PM’s chief aide Morgan McSweeney and Health Secretary Wes Streeting in ‘shouting match confrontation’ over Red-on-Red briefing
Keir Starmer is facing more damaging claims about tensions at the heart of government today.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is said to have had a ‘very shouty’ row with the PM’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney over brutal briefings.
The Cabinet minister demanded to know whether No10 was the source of an apparent pre-emptive strike accusing him of leadership plotting, according to the Sunday Times.
The bruising exchanges happened on Tuesday afternoon after Mr Streeting learned that stories were about to break including senior sources attacking his ambitions. A No10 source denied that the telephone conversation was ‘shouty’.
The Ilford North MP took to broadcast studios the next morning complaining of the ‘toxic’ culture in No10 and demanding those responsible were sacked.
The episode plunged Sir Keir deeper into chaos, as he was forced to defend Mr McSweeney publicy.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is said to have had a ‘very shouty’ row with the PM’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney over brutal briefings
A No10 source denied that the telephone conversation on Tuesday was ‘shouty’
The PM said he had been assured no-one in Downing Street had briefed against Mr Streeting – whose standing is seen as having been boosted by the extraordinary spat.
Speculation has been mounting about Sir Keir’s future with Labour plumbing new depths in the polls.
The looming Budget and local elections in May are increasingly seen as pivotal to whether he survives.
Relations between the Health Secretary and Mr McSweeney were once warm, but insiders say they are now increasingly distant.
One source told the Sunday Times that before this week they last spoke ‘two months ago’.
‘They have spoken less and less. It’s fair to say they are not on good terms,’ they added.
A No10 source said today: ‘This is not an accurate characterisation of either the conversation or their relationship.’
A source close to Mr Streeting refused to be drawn on the conversation.
‘Wes has been trying to laugh it all off and draw a line under it so we can all get on with the job at hand,’ they added.
Speculation has been mounting about Sir Keir’s future with Labour plumbing new depths in the polls
