The defection of former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick to Reform UK has triggered an unexpected and damaging outbreak of internal warfare within the Labour government, with unnamed cabinet ministers using the moment to call for the sacking of Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Cabinet Ministers Break Ranks Over 'Wild Behaviour'
In a move described as counterproductive, three senior cabinet ministers anonymously briefed The Times on Saturday 17 January 2026, suggesting Prime Minister Keir Starmer should emulate former Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's pre-emptive strike against Jenrick by dismissing Streeting. The ministers cited Streeting's "wild behaviour" and accused him of "breaching collective responsibility" and "pushing the boundary of what's acceptable."
Paradoxically, by briefing against a colleague anonymously, the ministers themselves breached the very collective responsibility they accused Streeting of violating. Their stated aim was to support the Prime Minister, but the effect has been to project an image of a premiership in turmoil, with one observer noting it suggests a government in its "death throes."
The Specific Allegations and a Warning from History
The anonymous criticisms were pointed. One minister claimed Labour MPs "don't like" Streeting's actions and would back Starmer "if he acted." A second alleged that Streeting has MPs from the 2024 intake whispering that "it's time to get rid of Keir and make Wes PM instead." While this sentiment exists, it is not widespread, partly because party members are currently seen as more likely to favour Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner in any future contest.
A third, slightly less incendiary, minister labelled Streeting as intensely ambitious, someone who would consider himself a "failure" if he never became prime minister. This episode was preceded by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander's call at a cabinet meeting for colleagues to form a "Praetorian guard" around Starmer—an unfortunate historical analogy given the Roman guard's habit of assassinating the emperors they were meant to protect.
A Prime Minister Weakened by Chaos and U-Turns
The cabinet infighting compounds Starmer's existing troubles, most notably a damaging U-turn on the policy of compulsory digital IDs. According to another anonymous briefing to The Spectator, junior ministers warned the policy wasn't "baked through," but were ignored because "the PM needed something to announce."
The policy was reportedly driven by Number 10's media planners rather than policy experts, leading to criticism that there is "no policy function" at the heart of Starmer's government. Darren Jones, appointed as chief secretary to the prime minister in September 2025 to bring order, has so far struggled to do so. This policy failure has eroded backbench confidence in Starmer's ability to master the art of government.
The renewed public squabbling over Streeting's position is therefore seen as disastrous for Starmer. The health secretary's comments, which warned against U-turns and blaming civil servants, may have tested boundaries but did not cross the clear line of disloyalty that a public sacking demand represents. Ultimately, the ruckus on the right of British politics, sparked by Jenrick's defection, has ended up causing the most immediate damage to the Labour Prime Minister as a helpless bystander in Number 10.
