Ed Miliband Urges the Labour Party to Move On After Starmer Says Sorry to Wes Streeting for Hostile Briefings

High-ranking Labour Party official Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has urged the party to leave behind party conflicts after leader Keir Starmer personally apologised to Health Secretary Wes Streeting over damaging leaked comments originating from Number 10.

Key Developments

• Miliband states Starmer will dismiss the Downing Street official responsible for targeting Wes Streeting if discovered
• Miliband rules out future party leader aspirations, declaring his past experience as Labour leader was the "most effective inoculation" against wanting the position again
• UK economy increased by just 0.1% in the July-September period, hit by the JLR cyber-attack

Situation

The internal turmoil erupted after allegations surfaced about hostile background comments from the Prime Minister's allies targeting the Health Secretary. Although early efforts to downplay the matter, the discussion between the PM and the health minister reportedly followed a different direction.

Starmer said sorry to Streeting, journalists have been advised. The discussion was short, and they did not discuss the chief of staff, whom Starmer is now under increasing scrutiny to sack.

The Energy Secretary's Statement

In his early morning media interviews, Ed Miliband stressed the need for the Labour Party to focus on country-wide matters rather than internal divisions.

Look, I think the briefing has been unhelpful, without doubt.

But my message to the party now is clear, which is we need to concentrate on the public, not each other.

We were given a historic election win last July, a historic opportunity to change our country. And we have a historic responsibility.

Growth Update

Meanwhile, official data indicated the UK economy expanded by just 0.1 percent in the July-September period, with the manufacturing industry especially impacted by the recent JLR hack.

Today's Schedule

• 9.30am: The National Health Service releases its monthly performance figures
• Today: The Health Secretary is visiting the Liverpool area
• Today: Rachel Reeves speaks to the journalists
• Late morning: Number 10 conducts its regular media briefing
• Today: Keir Starmer promotes government plans for the Britain's pioneering small modular reactor plant at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey