Prime Minister Keir Starmer is prepared to dismiss a Number 10 aide at the centre of a damaging internal briefing war, if he can identify the individual responsible, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has claimed.
Miliband Calls for Sackings Amid Labour Turbulence
The Labour Party was engulfed in a bitter internal conflict this week, forcing Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting to publicly deny plotting a leadership challenge against Sir Keir. The row erupted when allies of the Prime Minister launched what was described as a "pre-emptive strike" on Mr Streeting in a bid to protect the leader's position.
Appearing on BBC Breakfast on Thursday, Ed Miliband did not mince his words. "They should be sacked," he stated, referring to those behind the anonymous briefings. "I know the Prime Minister will want to find out who that person is and will get rid of them if he can find them."
The Challenge of Finding the Source
Mr Miliband acknowledged the significant hurdle facing the Prime Minister in his quest to identify the culprit. He explained that the clandestine nature of political briefing makes it exceptionally difficult to trace sources, as journalists rightly protect their contacts.
"It’s very hard to find out who does this briefing," Miliband admitted. "You can never get to the bottom of it, but of course, if Keir Starmer finds that person, I’ve discussed anonymous briefing with him in the past, he’ll get rid of them. He hates this stuff."
The Energy Secretary, drawing on his experience from the Blair and Brown era, urged the party to refocus its energies on serving the country rather than internal squabbles, though he conceded that such "turbulence" is a normal part of government.
Miliband Rules Out Shock Leadership Return
Amid the leadership speculation, rumours had also circulated that Ed Miliband himself might be considering a dramatic return to the top job. He categorically shut down this possibility during his interview.
"I had the best inoculation technique against wanting to be leader of the Labour Party because I was leader of the Labour Party between 2010 and 2015," he said. "I’ve got the T-shirt, that chapter’s closed."
The briefing row escalated significantly on Wednesday evening, with backbench Labour MPs expressing fury that the Prime Minister's operation had fuelled Westminster gossip. One frustrated Labour MP told the Mirror: "Honestly the PM employs children. The operation is doing a really good job of preparing MPs for a hideous Budget... and then they blow it up by having a totally unnecessary go at Wes?"
