Starmer warns Cabinet must ‘stop talking about ourselves’ after Labour briefing war
Sir Keir Starmer has warned Cabinet members not to talk “about ourselves” after civil war and budget leaks rocked the government.
The Prime Minister told ministers that “distraction” in recent weeks had meant the government’s focus had “shifted from the most important place” and called for unity after the extraordinary briefing row that suggested Health Secretary Wes Streeting was planning a leadership bid.
It comes after a chaotic series of briefings last week in which the Prime Minister was said to be ready to defend any leadership challenge, and after the government turned down clear plans to raise income tax in the Budget later this month as Rachel Reeves looks to plug the gap in public finances.
The note to the weekly cabinet meeting, published by Number 10 on Tuesday, said: “The Prime Minister opened the cabinet by setting out the importance of the government’s task of renewing the country.
“Our distraction means our focus has moved away from what matters most – working every day in the service of the British people,” he said.
“The Prime Minister said next week’s budget will prioritize rebuilding the economy and this shows what the government stands for.
“The Prime Minister said people were rightly impatient about change and that we needed to make it happen rather than talking about ourselves. This meant working as one team, offering opportunity and security and delivering on our mandates.”
The distractions the Prime Minister mentioned concerned briefings about a plot to oust him and various statements about what will and will not be included in next week’s Budget.
It comes after Sir Keir insisted in an interview with the Mirror that he would lead Labor at the next general election.
Asked whether talk of his premiership suggested the prime minister was distracted, his spokesman told reporters: “As this interview shows, the Prime Minister is completely focused on serving the British people.
“You see in his language in that interview an intention to specifically prioritize the cost of living, which he knows is a concern for everyone in this country.”
His claim that he will remain Prime Minister until the next election shows that 23 per cent of Labor voters think he should leave the top job now, according to figures from YouGov.
While 22 per cent think he should leave office before the next election in 2029 at the latest, just 34 per cent think he should lead Labor then.
Sir Keir faced internal turmoil last week after he suggested in briefings that Mr Streeting was preparing for a leadership challenge, but the health secretary denied the claim.
The Number 10 operation came under the spotlight, but the Prime Minister later said he had been reassured that no one in Downing Street was responsible for the briefings.
