Keir Starmer finds himself in a crisis as his supporters launch a “Stop Streeting” campaign just weeks before a pivotal Budget announcement.

In a bold move, the Prime Minister’s backers have made it clear that they will resist any attempts to challenge his leadership, preemptively addressing potential plots.

However, the Health Secretary quickly countered by accusing No. 10 of “self-destructive” behavior, urging the Prime Minister to dismiss the advisors responsible for the briefing.

While dismissing “foolish” rumors of plans to challenge Starmer, the Health Secretary did not completely close the door on the idea, humorously suggesting that those involved in the Downing Street briefings might have been influenced by watching too much of the TV show Traitors.

Interestingly, Mr. Streeting admitted he has not communicated with the Prime Minister since the turmoil erupted the previous night.

Allies of Starmer reportedly fear that he could be ousted if the upcoming Budget, which is expected to include significant tax increases, is poorly received.

Among those touted as replacements are Mr Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is seen as a rising star in the Labour Party.

The assault from No10 was seemingly timed to coincide with Mr Streeting touring broadcast studios for a big NHS announcement.

Friends of Sir Keir Starmer are said to be concerned about the possibility of MPs beginning to manoeuvre for the top job

Health Secretary Wes Streeting immediately hit back by accusing No10 of ‘self-destruction’ and demanding a change in ‘culture’

Sir Keir is said to have told ministers any attempted coup would destabilise financial markets.

One supporter told The Times: ‘Keir knows he is already fighting a leadership contest. When it comes, he won’t resign. He will fight it. He thinks it’s fantasy politics.’

Downing Street figures have raised concerns that Mr Streeting is preparing to demand the PM’s resignation after the Budget. 

But asked whether he was planning a leadership challenge, the Health Secretary 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.’

Mr Streeting pointedly referenced Lucy Powell, the ‘anti-Keir’ candidate who recently won the deputy leadership contest.

‘What I think this does show is that when Lucy Powell stood to be deputy leader of the Labour Party and said there needed to be a culture change in how we lead and how the party is managed, I think she has been vindicated,’ he said.

He added: ‘I do think that going out and calling your Labour MPs feral is not very helpful.

‘I do think that trying to kneecap one of your own team when they are out, not just making the case for the Government, but actually delivering the change that we promised, I think that is also self-defeating and self-destructive behaviour.

‘I also think whoever did this doesn’t speak for the Prime Minister. I speak for the Prime Minister.’

He added he thought Sir Keir would be ‘horrified’ reading reports of briefing against Cabinet members.

On the prospect of a challenge to Sir Keir, Mr Streeting told BBC Breakfast: ‘I cannot see circumstances in which I would do that to our Prime Minister.’

He added: ‘I also think that taking on that job feels like more of a punishment than anything else at the moment, given how hard the Prime Minister’s job is, that’s why he’s got full support.

‘That’s why I constantly support him in the job that he’s doing. And I’ve always been a team player. That is how I do things, and that’s how I will always do things.’

Labour MPs voiced despair at the eruption of psychodrama. One told the Daily Mail they did not believe highly coordinated plotting was taking place.

‘There’s people with complaints and moans – some reasonable and some not,’ they said.

Another Labour insider said the intervention from No10 was ‘quite something’. 

A veteran aide said Downing Street was trying to ‘smoke out’ Mr Streeting. ‘There are at least four leadership campaigns up and running,’ they added. 

The chairwoman of the Red Wall group of Labour MPs said the party was ‘fighting like dogs’.

Bassetlaw MP Jo White told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: ‘Our enemies love nothing more than when we start fighting like dogs in public, and my message to those MPs who are running around with their tails held high: That this is neither the time or the place.

‘This is a group of people who think they’re much cleverer than the rest of us, who spend their time selectively briefing journalists and stirring the pot. I want to simply say: We’re not having it.

‘I’m not aware of a single person in the red wall group who’s involved in this. And if anyone, including Wes Streeting, wants to make a move, they would have to speak to us. He’s a London MP and it hasn’t happened and it’s not true.’

Ms White added: ‘I’d like to say to No 10, I think they’re barking up the wrong tree, briefing against Wes.

‘I’ve known Wes since he was NUS president. He’s one of the tiny handful of MPs who came up to Bassetlaw to help me with my election.

‘He’s only just recently written a really kind letter to one of my members who lost her husband. And I think I’d know – he’d tell me if he was manoeuvring.’

The bar for ousting a Labour PM is very high. At least 81 rebels would need to unite around a single candidate, and even then there would need to be a contest at the next party conference.

However, in reality Sir Keir would struggle to survive losing the confidence of the Cabinet. 

As the briefing raged last night, one minister told the BBC that the Prime Minister ‘will fight this’.

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.’

Another 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.

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 the claims were ‘categorically untrue’.

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.

Among those touted as replacements are Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is seen as a rising star in the Labour Party