Streeting, widely regarded as a future leadership contender and seen as one of the government’s best communicators, was reported by the Guardian Tuesday evening as having 50 members of the government frontbench ready to stand down if Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget lands badly on Nov. 26.
“It’s totally self-defeating briefing, not least because it’s not true, and I don’t understand how anyone thinks it’s helpful to the prime minister,” Streeting shot back on Sky News Wednesday, stressing briefings from unnamed allies “distract from our ability to get across the message of the change we’re making.”
Streeting, who had been due on the airwaves to promote a government health plan, said “trying to kneecap one of your own team when they are out” making the case for the administration was “self-defeating and self-destructive behavior.”
Questioned by LBC if he had ambitions to take the top job, Streeting said: “Not if this is how people behave in your own house,” adding “this is ridiculous and no, the prime minister is not fighting for his job this morning … I think this is daft to be honest.”
Streeting said he was confident Starmer would lead Labour into the next election, due by 2029 — but admitted to the BBC: “It’s bad enough when events knock you off course to get your message across. It is worse still when self-defeating briefing knocks us off course.”
‘Fighting like dogs’
A No. 10 figure told POLITICO’s London Playbook Wednesday morning that the PM would “of course” fight any leadership challenge and an attack on his position would be “irresponsible” so close to the budget.