David Lammy slams colleagues gossiping about Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves
David Lammy – the deputy PM and Justice Secretary – has hit out at his Cabinet colleagues for ‘having a drink and b*tching about’ Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves
David Lammy has hit out at Cabinet colleagues who are “having a drink and b*tching about” Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves to the press.
The Deputy PM said he has been “really disappointed” with leaks from within Government, including about his reforms to the courts system.
It comes after ministers accused the PM and the Chancellor of misleading the Cabinet about a black hole in the public finances. One Cabinet minister told The Times that “the handling of this budget has been a disaster from start to finish”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch today seized on the briefing war within the Cabinet at PMQs. She ridiculed the frontbench as she pointed at different ministers asking if it was them who had briefed against their own team.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer slams Reform and Tories’ ‘unholy alliance’ in savage double attack at PMQs
In a message to Cabinet colleagues briefing the press against Mr Starmer and Ms Reeves, Mr Lammy said: “Stop it. It doesn’t help. It doesn’t help the business of getting on with governing.
“Feeling cosy with journalists and having a drink and b*tching about colleagues is not conducive to getting on with the business of serving the people of this country.
“So I can’t stand it. I don’t do it myself. And it’s deeply counterproductive.’
Speaking to The News Agents podcast, the Cabinet minister – who is also the Justice Secretary – added: “I have been really disappointed with some of the leaks that we’ve experienced in government. Government feels very leaky.
“And indeed, my jury decision and the determinations that we’re making collectively were leaked. That’s not government working at it’s best… I’ve never liked in-fighting amongst politicians and within political parties, and I don’t think the public like it.”
Mr Lammy’s plans to reduce the number of cases going to jury trials were leaked to the press last week – more than a week before their official release yesterday.
He faced a major backlash over plans to scrap jury trials for offences likely to get a sentence of less than five years. He later announced similar plans but with a three-year threshold.
