Ministers urge PM to sack whoever was behind anonymous briefings

Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure from senior ministers to sack whoever was behind briefings to the public that the PM is facing a leadership challenge. Both Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Health Secretary Wes Streeting had been listed as potential opponents in the anonymous briefings, and now both are calling for them to be found and fired. It comes as Sir Keir apologised to Street for the incident, which the Prime Minister is said to be incadescent about. It has increased pressure on the prime minister's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who, including senior officials in government, is ultimately responsible for the briefings as well as the overall culture within No. 10.

Morgan is a proxy for Keir, one prime minister aide told the BBC. They are coming for Morgan because they want to get Keir. This isn't a parliamentary party war; it's a Labour elite contest.

Both Streeting and Miliband have stopped short of publicly condemning McSweeney, and Streeting made a point of lauding his role in Labour's general election win on Wednesday. Streeting dismissed concerns over McSweeney's future on Thursday, saying it was

silly Westminster soap opera stuffandyesterday's news.

Miliband said it's been a poor couple of days, adding,

We've got to figure out the lessons of this episode

and that this is not where the focus should be.

He was positive that the prime minister would want to know who the anonymous briefer was and

get rid of them if he can find out.

He hates it when news are leaked, but he cries for it when cabinet colleagues are briefed against.

If he hates it, why can't he avoid it? people listening to this show might wonder.The truth is, these things do happen. Noises are everywhere, and you may not know where they are coming from. Some Labour MPs have discussed Miliband's name as another potential challenger to the prime minister. When asked whether he would rule out his return as Labour leader, he replied, Yes.I had the right inoculation technique against wanting to be the leader of the Labour Party, which is to say that I was in charge of the Labor Party from 2010 to 2015. That chapter has ended, and I've got the T-shirt.

In a brief phone call on Wednesday evening, Sir Keir apologized to Streeting, but supporters of the health secretary are likely to be irritated that briefing against him has continued. Many around the health secretary say that "this kind of briefing culture followed Keir Starmer from opposition to government. There is a decreasing number of consultants who worked with Sir Keir in opposition and are now working for him. McSweeney is one of them, and the most senior. He has been asked for clarification and not replied.

Sir Keir had lost power of his government, according to Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch, who appeared at Prime Minister's Questions. The British people's trust has been shattered by the British people. McSweeney, she said, was responsible for the No. 10 culture, and she wondered if the prime minister had any confidence in him. Sir Keir replied:

Morgan McSweeney, my staff, and I are completely focused on serving the country.

Let me be clear, of course, I've never condoned attacks on cabinet members,

the Prime Minister never sanctioned assaults on cabinet officials; I'm the right people to do their jobs.

Any attack on any member of my cabinet is completely intolerable,he said, and he lauded Streeting forexcellent work. The prime minister's press secretary told reporters that the briefings against Streeting had come from outside No. 10 and that the prime minister had utter confidence in McSweeney. The spokesperson refused to comment on whether there was a leak probe, but did say that leaks would be "dealt with.