Sir Keir Starmer has condemned “completely unacceptable” briefings against Health Secretary Wes Streeting as a civil war erupted at the top of the Labour Party.
Mr Streeting has categorically denied that he was plotting to oust the Prime Minister and called for those in No 10 briefing against him to face the sack.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said “any attack on any member of my Cabinet is completely unacceptable”.
He said Mr Streeting was doing a “great job” as he highlighted his record on turning around the NHS.
Sir Keir’s Commons appearance and a series of broadcast interviews by Mr Streeting followed a flurry of late-night briefing from No 10 and the Labour leader’s allies saying the Prime Minister would fight any leadership challenge – with Mr Streeting identified as a potential rival.
Mr Streeting attacked whoever was responsible for the rumours, suggesting they had been “watching too much Celebrity Traitors”.
He told Sky News: “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.”
Mr Streeting said the briefings showed problems with the “culture in No 10”, although he added that “I’d just like to commend the briefer on at least picking on one of the men instead of the women in Cabinet” after a series of attacks on female ministers including Angela Rayner, Lisa Nandy and Bridget Phillipson.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today “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 late-night briefing came as part of a ploy to put down several senior Labour figures who were said to be “on manoeuvres” to supplant Sir Keir, according to media reports.
No 10 has singled out the Health Secretary to warn off other potential leadership challenges from senior Labour figures including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, the reports said.
Mr Streeting said the briefings had “vindicated” calls from Labour’s new deputy leader Lucy Powell for a change in culture in Downing Street.
He told Sky News: “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.”
Mr Streeting’s criticism of the culture within No 10 focused fresh attention of the Prime Minister’s long-time ally and chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Sir Keir about the “toxic culture” in No 10 and asked him to say whether he still had full confidence in Mr McSweeney.
“Morgan McSweeney, my team and I are absolutely focused on delivering for the country,” Sir Keir told her.
“I’ve never authorised attacks on Cabinet members. I appointed them to their posts because they are the best people to carry out their jobs.”
Downing Street said that Sir Keir had confidence in Mr McSweeney and suggested the briefing against Mr Streeting was from outside No 10.
Asked about Mr Streeting’s concerns about the culture in No 10, the Prime Minister’s political spokeswoman said: “The entirety of the Government, that includes No 10, is focused on delivering for the British people.”
Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the Red Wall group of Labour MPs, Jo White, also denied that Mr Streeting was angling to replace Sir Keir, telling the Today programme: “I’m not aware of a single person in the Red Wall group who’s involved in this.”
Ms White, a backbench MP, blamed the rumours on “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”.
Another Labour MP told the PA news agency “whoever thought it was clever wants shooting” and “there is clearly a cultural problem”.
Challengers for the Labour leadership can initiate an election with the support of 20% of the party’s MPs, which currently means 80 nominations would be needed.
Labour affiliates, including the trade unions, would be able to vote in the ballot alongside individual members.
