Ed Miliband has warned that “this has got to be a moment of change” for the Labour government and that the Cabinet + MPs were “on the precipice” yesterday as the party wobbled on Starmer. He said they “looked at the alternatives.” Every now ‘loyal’ Cabinet minister is looking forward to pulling the weak PM in their policy direction…
Miliband said claims we wanted to stand himself were “baloney” and ruled out a future leadership challenge (“Yes, yes. I’m not going to run, yeah.“) repeating that his previous time leading the party had “innocculated” him. Miliband refused to comment on the briefing war between Streeting and No10, telling them to “move on”…
No10 sources have long suspected Miliband of plotting a kingmaker role and/or the Chancellorship for himself anyway. The Energy Secretary said the point of this government was to shift from the rule of the “rich and powerful” and that it had not yet done so enough, adding that policy mistakes like Winter Fuel were damaging. The soft left is driving the bus now…
The latest No10 shake-up continues with the imminent departure of Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald, has long been viewed as a blocker. Starmer still grappling for survival after failing for so long to fix the machinery of government…
Speaking about Morgan McSweeney’s resignation, skills minister Jacqui Smith told Times Radio:
“It’s clearly not ideal but I do understand why Morgan, as he explained, decided to resign at this point. But the important thing as you say is how we both tackle what this Epstein and Mandelson scandal has identified and also how we make sure, as the prime minister is absolutely determined to, that we continue the change that the country needs and that’s what I’m focusing on this morning.”