David Blunkett tells Keir Starmer to sack No 10 chief Morgan McSweeney after briefing row
Former Labor home secretary David Blunkett has called on Sir Keir Starmer to fire his Downing Street chief of staff.
Lord Blunkett said the prime minister should sack his chief adviser Morgan McSweeney and replace him with someone who “can manage people well”.
Lord Blunkett’s intervention comes just days after anonymous briefings in which unnamed Downing St sources claimed health secretary Wes Streeting was planning to replace the prime minister.
Mr Steeting denied the allegation and said it was evidence of a “toxic culture” at No 10.
Sir Keir apologized to Mr Streeting. He later said he had been assured the briefings were “not coming from Downing Street” and added: “I will absolutely deal with anyone responsible for briefings against ministers, Cabinet ministers or other ministers.”
Lord Blunkett said: “If I were Keir Starmer I would say to Morgan McSweeney: ‘You have great talent, you helped me so much to build a winning team before the election.
“‘Now it’s time for me to find you another role that you’re good at, and I’ll bring in someone with the overall experience we need to be chief of staff.'”
He continued: “It’s a special role; it’s about learning about government and being in a senior position where you have to not only run the show but also manage people well. It’s not rocket science but it’s a special skill.”
Mr McSweeney was blamed by some within the Labor Party for the fallout from the attacks on Mr Streeting, which were an apparent ploy to warn potential leadership candidates.
The Prime Minister has also faced calls for Mr McSweeney to be sacked over the controversy.
But sources who spoke to Mr McSweeney told the BBC on Thursday he would remain in his post.
They said: “He’s done absolutely nothing wrong. He’s not going anywhere.” They added: “I can categorically say that he was not indirectly or directly involved.”
Speaking to the Newsagents podcast, Lord Blunkett said that if the government did not improve its performance it would pave the way for Nigel Farage to come to power.
“If we don’t act we will be in serious trouble because the polls are terrible and the consternation among voters is obvious.”
The unrest at the top of the party comes as Labor’s poll ratings have fallen since Sir Keir secured a landslide general election victory in July 2024.
It comes ahead of the November 26 Budget, which Rachel Reeves fears could tear up the party’s manifesto promise not to raise income tax and leave MPs in a bloodbath at elections to English councils and the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments next May.
