Wes Streeting accuses Downing Street aides of 'kneecapping' him over leadership bid claim - Daily Record

The Health Secretary pushed back hard on claims he would challenge Keir Starmer for the leadership.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has accused unnamed Downing Street aides of trying to “kneecap” him over claims he wants to topple the Prime Minister.

Streeting denied the accusations and claimed the split stories are proof a “culture change” is needed at the heart of the Labour Government.

The explosive row centres on speculation Streeting is lining up a leadership bid against Keir Starmer.

Labour sources believe Starmer could be in difficulty after the Budget and May’s elections in Scotland and Wales.

Anonymous sources briefed against Streeting, but the Health Secretary came out fighting in a series of interviews.

He told Sky News: “What I think this does show is that when Lucy Powell stood to be deputy leader of the Labour Party and said there needed to be a culture change in how we lead and how the party is managed, I think she has been vindicated.”

He added: “I do think that going out and calling your Labour MPs feral is not very helpful.

“I do think that trying to kneecap one of your own team when they are out, not just making the case for the Government, but actually delivering the change that we promised, I think that is also self-defeating and self-destructive behaviour.

“I also think whoever did this doesn’t speak for the Prime Minister. I speak for the Prime Minister.”

A senior Labour MP told the Record he backed Streeting: “MPs are waking up this morning and calling me to say they see a man who can handle himself in the media, is affable and they're thinking they would quite like to sell this guy on the doors.”

In the same interview, Streeting also said he thought Starmer would be “horrified” reading reports of briefing against Cabinet members.

Asked whether he was planning a leadership challenge, the Health Secretary said: “No, and I think whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors, and this is just about the worst attack on a faithful I’ve seen since Joe Marler was kicked out and banished in the final.”

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