Ed Miliband Encourages Labour to Move On Following Keir Starmer Says Sorry to Streeting for Negative Media Leaks

Senior Labour official Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has demanded the party to leave behind party tensions after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer personally apologised to Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP over damaging leaked comments linked to Number 10.

Key Updates

• Ed Miliband states the Prime Minister will dismiss the No 10 official responsible for attacking Wes Streeting if identified
• Miliband dismisses future leadership plans, saying his past time as leader was the "strongest inoculation" against seeking the role again
• British economy expanded by just 0.1 percent in the July-September period, hit by the Jaguar Land Rover hack

Background

The internal controversy began after allegations circulated about hostile background comments from the Prime Minister's supporters targeting Streeting. Despite early attempts to minimize the matter, the talk between the PM and the health minister apparently took a different direction.

Starmer expressed regret to Wes Streeting, the media have been told. The conversation was concise, and they did not talk about the chief of staff, whom the PM is now under pressure to sack.

Miliband's Statement

In his morning broadcast appearances, Ed Miliband highlighted the need for the party to focus on national issues rather than internal disputes.

Clearly, I think the briefing has been bad, no question.

But my call to the Labour party now is quite simple, which is we need to concentrate on the public, not ourselves.

We were given a historic mandate last July, a major opportunity to improve our nation. And we have a serious obligation.

Economic Update

In other news, official figures indicated the British economy grew by just 0.1% in the July-September period, with the industrial sector particularly hit by the recent Jaguar Land Rover security incident.

The Day's Schedule

• 9.30am: NHS England publishes its monthly data
• Today: The Health Secretary is visiting the Liverpool area
• Morning: The Chancellor speaks to the media
• 11.30am: Downing Street conducts its regular media briefing
• Morning: The Prime Minister promotes plans for the UK's pioneering small modular reactor facility at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey