Wes Streeting embroiled in row amid claims health secretarys allies were behind sexist briefings against Keir Starmers top female ministers
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is at the centre of an extra-ordinary row over alleged sexist briefings against Sir Keir Starmers top female ministers.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is at the centre of an extra-ordinary row over alleged sexist briefings against Sir Keir Starmers top female ministers.
The spat erupted after the Prime Minister was told at last weeks Cabinet meeting that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson were being singled out for negative briefings from within the Labour Party.
A Labour source said: Keir was read out of a list of women who were being briefed against and he was very clear he wasnt going to tolerate it any more. He said it was unacceptable and if it continued, there would be consequences.
The finger of blame is being pointed at allies of Mr Streeting, which is denied by his team.
The briefing isnt being sanctioned by Keir – its being done by allies of Wes, the source said. Theyre on serious manoeuvres now. They want to target the women in the Cabinet who they think might be a threat.
They know that when Keir steps down, theres going to be a major push for the party to have its first woman leader. However, a source close to Mr Streeting said: Wes has never briefed against anyone in Cabinet or asked anyone to on his behalf.
The row comes as insiders claim that allies of Mr Streeting have infiltrated the Government and are ready to back him in a future leadership contest.
They say the ambitious MP has a loyal network already within Downing Street, across government departments and in Labours ruling body the National Executive Committee, including senior No 10 advisers who are ready to switch allegiance if Sir Keir was to leave before the next election.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting (pictured) is at the centre of an extra-ordinary row over alleged sexist briefings against Sir Keir Starmers top female ministers
Sir Keir Starmer was reportedly read out a list of the women who were being briefed against
The Prime Minister was told at last weeks Cabinet meeting that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (right), Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall (centre) and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (left) were being singled out for negative briefings from within the Labour Party
A source said last month: His people are running the party. It would be a smooth transition.
Despite a boost in the polls from his diplomatic efforts to defend Ukraines interests in the face of Donald Trumps rapprochement with Russia, there is speculation that Sir Keir will not last his full term in office.
Earlier this month, Mr Streeting took the dramatic decision to axe NHS England in what was dubbed as a bonfire of bureaucrats and will tighten his control over the health service.
He has positioned himself as a Tony Blair-style reformer by arguing that the NHS is addicted to overspending and saying he will not sugar-coat the fact there will be a significant number of job losses as he embarks on a wider shake-up of health service structures.
But one Labour insider said: It will only fall to Wes if he changes the rules on how leaders are elected to leave it entirely in the hands of MPs. All this talk of shaking up the NHS and involving the private sector is very Blairite and does not necessarily chime with rank-and-file party members.