Starmer latest: Streeting accused of orchestrating No 10 coup as embattled PM vows to fight on
Keir Starmer says he will not resign after Scottish Labour leader called on him to step down
Wes Streeting has been accused of orchestrating a coup against Sir Keir Starmer after claims emerged he talked to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar two days before Mr Sarwar called on the prime minister to resign.
Sources said the pair are thought to have discussed the current political situation in the Labour party, with many blaming the health secretary for Mr Sarwar’s intervention, according to the Telegraph.
As Cabinet ministers were ordered to declare their public support for Mr Starmer, Mr Streeting chose to reveal text messages exchanged with Lord Peter Mandelson in an attempt at damage control late on Monday.
A spokesperson for Mr Streeting said he “did not ask Anas to do this; he did not coordinate with Anas on this.”
They continued: “At the same time as Wes was in an interview saying that Keir needed a chance to set out his case and his plan, No10 was briefing that Wes had told Anas Sarwar to make his statement. This is the problem.”
It comes as Sir Keir told Labour MPs at a meeting on Monday evening he is “not prepared to walk away” from his mandate and would not resign.
The PM is fighting for his political survival after losing his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and director of communications Tim Allan within 24 hours of each other.
Sarwar reveals he spoke to Starmer about resignation: 'We disagreed'
In a last-minute news conference Scottish leader Anas Sarwar said he felt compelled to do what was right for Scotland in calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign.
“The situation in Downing Street is not good enough,” he said. “There have been too many mistakes. They promised they were going to be different, but too much has happened.”
He confirmed he spoke to Mr Starmer earlier today, adding: “It's safe to say that he and I disagreed.”
Scottish leader Sarwar says it was 'painful' decision to call on 'friend' Starmer to resign
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has shared that it was a “painful” decision to call on Keir Starmer to resign.
“There is probably no one in Scottish politics that’s had a better relationship with Keir Starmer or a closer friendship with Keir Starmer than I have,” he told reporters on Monday afternoon.
Mr Sarwar said of Starmer: “He is someone that I have campaigned alongside, worked alongside for the last five years in my role as leader, someone that I campaigned ferociously for to make sure we could get rid of a Tory government, and someone who I have supported in the last 18 months.
“So does this cause me personal hurt and pain? Of course, it does.”
Government 'committed to publishing all relevant documents' says PM chief secretary
The UK government has reiterated its commitment to release all of the remaining files associated with disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, but did not give a deadline for their release.
“The government is committed to publishing all relevant documents in line with the motion agreed by the House, and is working at pace to do so,” chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones, told the House of Commons on Monday.
He said the government is dedicated to being “transparent as soon as possible and in full compliance with the motion.”
He added: “The Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Secretary to liaise with the Intelligence and Security Committee, and I will ensure that the House is kept updated on this work.”
Highlights from Starmer's Labour meeting on Monday
The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
No 10 would not confirm whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer had talked to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar after he called on him to resign.
Mr Starmer’s demeanour was “incredibly determined” at the meeting in the face of the mounting pressure to step down.
During the address, MPs urged the party to unite behind the PM’s leadership and rejected the idea of turning inwards, which would only help the Tories and Reform.
The Prime Minister said he took full responsibility for appointing Mandelson and that it was wrong.
'McChicken Coup' orchestrated by Streeting, say sources
Sources say that several politicians and government employees blame health secretary Wes Streeting for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s call for Sir Keir Starmer to resign, according to the Telegraph.
“Everyone from the PM down to the most junior bag carrier knows who was behind the McChicken Coup,” said one source, referring to an alleged plot to use Morgan McSweeney’s resignation as an opportunity. “And his name rhymes with Les Weeting.”
Another added: “Today’s events were so clearly manipulated and co-ordinated by the Wes Streeting campaign, but they catastrophically failed when he bottled it [by not resigning too].“
“He doesn’t have the kind of support he thinks he does and today proves it, not least because of his very close and long-standing relationship with Peter Mandelson.”
Mr Streeting’s team have vehemently denied the claims.
Wes Streeting accused of orchestrating 'coup' against Starmer
Wes Streeting is accused of orchestrating a coup against Sir Keir Starmer after it emerged he talked to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar two days before Mr Sarwar called on the prime minister to resign.
Sources said the pair are thought to have discussed the current political situation in the Labour party, with many blaming the health secretary for Mr Sarwar’s intervention, according to the Telegraph.
As Cabinet ministers were ordered to declare their public support for Mr Starmer, Mr Streeting chose to reveal text messages exchanged with Lord Peter Mandelson in an attempt at damage control late on Monday.
A spokesperson for Mr Streeting said he “did not ask Anas to do this; he did not coordinate with Anas on this.”
They continued: “At the same time as Wes was in an interview saying that Keir needed a chance to set out his case and his plan, No10 was briefing that Wes had told Anas Sarwar to make his statement. This is the problem.”
Editorial: Sir Keir is the loneliest PM – but he must stay in office
With his allies draining away, Sir Keir Starmer finds himself in a similar position to the one that Tony Blair found himself in after nine years in Downing Street. Except that the current incumbent has arrived at the same point after just 19 months.
Under siege over what was clearly a disastrous decision to appoint the now disgraced Peter Mandelson to the role of ambassador to the US, Sir Keir looks like the loneliest prime minister ever to have stepped through the door of No 10.
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has become the first senior party figure to urge Sir Keir to quit, saying: “The leadership in Downing Street has to change.” He may have thought he was softening the blow by referring to the prime minister as his “friend”, but in the context, it gave small comfort. The number of cabinet ministers who scrambled to Sir Keir’s aid only served to draw attention to the debased position in which he now finds himself.
Sir Keir is the loneliest PM – but he must stay in office
Streeting publishes his texts to Mandelson, revealing criticism of Starmer’s government
Wes Streeting has published his private messages with disgraced former Labour peer Peter Mandelson, revealing his criticism of Keir Starmer’s government.
After days of speculation over his political relationship and friendship with Lord Mandelson, Mr Streeting passed his text messages to Sky News in a bid to clear the air.
But they revealed that Mr Streeting believed he “is toast at the next election” and, as one of Sir Keir’s most senior ministers, he lambasted the government for having no economic growth strategy and policy on Israel’s “war crimes”.
Lord Mandelson’s downfall has brought Sir Keir to the brink of losing his premiership as he faced Labour MPs on Monday night to plead to be given more time.
The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Streeting publishes texts to Mandelson, revealing criticism of Starmer’s government
Opposition MPs wishing for 'chaos', says Labour minister
Members of the opposition who are calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign are looking for “chaos”, chief secretary to the PM, Darren Jones, said on Monday.
Pete Wishart, the SNP’s deputy Westminster leader, told the Commons the only statement that his constituents want today “is a resignation statement”.
He added: “What we need is a Government that will end this chaos. They promised to end this chaos when they came to power. Instead, it’s through the stratosphere.”
Mr Jones responded: “(Mr Wishart) seems to be wishing for more chaos in our country.
“The public voted to end that at the last general election, and that’s why this Government’s getting on for delivering change for people across the country.”
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