Keir Starmer on Wednesday denied that he had authorised a “kneecap” attack on his health secretary Wes Streeting, as the UK prime minister struggled to contain a pre-budget leadership crisis sparked by his own team.
Mr Starmer’s allies raised the prospect of a Labour leadership challenge by insisting in anonymous briefings that the prime minister would fight off any rival to stay in Number 10, with some suggesting Mr Streeting was preparing a coup.
The briefings were described by one minister as “mad” and left Mr Starmer weakened just two weeks before a crucial budget, which is expected to see manifesto-breaking tax rises.
“I don’t understand how anyone thinks it is helpful to the PM to suggest he’s fighting for his job,” Mr Streeting told Sky News on Wednesday morning. He added that going out to “kneecap” a cabinet member was “self-destructive behaviour”.
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As recriminations flew in Number 10 over the disastrous briefing operation, Mr Starmer was forced at prime minister’s Questions on Wednesday to say that “any attack on any member of my cabinet is unacceptable”
Mr Starmer denied he had authorised any such attacks but faced claims by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch that he presided over a “toxic” culture in Number 10 and had “lost control” of his government.
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While Number 10 denied briefing against individual cabinet ministers, it did not deny that Mr Starmer’s team – including chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and press secretary Tim Allan – had told journalists that Mr Starmer would fight off any leadership challenge, were it to materialise.
Colleagues of Mr McSweeney and Mr Allan insisted they were only “responding” to questions about a possible leadership challenge; others close to the briefing operation insisted Number 10 actively set out to brief some journalists about the possible threat.
Some Labour MPs believe Number 10 wanted to “flush out” potential leadership rivals. Mr Streeting, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, former Labour leader Ed Miliband and home secretary Shabana Mahmood are seen in Starmer’s circles as potential rivals.
The identification of alleged individual plotters – notably Mr Streeting – was done by people outside Downing Street, according to Mr Starmer’s aides. The health secretary categorically denied planning a coup.
“Whichever strategic genius has decided that what is needed now is to trigger lots of speculation about Keir Starmer’s leadership is not as clever as they think,” said Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former spindoctor. Mr Campbell said the strategy was “about as dumb as it gets”.
But few Labour MPs believe a leadership challenge would crystallise in advance of next May’s treacherous elections to the Scottish parliament, Welsh Senedd and English councils, in which Labour is expected to be hammered.
Instead, Downing Street succeeded in highlighting Mr Starmer’s weakness in advance of a politically perilous budget. Last month, a YouGov poll gave him a minus 51 per cent approval rating, with 21 per cent having a favourable view of him and 72 per cent unfavourable.
“It’s not good,” admitted one senior treasury official. “It’s a big distraction.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Mr Starmer were due to finalise the UK government’s budget tax plans on Wednesday.
Ms Reeves is expected to announce a rise in income tax rates in her budget speech, in breach of a Labour manifesto promise, as she tries to stabilise the economy and put the public finances back in order.
Mr Streeting, who carried out a pre-arranged morning round of broadcast studios on Wednesday, denounced his anonymous critics and pointed the finger of blame at people inside Number 10.
“There are people around the prime minister who do not follow his model and style of leadership,” Mr Streeting said. Allies of the health secretary said he had received messages from “embarrassed people in Number 10 who are horrified by this”.
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By lunchtime, Mr Starmer had not spoken to Mr Streeting, who was in Manchester giving a speech on health policy. But Number 10 insisted he was doing a “brilliant” job.
Mr Starmer stopped short of offering his full confidence in Mr McSweeney but said: “This is a united team and we are delivering together,” he told MPs. Mr Starmer’s spokesman later said Mr McSweeney had the prime minister’s full support. Ms Badenoch said Labour had descended into “civil war”.
Both Mr Starmer’s allies and Ms Reeves herself have warned of market turmoil if they are forced out of power or if there is any weakening of the Labour government’s desire to rein in borrowing.
Market reaction to the political turmoil was calm, but the pound fell as much as 0.5 per cent against the dollar and reached a more than two-year low against the euro, before regaining some ground by late afternoon trading in London.
“The uncertainty is unwelcome for the pound,” said Chris Turner, head of markets research at ING.
Most Labour MPs believe that while potential successors to Mr Starmer are quietly assembling support in the background, the prime minister is unlikely to face a challenge until next May’s elections at the earliest.
A potential candidate must assemble the signatures of 20 per cent of Labour MPs – 81 in total – to mount a challenge and Starmer would automatically be entitled to be on a leadership ballot. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
