Starmer Faces Pressure to Sack Chief of Staff Over Briefings

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced mounting pressure within the Labour Party on Thursday after anonymous briefings accused Health Secretary Wes Streeting of plotting a leadership challenge, sparking calls for the dismissal of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. The controversy, unfolding in Westminster over the past week, has intensified speculation about divisions at the top of government amid declining poll ratings.

The briefings, attributed to sources close to Downing Street, emerged last week and claimed Streeting was rallying support to replace Starmer following the upcoming November 26 budget. Streeting, who denied any such ambitions, described the attacks as evidence of a "toxic culture" in No. 10 and called them "self-defeating" and "juvenile." He told reporters, "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 either."

Starmer responded swiftly, apologizing directly to Streeting during a conversation on Wednesday evening and assuring him that no one in his team was involved. Speaking to reporters in North Wales while announcing a new nuclear reactor project, Starmer said,...