Wes Streeting Accused of Orchestrating Coup Against Starmer Amid Leadership Crisis
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been accused of orchestrating a coup against Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as the embattled Labour leader vows to fight on despite mounting pressure to resign. The dramatic allegations emerged after it was revealed Streeting spoke with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar just two days before Sarwar publicly called for Starmer's resignation.
The Alleged 'McChicken Coup'
Sources within government and Labour circles have pointed fingers at Streeting for what they term the "McChicken Coup," referring to an alleged plot that capitalised on the resignation of Starmer's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney. According to multiple reports, Streeting and Sarwar are believed to have discussed the current political situation within the Labour party, with many blaming the health secretary for Sarwar's subsequent intervention.
"Everyone from the PM down to the most junior bag carrier knows who was behind the McChicken Coup," one source told the Telegraph. "And his name rhymes with Les Weeting."
Another source added: "Today's events were so clearly manipulated and co-ordinated by the Wes Streeting campaign, but they catastrophically failed when he bottled it."
Starmer's Defiant Stance
Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a defiant message to Labour MPs during a crucial meeting on Monday evening, declaring he is "not prepared to walk away" from his mandate and would not resign. The Prime Minister is fighting for his political survival after losing both his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and director of communications Tim Allan within 24 hours of each other.
Starmer told the parliamentary Labour party: "I have had my detractors every step along the way, and I've got them now. Detractors that don't want a Labour government at all, and certainly not one to succeed. But I'll tell you this, after having fought so hard for the chance to change our country, I'm not prepared to walk away from my mandate and my responsibility to my country."
Streeting's Damage Control Efforts
As Cabinet ministers were ordered to declare their public support for Starmer, Wes Streeting chose to reveal text messages exchanged with Lord Peter Mandelson in an attempt at damage control. The messages, passed to Sky News, revealed Streeting's private criticism of Starmer's government, including accusations of Israeli "war crimes," concerns about the government's economic growth plan, and Streeting's belief that he would be "toast" at the next general election.
A spokesperson for Streeting vehemently denied the coup allegations, stating: "He did not ask Anas to do this; he did not coordinate with Anas on this. At the same time as Wes was in an interview saying that Keir needed a chance to set out his case and his plan, No10 was briefing that Wes had told Anas Sarwar to make his statement. This is the problem."
Sarwar's Painful Decision
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar described his decision to call for Starmer's resignation as "painful," acknowledging their close friendship and political partnership. Sarwar confirmed he spoke with Starmer earlier on Monday, stating: "It's safe to say that he and I disagreed."
"There is probably no one in Scottish politics that's had a better relationship with Keir Starmer or a closer friendship with Keir Starmer than I have," Sarwar told reporters. "He is someone that I have campaigned alongside, worked alongside for the last five years in my role as leader, someone that I campaigned ferociously for to make sure we could get rid of a Tory government, and someone who I have supported in the last 18 months. So does this cause me personal hurt and pain? Of course, it does."
Government's Epstein Files Commitment
Amid the leadership turmoil, the government reiterated its commitment to release all remaining files associated with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones told the House of Commons: "The government is committed to publishing all relevant documents in line with the motion agreed by the House, and is working at pace to do so."
Jones added that the government is dedicated to being "transparent as soon as possible and in full compliance with the motion," with the Prime Minister asking the Cabinet Secretary to liaise with the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Mounting Pressure and Speculation
The leadership crisis has been exacerbated by several factors:
- MPs grilled Starmer over his appointment of Matthew Doyle to the House of Lords
- The controversy surrounding Lord Peter Mandelson's mention in the latest Epstein files release
- The brief publication of a website named angelaforleader.co.uk in January, prompting speculation about Angela Rayner's leadership ambitions
- Starmer's admission that appointing Mandelson was wrong
During Monday's Labour meeting, MPs urged the party to unite behind Starmer's leadership, rejecting the idea of turning inward which they argued would only benefit the Conservatives and Reform UK. Starmer's demeanour was described as "incredibly determined" despite the mounting pressure to step down.
