Health Secretary Wes Streeting has accused Keir Starmer’s allies of trying to “kneecap” him following reports that he is plotting a leadership challenge against the prime minister.
The senior Labour figure, who has long been tipped as a potential future party leader, said the allegations were “totally self-defeating” and compared them to a reality TV drama.
“This is just about the worst attack I’ve seen on a faith since Joe Mahler was kicked out and banished in the final,” Streeting joked, referring to Celebrity Traitors.
“It’s totally self-defeating briefing, not least because it’s not true. I don’t understand why anyone thinks it’s helpful to the prime minister either, at a time when he’s fighting for the country and trying to turn it around from the absolute mess that we inherited.”
🗞️ Leadership rumour sparks internal row
Reports surfaced over the weekend claiming that No.10 sources had briefed multiple newspapers that Streeting was preparing to challenge Starmer for the leadership after the Budget on November 26.
One unnamed source told The Guardian:
“Keir will not stand aside at this point, for Wes or anybody else. We know everything is a bit febrile and everybody is concerned. But the consequences of a leadership challenge would be enormous and people need to remember that.”
🎙️ Streeting: “Yes, I deny it – and I didn’t fake the moon landings either”
Speaking to reporters, Streeting dismissed the speculation with humour.
“Yes, and nor did I shoot JFK, I don’t know where Lord Lucan is, I had nothing to do with Shargar, and I do think the US did manage to do the moon landings — certainly not faked by me.”
He added that he has been loyal to Starmer since the beginning:
“I support the prime minister, I have done since he was elected leader of the Labour Party. I didn’t vote for him in that leadership election, but I did support him from the moment he was elected, and I’ve supported him all the way through.”
⚔️ “Boys getting carried away” – Streeting calls for change in party culture
Streeting suggested the anonymous briefings were the work of “boys getting carried away” and agreed with comments by Deputy Leader Lucy Powell, who recently said the culture at the top of the party “needed to change”.
“Trying to kneecap one of your own team when they’re out there making the case for government and delivering the change we promised — that’s self-defeating and self-destructive behaviour,” Streeting said.
He warned that infighting at the top of Labour could risk distracting from the party’s wider agenda of rebuilding the country after years of what he described as “Tory chaos”.
🧭 A test of unity for Starmer’s Labour
The public disagreement comes at a sensitive moment for the government, with Rachel Reeves preparing her second Budget and opinion polls showing voter confidence slipping.
Streeting’s remarks are being seen as a warning shot to those around Starmer who may be briefing against colleagues, at a time when the party’s message of “national renewal” is under increasing scrutiny.
Despite the row, both men are expected to appear together in the coming days as Labour seeks to project stability ahead of the Budget.
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