“The government should be focusing on delivering policy, not fighting among themselves.”
Following the briefings suggesting that health secretary Wes Streeting is preparing to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer, Mainstream has warned that Labour must “stop the infighting”.
Streeting has vehemently denied the briefings and said they were indicative of a toxic culture inside No 10.
Some reports are suggesting that Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, could be behind the briefings. However, Starmer has denied these claims and backed McSweeney.
Multiple Labour MPs have said they are not aware of who is behind the briefings, and note that Starmer has said they will be investigated.
This afternoon, the PM has warned aides that he will fire them for briefing against ministers.
One Labour MP said: “There have been a string of briefings against senior women in the Party”.
They added that “the government should be focusing on delivering policy, not fighting among themselves.”
The transport secretary Heidi Alexander said in an interview in July that negative briefings against senior female cabinet ministers, including Bridget Phillipson, Lisa Nandy and former leader of the house, Lucy Powell, must “stop”.
Clive Efford, Labour MP Eltham and Chislehurst, told Left Foot Forward: “Anyone who thinks that it is a good idea for the Labour Party to enter a long-protracted leadership contest where we focus on a debate about ourselves when we should be focusing on the job of running the country needs think again.
“The country would never forgive us. We need to focus on our relationship with the public and telling people about all the excellent things we are doing to deliver the change we promised at the last election.”
In a statement, the Interim Council of new soft left group Mainstream, said: “The briefings don’t create the toxic culture – it’s the toxic culture that creates these briefings.
“Labour can defeat the rise of Reform and its causes come the next election. But it will take this culture changing to one that stops the infighting and focuses on the transformative ideas that will make the everyday lives of people in this country better.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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