The top Cabinet minister is expected to want the top job should Sir Keir Starmer resign
Ed Miliband slapped down rival Wes Streeting. (Image: Sky News)
Ed Miliband reignited Labour’s civil war this morning, after a chaotic day yesterday in which Sir Keir Starmer appeared to steady Labour MPs and avoid being ousted imminently.
However, this morning, the Energy Secretary used an interview to publicly condemn one of his rivals for the crown and to openly set out his pitch to be Prime Minister.
Speaking on Sky News this morning, Mr Miliband insisted that Sir Keir is now safe, provided he “seizes this moment of change” and “reconnects with the country”.
Mr Miliband said: “I want to be clear with you, I know we have a Herculean task to do that, to reconnect with your viewers, to move on from this episode. Because lots of people in the country will be incredibly angry about what’s happened.”
Wes Streeting has been accused of launching a coup against Starmer. (Image: Getty)
Mr Miliband was asked about messages between Wes Streeting and Lord Mandelson, published by the former last night in an effort to prove he did not have a particularly close relationship with the disgraced former ambassador.
In one message, Mr Streeting was seen criticising Rachel Reeves for lacking a “growth strategy”, something Mr Miliband brutally slapped down this morning.
He said of his leadership rival’s criticism: “I think that actually Rachel has done a very good job as Chancellor, I don’t agree with it – I haven’t seen the detail of the messages – but I think we’ve seen the stability that’s essential… that’s because of the decisions Rachel made too.”
Mr Miliband was also given an open goal opportunity to set out his leadership stall in the widely anticipated forthcoming contest to replace Sir Keir Starmer.
Miliband appeared to set out his pitch to be Prime Minister (Image: Getty)
In another text message, Mr Streeting said there is “no clear answer to the question ‘why Labour'”. But Mr Miliband reeled off a surprisingly rehearsed-sounding answer to that question.
The Energy Secretary hit back: “I know the answer to that question, which is for too long this country has been run for the wealthy and powerful and that needs to change.”
Asked if it’s changed enough under Sir Keir, he replied: “Not enough. And I think the job for all of us is to work out how to be bolder with that… for nearly 20 years now we’ve had a long-standing cost of living crisis. Not just a few years when Russia invaded Ukraine and bills went through the roof.
“And people are hurting. And the job of all of us – and leadership is a collective business – is to show how we can rise to that challenge.”
