Wes Streeting has denied plotting to oust the Prime Minister, comparing claims he is planning a leadership challenge to conspiracy theories.
The Health Secretary had been touted as a potential replacement to Sir Keir Starmer alongside Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is seen as a rising star in the Labour Party.
Asked whether he was planning a leadership challenge, Wes Streeting told Sky News: ‘No, and I think whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors, and this is just about the worst attack on a faithful I’ve seen since Joe Marler was kicked out and banished in the final.
‘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 either.’
Asked if he would rule out demanding Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation after the Budget, he said: ‘Yes, and nor did I shoot JFK.
‘I don’t know where Lord Lucan is, had nothing to do with Shergar, and I do think that the US did manage to do the moon landings. I don’t think they were fake.’
It comes as Keir Starmer will fight any leadership challenge from Labour MPs, allies of the Prime Minister warned on Tuesday evening.
One minister told the BBC that the Prime Minister ‘will fight this’.
Wes Streeting has denied plotting to oust the Prime Minister as rumours swirl of a leadership challenge
Asked whether he was planning a leadership challenge, Wes Streeting told Sky News people had been watching ‘too much Celebrity Traitors’
They added: ‘He is one of only two people alive who have won a general election for Labour. It’d be madness to run against him after 17 months.’
One minister who believes Sir Keir should stay until the next election says the PM is at mercy of ‘feral’ Labour MPs from the 2024 intake.
Sir Keir is aware of the growing threat to his position and is ‘already fighting the leadership election’ by reaching out to Labour backbenchers, according to The Times.
The Prime Minister has reportedly told ministers that any attempted coup would destabilise Britain’s standing on the financial markets and its relationship with foreign governments.
Other names said to be in contention are Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, and backbenchers including the former transport secretary Louise Haigh.
Under party rules it would take 81 MPs to trigger a leadership election.
Another Labour source said: ‘The list of reasons for people to move after the Budget are growing by the day.
‘If Wes is brave and moves he may well be rewarded by being prime minister by Christmas.’
But a spokesman for Mr Streeting said last night that the claims were ‘categorically untrue’.
Friends of Sir Keir Starmer are said to be concerned about the possibility of MPs beginning to manoeuvre for the top job
The spokesman added: ‘Wes’s focus has entirely been on cutting waiting lists for the first time in 15 years, recruiting 2,500 more GPs, and rebuilding the NHS that saved his life.’
Critics have warned that Downing Street was ‘in full bunker mode’ which ‘won’t help the Government out of the hole we’re in’.
A source said No 10 was ‘turning on their most loyal Cabinet members for absolutely no reason’.
‘Unfortunately there is a pattern of Keir’s team briefing against his own people… now it’s Wes’s turn,’ the source added.
