Ed Miliband Encourages Labour to Look Ahead After Starmer Offers Apology to Streeting for Hostile Briefings

Senior Labour figure Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has called for the party to put aside party conflicts after PM Keir Starmer personally apologised to health minister Wes Streeting MP over negative media stories originating from Number 10.

Important Developments

• Ed Miliband states the Prime Minister will sack the Downing Street source behind for briefing against Streeting if discovered
• The Energy Secretary rules out any party leader aspirations, stating his past experience as leader was the "strongest vaccine" against seeking the position again
• UK economic growth expanded by just 0.1% in the third quarter, impacted by the Jaguar Land Rover cyber-attack

Context

The internal unrest started after media stories emerged about hostile background comments from the Prime Minister's allies targeting the Health Secretary. Although initial efforts to dismiss the situation, the discussion between the PM and the health minister according to sources followed a more serious direction.

Starmer apologised to Streeting, journalists have been told. The discussion was short, and they did not address the chief of staff, whom Starmer is now under increasing scrutiny to sack.

Miliband's Statement

In his morning broadcast interviews, Ed Miliband highlighted the need for the Labour Party to concentrate on national matters rather than internal divisions.

Look, I think the briefing has been unhelpful, no question.

But my call to the party now is straightforward, which is we need to focus on the nation, not our internal matters.

We were given a major mandate last July, a historic chance to improve our nation. And we have a historic responsibility.

Economic Update

Separately, government data indicated the UK economic performance grew by just 0.1% in the third quarter, with the industrial industry particularly affected by the recent JLR hack.

Today's Schedule

• 9.30am: The National Health Service issues its latest statistics
• Today: Wes Streeting is visiting the Liverpool area
• Today: The Chancellor makes comments to the media
• Late morning: Number 10 conducts its regular lobby briefing
• Morning: Keir Starmer highlights plans for the Britain's pioneering small modular reactor project at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey