Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to dismiss his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, following an alleged orchestrated briefing operation against Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Labour MPs and ministers have expressed outrage, blaming McSweeney for the fallout of what they describe as an extraordinary attempt to undermine potential leadership contenders.
Starmer has told MPs he will not sack his chief of staff, despite repeated demands for consequences. In a meeting with the Parliamentary Labour Party on Wednesday, the prime minister refused to commit to firing those responsible, with one MP stating he had “lost the dressing room”. However, Labour chair Anna Turley later announced an investigation into the briefing, promising action against the culprit.
The health secretary appeared emboldened by the row, delivering a defiant media performance that some MPs believe has strengthened his position for any future leadership contest. Union backing for Streeting has also been reported. Starmer is said to have privately apologised to Streeting during a brief conversation on Wednesday, though no further commitments were made.
Cabinet ministers have questioned whether McSweeney can survive, with one saying the operation “spectacularly backfired”. Another source described growing consensus that McSweeney must go. Downing Street insists there was no direct briefing against Streeting, but MPs remain sceptical as the row continues to dominate Westminster.
