Downing Street is already trying to shove the genie back in the bottle after last night’s preemptive attack on Wes Streeting. The Starmer camp have now briefed Robert Peston that they were “not deliberately stirring things up” and were only “reactively responding” to hacks’ questions about an “unspecified coup“. Although they hasten to add that Starmer absolutely would fight any leadership challenge, for the avoidance of doubt…
Fingers are pointing once again at Morgan McSweeney. As Guido revealed last night, the briefing was hastened by fears of a plot against Starmer while he was clocking up his air miles, with Streeting seen to be straying increasingly beyond his own brief. Now that Streeting has dodged the boobytraps laid on his media round, Number 10 is on the back foot once again and attempting damage control this morning. It should make for a fun PMQs. And you thought Lammy’s effort last week was entertaining…
Local government minister Alison McGovern told LBC that the BBC should apologise to Trump:
“If they’ve made an editorial mistake, then they should apologise. And, more broadly, I think if they’ve made errors, I think the answer to that is better quality journalism, and to invest in that journalism so that we can have the standard of programmes we all want from the BBC.”