Sir Keir Starmer has “full confidence” in Wes Streeting, a prime minister spokesman has said, despite reports the health secretary is preparing to resign and launch a leadership challenge.
Streeting and the PM sat down for crunch talks in No 10 earlier on Wednesday in talks that lasted just 16 minutes.
When asked about the details of that meeting, the PM’s spokesman said: “I am not going to get into the content of internal meetings, but the prime minister has full confidence in the health secretary.”
He added that Starmer was determined to “deliver the change” that people want.
This comes as ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston spoke to several allies of Streeting and was told he could step down as soon as Thursday.
Meanwhile, the King delivered the State Opening of Parliament to set out the government’s legislative agenda, though it remains uncertain whether Starmer will be in post to see it through.
The PM has been fending off challenges to his leadership following a battering at the polls, locally, in Scotland and in Wales.
The health secretary has been seen as the biggest threat to Starmer’s immediate leadership, with his other rivals, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, not an MP, and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner appearing reluctant to throw her hat in the ring.
Just over an hour after Streeting’s short 16-minute visit to No 10, Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria left Downing Street ahead of the King’s Speech.
He did not respond to questions shouted by journalists.
It comes after a tumultuous few days in which numerous ministers and aides resigned, and almost 100 of his MPs called for him to go.
As of Wednesday morning, the immediate threat to Starmer’s leadership appears to have passed, with most of his Cabinet staying publicly loyal and over 100 backbenchers signing a pledge saying he should stay.
The crisis was triggered after the disastrous results in last week’s local elections, which saw Labour lose over a thousand seats, mostly to Reform and the Greens.
Although the immediate crisis to Starmer’s leadership may have passed, many are still unhappy with him and are calling for him to quit.
On Wednesday, unions affiliated to the party said “it is clear” the prime minister will not lead Labour into the next election, and at some stage a plan will have to be put in place for the election of a new leader.
Sources close to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, another potential soft-left challenger, have denied reports that he is preparing to run if Streeting triggers a contest.
The prime minister has sought to push on, already having replaced four ministers – including prominent MP Jess Phillips and health minister Zubir Ahmed, an ally of Streeting – who quit the government and called for Starmer to stand down.
In Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Starmer vowed to fight on, and was publicly backed by several ministers at the top of government, including his deputy David Lammy, who urged colleagues to “step back and take a breath”.
Starmer told his Cabinet the country “expects us to get on with governing” and “that is what I am doing”, but avoided being directly challenged as he declined to discuss his leadership during the gathering or meet critics individually afterwards.
He said he would only speak to ministers one-to-one about his fate, but did not do so once the Cabinet concluded, according to sources.
Streeting is not expected to say anything after Wednesday’s meeting that could distract from the King’s Speech.
The SNP say they will try to force a vote on Starmer’s future in an amendment to the King’s Speech.
In what essentially boils down to an unofficial no-confidence vote, new party Westminster leader David Doogan will hope to table the motion before the Commons.
But, on a day when Number 10 already doesn’t want to conflate the King’s business in parliament with the chaos hobbling Starmer’s leadership, the Speaker Lindsay Hoyle may not accept the late motion.
Politico reported that Buckingham Palace had privately told Number 10 that they do not want the King to be dragged into the conversation.
The importance of protecting Charles from the impression that he is being used for political ends was stressed to Starmer’s officials, a person familiar with the matter told the political news outlet.
ITV News understands there has been no suggestion that the opening of Parliament would not go ahead.
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