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We are seeing widespread analysis this morning regarding the Downing Street briefing revealed last night, and the reaction it has triggered. Among correspondents who have been polling Labour MPs, the general view is that the briefing has backfired, and weakened Keir Starmer’s reputation within his party.

Significant Reactions from Westminster Figures

• The BBC’s chief political correspondent has written an analysis titled “Efforts to bolster Starmer’s leadership may have misfired.” He states:

The key issue this morning is whether the briefings have made Sir Keir more or less at risk.

Based on the bitterness of the messages I have collected from multiple corners of the Labour Party, the unambiguous conclusion is: increasingly exposed.

One prominent Labour source questioned why Sir Keir’s allies had “validated what was a forbidden subject” by openly discussing the idea of a leadership challenge …

An MP said the strategy was “completely unhinged and damaging,” adding: “They’re in the fortress shooting everyone who’s outside the stronghold defending it. And hapless unaware Keir is completely unaware he’s in the bunker.”

• Jessica Elgot reports Labour MPs are astonished by the No 10 approach.

Have had at least 10 communications from Labour MPs overnight all on the same subject. “Why are they doing?”

• A political commentator says that, although there are sources in No 10 asserting to have hard evidence that Wes Streeting was scheming against Starmer, Labour MPs are not persuaded.

Streeting’s behavior, as long reported, have certainly garnered much scrutiny in recent months. Whether pushing for the UK to promptly acknowledge a Palestinian state back in June or criticising assertions that the far right is merely engaging in “freedom of expression”, he has been happy to go outside the government line. His praise for New York mayor Zohran Mamdani (“examples for reformists the world over”) also raised eyebrows and was seen as part of a conscious effort to woo the centrist left.

But this does not, of course, represents active disloyalty – and this is the issue No 10 will have to respond to today: if it has hard evidence that Streeting is planning against Starmer, why is he still serving in the cabinet?

The danger for Downing Street is clear: it has significantly elevated the leadership question, giving every MP and journalist in the country a new pretext to pose it. Rather than ending speculation over Starmer’s future – as it was able in the aftermath of Labour conference – it has intensified it. And rather than uniting the party around the Prime Minister it threatens only accomplishing the opposite.

• ITV’s political editor claims some MPs may avoid PMQs today out of objection.

From a Labour MP who tries hard to be loyal to the PM and Downing Street, but feels badly let down by the factional maneuvering of the group around Starmer:

“Some Labour MPs are intending to avoiding PMQs today in protest at the communications. If the PM thinks we are feral and too naive to understand economics, then why on earth would we go out and back him?”

• Patrick Maguire says Streeting is profiting.

Senior Labour source states: “They have achieved the unthinkable: they have made Wes popular with the backbenches.

• The Telegraph’s political editor reports MPs have been struck by Streeting’s showings this morning.

The irony this morning: If the Starmer associate statements were an effort to weaken the enthusiasm out of a Wes Streeting low-profile bid for leadership it appears to have done the opposite for some people.

Streeting’s central strength is his skill as a communicator and breezing through the morning circuit with humor (jokes about Traitors and JFK conspiracies when asked about plotting) may have just highlighted that point.

“Wes is now more popular because he is so confident,” says one minister. “He impressed me greatly in addressing every question openly and with humor.”

Another minister acknowledges Streeting’s showing has just reminded people what a skilled media performer he is.

• The Financial Times’s political editor says in an piece this morning No 10 has precipitated a problem.

One minister called it the “some of the weirdest briefing choices I have ever seen” and on Wednesday blame were flying in Downing Street after Sir Keir Starmer’s team generated a leadership crisis out of nowhere, just two weeks prior to the Budget.

Tuesday’s briefing from within Number 10 that Starmer would fight any bid for power escalated informal Westminster gossip into a serious situation, as the prime minister advertised the weakness of his own situation.

Further Political News

A key reasons cited by those in No 10 who have been communicating about the threats of a bid for power has been that this would alarm the markets. This echoes the argument made by Rachel Reeves, when she was interviewed by Andrew Marr on LBC last week and asked if she would resign if she broke the manifesto promise on taxes in the budget. Reeves replied: "What do you think would happen in investment circles if I did that?”

In an interview on the Today programme this morning, the More in Common pollster, said that arguments like this were very harmful to the parties making them. He explained:

I think there’s a real threat to that reasoning, because what it does is it supports what we call ‘the politics of can’t’. So rather than ministers being seen to be in command and have a forward-looking program, it’s instead the government repeatedly claiming, ‘We cannot do this because of the bond markets’, or ‘We cannot do this on migration because of things like the European court of human rights.’

And what that does in turn is it makes people consider figures who are doing the “politics of cannot.

And what you see is people like Nigel Farage in Reform or Zack Polanski in the Greens are stating ‘No, no, we’ll do something totally different and put government back in command.’

Scheduled Matters

Early: Daisy Cooper presents a statement about her group’s financial plans.

12pm: Keir Starmer confronts Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.

Lunchtime: MPs discuss two Tory resolutions, one stating taxes should not go up in the budget, and another saying the government should remove eco-taxes on energy bills.

{1.45pm