Labour MP Georgia Gould has dismissed suggestions that Downing Street is orchestrating a campaign against Health Secretary Wes Streeting, following anonymous briefings claiming he faces the sack.
Speaking to GB News, the School Standards Minister firmly rejected the notion that the Prime Minister supports such speculation.
Sir Keir has been accused of planning to “sack” Wes Streeting over alleged plotting to seize the Labour leadership from under him.
The Prime Minister is said to be eyeing a reshuffle that would demote the Health Secretary and return Angela Rayner to his top team.
A Labour source suggested: “We’re hearing he wants to show strength and get shot of Wes.”
Addressing the claims, Ms Gould told GB News: “My position, and I know the Prime Minister’s position is that Wes Streeting is doing a brilliant job as secretary of state in health.
“Waiting lists are coming down, we’re seeing the impact in communities around the country, and we back him to do this job.”
The minister was unequivocal in distancing Number 10 from the unnamed sources behind the rumours.
Labour MP Georgia Gould has denied Sir Keir Starmer has been ‘briefing against Wes Streeting’
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GB NEWS / PA
She made clear: “These anonymous briefings, we don’t know who they are, but they don’t represent the Prime Minister.
“The Prime Minister has a Cabinet. They’ve all come out clearly to support him and we are getting on with doing the job of changing things in this country.”
Ms Gould characterised the Government’s approach as tackling significant challenges head-on, accusing the previous Conservative administration of avoiding the SEND issue for years.
She told GB News: “Today, I’m talking about some of the health workforce that will be wrapped around schools to support children with SEND. We back him to do this job.
Keir Starmer is said to be plotting to sack Wes Streeting | PA
“We are taking on big issues, the support for children with special educational needs and disabilities. This is an issue the Conservative Government ducked for years. Too many children were failed, and today we’re taking bold reform to address it.”
The minister announced a substantial £4billion investment in the education system to deliver comprehensive support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
She revealed: “Today, I’m really delighted that we’re investing £4billion into our school system to ensure that there is wraparound support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
“I’ve been traveling around the country, and I’ve heard from too many families that they have to fight to get the basic support for their children, how exhausting it is to become a lawyer, just just to get the support they need.”
Ms Gould told GB News that the briefings ‘don’t represent the Prime Minister’
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GB NEWS
She concluded: “So we want to make it much easier for schools to be able to draw on the resources they need to do small group interventions, to be able to provide speech and language therapy, to put in place the things that that children need without a battle.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson delivered a speech on the vast reforms to the system that supports children with special educational needs and disabilities.
She said: “High standards and inclusion, it is not one or the other, its both. Standards are not high if some children are left to struggle alone
“I am for every child and that means change.”