Politics latest: Streeting hits out at ‘self-destructive’ No 10 claims that he is plotting to oust Starmer

UK Government borrowing costs ticked higher on Wednesday morning, as the price of gilts – UK Government bonds – slipped in value amid speculation over a leadership challenge to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Yields on 10-year-gilts, which move counter to the price of the bonds, rose by 3 basis points to 4.42% in early trading. The yield on the longer-term 30-year-gilt also rose by a similar amount.

The rise come after yields had dropped significantly on Tuesday after rising unemployment and falling wage growth prompted predictions of interest rate cuts.

The value of the pound also moved 0.02% higher to 1.315 against the dollar.

It came after a flurry of late-night briefings from Number 10 in which allies of the Prime Minister came out fighting on his behalf amid fears his job could be under threat after the Budget in two weeks’ time.

Briefing about a potential leadership challenge shows there needs to be a change in “culture” in the Labour Party, Wes Streeting has said.

The Health Secretary told Sky News: “What I think this does show is that when Lucy Powell stood to be deputy leader of the Labour Party and said there needed to be a culture change in how we lead and how the party is managed, I think she has been vindicated.”

He added: “I do think that going out and calling your Labour MPs feral is not very helpful.

“I do think that trying to kneecap one of your own team when they are out, not just making the case for the Government, but actually delivering the change that we promised, I think that is also self-defeating and self-destructive behaviour.

“I also think whoever did this doesn’t speak for the Prime Minister. I speak for the Prime Minister.”

He added he thought Sir Keir Starmer would be “horrified” reading reports of briefing against Cabinet members.

Wes Streeting has insisted that he could not see any circumstances in which he would challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.

Asked whether he would rule out standing against Sir Keir in the future, he told BBC Breakfast: “I cannot see circumstances in which I would do that to our Prime Minister.”

He added: “I also think that taking on that job feels like more of a punishment than anything else at the moment, given how hard the Prime Minister’s job is, that’s why he’s got full support.

“That’s why I constantly support him in the job that he’s doing. And I’ve always been a team player. That is how I do things, and that’s how I will always do things.”

The chairwoman of the Red Wall group of Labour MPs said “this is neither the time or the place” for briefing about a leadership challenge.

Bassetlaw MP Jo White told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Our enemies love nothing more than when we start fighting like dogs in public, and my message to those MPs who are running around with their tails held high: That this is neither the time or the place.

“This is a group of people who think they’re much cleverer than the rest of us, who spend their time selectively briefing journalists and stirring the pot. I want to simply say: We’re not having it.

“I’m not aware of a single person in the red wall group who’s involved in this. And if anyone, including Wes Streeting, wants to make a move, they would have to speak to us. He’s a London MP and it hasn’t happened and it’s not true.”

Ms White added: “I’d like to say to No 10, I think they’re barking up the wrong tree, briefing against Wes.

“I’ve known Wes since he was NUS president. He’s one of the tiny handful of MPs who came up to Bassetlaw to help me with my election.

“He’s only just recently written a really kind letter to one of my members who lost her husband. And I think I’d know – he’d tell me if he was manoeuvring.”

Wes Streeting dismissed the “silly” and “juvenile” behind-the-scenes briefings against him from No 10.

The Health Secretary told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “What I’d say to the silly No 10 briefer is that every time they put these sorts of things out, whether it’s about me or anyone else, to be honest, it distracts from telling what I think is a positive story for Labour to tell.

“It stops us getting a Labour argument across, and that’s why it’s not just juvenile, it’s self-defeating.”

Asked if he knew who was responsible he said: “No. If I did, I would tell the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister would sack them.

“That’s the other thing I know about this Prime Minister: nothing grinds his gears more than this kind of like Westminster bubble stuff and the briefings to newspapers.

“You don’t see him angry often, but at Cabinet meetings, the only time I’ve seen him really angry is when there have been briefings against colleagues.”

Asked if Sir Keir Starmer had lost control of his No 10 operation, Mr Streeting said: “I wouldn’t put it like that, I would say there are some people in Downing Street who evidently do not model the behaviours and style of leadership that the Prime Minister models.”

Wes Streeting has described the culture in Number 10 as “self-destructive” following a flurry of late-night briefings.

The health secretary told Sophy Ridge on Sky News: “I do think that trying to kneecap one of your own team when they are out, not just making the case for the government, but actually delivering the change that we promised, I think that is self-defeating and self-destructive behaviour.

“I also think whoever did this doesn’t speak for the prime minister – I speak for the prime minister.”

Wes Streeting called for Sir Keir Starmer to sack those around him who were behind the “self-defeating” briefing about the leadership.

The Health Secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “It’s bad enough when events knock you off course, to get your message across.

“It is worse still when self-defeating briefing knocks us of course and stops us from telling what I think is a strong message of change and delivery that we’ve got right across the government. ”

Asked if Sir Keir had contacted him since the briefings on Tuesday night, Mr Streeting said: “No, and I think he’s got better things to do with his life and I wouldn’t expect him to. In fact, if he does, I’ll tell him ‘why are you bothering with this’.”

He added: “It says that there are people around the Prime Minister who do not follow his model and style of leadership. I can tell you, without having even spoken to the Prime Minister, what he thinks of briefing, what his reaction will be to the front pages and the broadcast bulletins overnight and the words I’m sure he would use are not suitable for a family show like this.”

Asked if he should sack those responsible, Mr Streeting said: “Yes. But he’s got to find them first and I wouldn’t expect him to waste loads of time on this.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Caitlin Doherty reports:

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has denied plotting to oust the prime minister, blasting the “self-defeating” briefing.

Asked whether he was planning a leadership challenge, the Health Secretary told Sky News: “No, and I think whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors, and this is just about the worst attack on a faithful I’ve seen since Joe Marler was kicked out and banished in the final.

“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.”

Asked if he would rule out demanding Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation after the Budget, he said: “Yes, and nor did I shoot JFK.”

The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin writes:

A few months ago, Scottish Labour MPs started saying to each other, only half-jokingly, that there were only three of them coming back after the next election.

The figure is extraordinary in itself. But that’s before you factor in that Labour’s landslide last year meant there are currently 37 of them. That is 34 MPs who fear their political careers are already over – many before they have barely begun.

The pattern is repeated across England and Wales.

That is why Starmer is currently in so much danger. Many Labour MPs came into parliament planing to be loyal to this government.

But they are finding it more and more difficult to be loyal to a leader they feel may lose them their job.