened Cabinet by setting out the importance of the Government's mandate to renew the country. He said distractions meant our focus shifted from where it mattered most, working every day in service of the British people."
It's understood that the "distractions" referenced include both the briefings about a potential leadership challenge and the damaging leaks to press about Budget plans that have plagued the government in recent weeks.
Desperate Measures to Regain Control
In an attempt to shore up his position, Sir Keir gave an interview to The Mirror where he directly addressed leadership speculation. When asked whether he would lead Labour into the next election, he responded: "Yes, I will. Let me be really clear - every minute that's not spent talking about and dealing with the cost of living is a minute wasted of the political work of this Government."
The Prime Minister's efforts to revive his political fortunes have taken an unconventional turn, with Sir Keir appearing on reality TV star Pete Wicks's podcast Man Made. This strategy forms part of Downing Street's scramble to reconnect with the public after what many consider a dire first 16 months in power.
Labour has been actively targeting influencers and podcasters in an effort to bypass traditional media channels, with "content creators" receiving prime positions at recent government events including a speech by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
This approach bears striking resemblance to Ed Miliband's strategy during the unsuccessful 2015 election campaign, when he appeared on comedian Russell Brand's YouTube show in an attempt to reach younger voters.
