Prime Minister Keir Starmer has delivered a blunt message to his Cabinet, urging them to stop the internal squabbling and focus on the government's core mission of delivering for the British people.
A Stern Rebuke in Cabinet
During Tuesday morning's Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister opened with a stark warning. His official spokesman confirmed that Mr Starmer told ministers that "distractions" had shifted the government's focus away from where it mattered most. He emphasised the importance of the mandate to renew the country and stated that people were "rightly impatient for change."
The PM's central command was that the team must "deliver rather than talk about ourselves," insisting on working as one united team to provide opportunity and security for the nation.
The Spark: Briefing Wars and Leadership Chatter
This direct intervention from the Prime Minister follows an extraordinary period of internal conflict. Speculation about a potential leadership challenge boiled over into a public briefing war, with rumours swirling that Health Secretary Wes Streeting was plotting a coup.
The situation became so severe that the furious Prime Minister was forced to apologise personally to Mr Streeting, labelling the anonymous briefings against ministers as completely unacceptable.
Senior Ministers Echo the Embarrassment
The fallout from the internal spat has been acknowledged at the highest levels of government. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood publicly described the situation as "deeply embarrassing for everyone concerned."
In a television interview, she dismissed the rumours as "Westminster bubble tittle-tattle" and called for those with opinions to have the "courage of their convictions" and speak publicly, rather than engaging in off-the-record briefings. She condemned the anonymous briefings that sparked the crisis as "unedifying."
In a separate interview with the Daily Mirror, the Prime Minister himself hit out at the time "wasted" on the leadership speculation. When asked directly if he would lead the Labour Party into the next election, he gave a unequivocal response: "Yes, I will."
He reiterated that every minute spent on internal politics was a minute not spent dealing with the cost of living, which remains his government's primary focus. Despite efforts to shore up his position, speculation about his future and the ambitions of senior colleagues continues to simmer within Westminster.
