Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Encourages Labour to Focus Forward Following Starmer Apologises to Wes Streeting for Negative Media Leaks

Senior Labour Party official Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has demanded the party to move beyond party conflicts after leader Keir Starmer personally expressed regret to Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP over damaging media stories linked to Downing Street.

Key Events

• Ed Miliband confirms Starmer will fire the Downing Street source behind for briefing against Wes Streeting if identified
• Miliband rules out any party leader plans, declaring his past time as Labour leader was the "most effective inoculation" against seeking the role again
• UK economic growth expanded by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, hit by the JLR cyber-attack

Context

The political turmoil started after allegations circulated about critical background comments from Starmer's supporters targeting the Health Secretary. Although early attempts to dismiss the incident, the discussion between the PM and the health minister according to sources took a more serious direction.

The Prime Minister said sorry to Streeting, reporters have been told. The discussion was short, and they did not talk about the chief of staff, whom Starmer is now under increasing scrutiny to remove.

The Energy Secretary's Response

In his morning media interviews, Ed Miliband stressed the need for the Labour Party to direct attention on country-wide matters rather than internal disputes.

Clearly, I think the backgrounding has been bad, without doubt.

But my call to the Labour party today is clear, which is we need to concentrate on the public, not ourselves.

We were given a significant mandate last July, a major chance to change our nation. And we have a major obligation.

Growth News

Meanwhile, official data revealed the UK economy expanded by just 0.1 percent in the July-September period, with the production industry especially hit by the recently reported JLR cyber-attack.

Today's Agenda

• Morning: NHS England releases its latest statistics
• Morning: Wes Streeting visits the Liverpool area
• Morning: Rachel Reeves speaks to the press
• 11.30am: Downing Street holds its regular lobby briefing
• Morning: Keir Starmer promotes plans for the UK's first nuclear power plant at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey