PMQs LIVE: Wes Streeting slaps down ‘Traitor’ row as Keir Starmer faces grilling
Keir Starmer will face MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions at 12pm amid an explosion of speculation over his leadership.
In an extraordinary intervention, Downing Street warned plotters that it would be irresponsible to displace Mr Starmer as PM and made it clear he would fight any leadership challenge. But the move has plunged Labour into civil war as it has fuelled speculation about a plot to oust the PM.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting this morning responded furiously to briefing against him, which suggested he was scheming a plot to oust Mr Starmer. He compared the situation to an episode of Celebrity Traitors, saying this is “the worst attack on a faithful” since rugby star Joe Marler was banished in last week’s BBC final.
The PM – who missed PMQs last week when he was at COP30 in Brazil – will face questions from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, as well as MPs. Questions around Rachel Reeves signalling that she will hike taxes at her Budget, and is eyeing up ditching the two-child benefit limit, could also be asked.
Follow live updates below…
Wes Streeting slaps down briefings
Health Secretary Wes Streeting this morning responded furiously to briefing against him, which suggested he was scheming a plot to oust Mr Starmer.
He compared the situation to an episode of Celebrity Traitors, saying this is “the worst attack on a faithful” since rugby star Joe Marler was banished in last week’s BBC final.
He said: “I think whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too many episodes of Celebrity Traitors. This is just about the worst attack on a faithful since Joe Marler was kicked out and banished in the final. It’s totally self-defeating briefing, not least because it’s not true, and I don’t understand how anyone thinks it’s helpful to the Prime Minister.”
Keir Starmer faces own row today
Keir Starmer will face MPs amid an explosion of speculation over his leadership.
In an extraordinary intervention, Downing Street warned plotters that it would be irresponsible to displace Mr Starmer as PM and made it clear he would fight any leadership challenge. But the move has plunged Labour into civil war as it has fuelled speculation about a plot to oust the PM.
Mr Streeting was among the Cabinet Ministers named as possible plotters against the PM amid fears in No10 that Mr Starmer could face some sort of challenge after the Budget on November 26.
Keir Starmer returns to PMQs after week off
Keir Starmer will return to PMQs today at midday after missing last week’s session when he was at COP30 in Brazil.
Deputy PM David Lammy stood in for the PM – becoming the first Black man to answer PMQs in history.
The PMQs session was a tough watch after Mr Lammy was asked whether a further asylum seeker had been mistakenly released from jail. Mr Lammy – who is also the Justice Secretary – repeatedly dodged the question, only for it to later emerge that a foreign national offender (but not an asylum seeker) had indeed been wrongly freed.
It led to a huge public row over what Mr Lammy knew and threw the issue of mistaken releases into the spotlight.
Read more about the crisis here.
