Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Calls on the Labour Party to Focus Forward After Keir Starmer Offers Apology to Wes Streeting for Negative Briefings

High-ranking Labour Party official Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has demanded the party to put aside internal disputes after PM Keir Starmer directly apologised to Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP over hostile media stories coming from the Prime Minister's office.

Major Updates

• Miliband states the Prime Minister will dismiss the Downing Street staffer responsible for targeting Streeting if identified
• Miliband rules out any party leader ambitions, declaring his previous time as Labour leader was the "strongest inoculation" against seeking the position again
• British economic growth increased by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, hit by the Jaguar Land Rover hack

Background

The internal controversy started after allegations emerged about critical background comments from the Prime Minister's team targeting the Health Secretary. Although initial efforts to downplay the matter, the conversation between the PM and the health minister according to sources followed a different turn.

The Prime Minister apologised to Streeting, reporters have been advised. The conversation was short, and they did not discuss the chief of staff, whom Starmer is now under pressure to dismiss.

Miliband's Reaction

In his early morning broadcast appearances, Miliband emphasized the need for the Labour Party to direct attention on national matters rather than party conflicts.

Clearly, I think the backgrounding has been damaging, certainly.

But my call to the party now is quite simple, which is we need to focus on the country, not our internal matters.

We were given a significant election win last July, a historic opportunity to change our nation. And we have a major responsibility.

Growth Update

Separately, government figures indicated the UK economic performance expanded by just 0.1% in the third quarter, with the industrial sector especially hit by the recent Jaguar Land Rover hack.

Today's Agenda

• 9.30am: The National Health Service releases its latest data
• Today: The Health Secretary is visiting the Liverpool area
• Today: The Chancellor makes comments to the press
• 11.30am: Number 10 conducts its daily media briefing
• Today: Keir Starmer highlights plans for the UK's pioneering small modular reactor project at Wylfa on Anglesey