Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will give his backing to the chancellor’s Budget in a speech on Monday, and commit the government to going “further and faster” on pro-growth measures.
He will say Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s statement will help to alleviate cost of living pressures, lower inflation and ensure economic stability.
It comes as the Treasury faces questions over whether it was transparent about the state of the public finances in the run-up to the Budget.
No 10 has denied that Reeves misled voters and defended her statement.
Despite the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) downgrading growth from next year, the prime minister will argue that “economic growth is beating forecasts”, but the government must do more to encourage it.
Protecting investment and public services will further drive financial growth, Sir Keir is expected to say.
He will call for reform in the sector and an urgent correction to “fundamentally misguided environmental regulation”.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle is to be tasked with applying the lessons of the nuclear power report to infrastructure more widely.
The prime minister’s speech on Monday, just five days after the Budget, may suggest some nervousness over how the government’s economic plans have been received by the public, though No 10 say a statement was already planned.
In the days since the Budget, Downing Street has been forced to publicly back Reeves after she was accused by political opponents of repeatedly warning about a downgrade to the UK’s economic productivity forecasts, paving the way for tax hikes.
In a letter to MPs sent on Friday, the chairman of the OBR revealed that he told the chancellor on 17 September that the public finances were in better shape than widely thought.
The Conservatives have accused Reeves of giving an overly pessimistic impression of the public finances as a “smokescreen” to raise taxes.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the letter showed Reeves had “lied to the public” and should be sacked.
Last week, a spokesperson for the Treasury said: “We are not going to get into the OBR’s processes or speculate on how that relates to the internal decision‑making in the build‑up to a Budget, but the chancellor made her choices to cut the cost of living, cut hospital waiting lists and double headroom to cut the cost of our debt.”
Both the chancellor and Badenoch are scheduled to appear on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
The prime ministeris travelling to the G20 gathering of world leaders in Johannesburg in South Africa.
The summit brings together the 20 biggest economies, although Donald Trump has decided not to attend over widely discredited claims that white people are being persecuted in the country.
Sir Keir Starmer, whose critics label him “never here Keir” because of the frequency of his international trips, will emphasise the benefits of a prime minister acting as an ambassador for UK businesses abroad.
Sir Keir will visit a Johannesburg depot to see trains that were built in Derby and announce a new deal where the UK will “provide strategic advice and consultancy services” to South Africa’s railways.
An organisation called Crossrail International, which is owned by the UK government, will carry out the work.
It has also signed a deal with Vietnam to provide similar services there.
Downing Street argue that Africa provides what it calls “unparalleled future opportunities for UK businesses” given half of Africans are under the age of 20 and more than a quarter of the world’s population will live in Africa by 2050.
When asked about the impact of Trump’s decision to boycott the summit, Sir Keir said he needed to take the opportunity to further deals “face-to-face”.
“I will focus on the deals we can do, the business we can do, with our partner countries and make sure that the work we do internationally is impacting directly at home,” he told reporters on the flight to South Africa.
“If you want to deal with the cost of living and make people better off with good secure jobs, investment from G20 partners and allies is really important,” he added.
Trump will skip the summit, after declaring it a “total disgrace” in a post on social media, and repeating his claim that white Afrikaners are being persecuted in South Africa.
“No US government official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue,” he added,
Andy Burnham has twice failed to rule out a Labour leadership bid, after an MP said he would vacate his seat so the Greater Manchester mayor can return to Westminster.
Burnham has been at the centre of speculation about a move against Sir Keir Starmer since Labour’s autumn conference but could only do so if he was an MP.
On Wednesday, Norwich South MP Clive Lewis said he was willing to step down to potentially make way for Burnham to return to the Commons via a by-election.
Burnham was quizzed on the MP’s offer on both BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, but would only say he is “fully focused” on his current role as mayor.
On BBC Breakfast, presenter Naga Munchetty tried to pin Burnham down on whether he would see out his full term as mayor, running until 2028.
“I don’t know what the world holds but I’m focused on my job here in Greater Manchester,” he responded.
Pushed further, he said “I haven’t launched any leadership challenge” before adding “I’m not going to sit here this morning and rule out what might or might not happen in future – I don’t know what the future will hold.”
Burnham then criticised journalists for speculating, saying he is “constantly answering hypothetical questions” and claimed MPs in Westminster were “constantly speculating and not putting forward solutions”.
The Labour Party rules for any leadership challenge state that candidates must be an MP and also secure the backing of at least 80 MPs to run against the incumbent.
Two Manchester MPs, Andrew Gwynne and Graham Stringer, previously ruled out stepping down from their seats so Burnham could run.
On Wednesday, Lewis told BBC’s Politics Live that stepping aside for Burnham was “a question I’ve asked myself,” adding that the answer would have to be “yes”.
The MP, who has represented Norwich South for 10 years, later told The Sun he had “no plans to stand down” and had been answering a “hypothetical question”.
The Norwich South MP last week said Sir Keir’s position as prime minister was “untenable” and told Channel 4 News that Burnham should be given the chance to “step up”.
On the Today programme, presenter Emma Barnett asked Burnham whether he would take Lewis up on his offer of vacating a seat, but he would only say “I appreciate the support” and repeated how he was focused on his current job.
Before becoming Manchester mayor in 2017, Burnham served as a cabinet and shadow cabinet minister under successive Labour leaders and made two unsuccessful Labour leadership bids.
Lewis first won his seat in 2015, and last year he increased his majority to more than 13,000.
But if he were to step down, any would-be successor would first need to win a selection contest before a by-election was held.
Labour MP Clive Lewis has offered to give up his seat to allow Andy Burnham to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.
There has been ongoing speculation that Greater Manchester Mayor Burnham wants to take on Sir Keir for the top job, but he would need to be an MP to do so.
Lewis told the BBC’s Politics Live that he was willing to step down from his Norwich South seat to allow Burnham to return to the Commons and put “country before party, party before personal ambition”.
Burnham was contacted for comment. Number 10 declined to comment.
Lewis, who has been an MP for 10 years, said he had spoken to Burnham, and when asked if he would give up his seat for him, he said it was “a question I’ve asked myself”.
He added: “Do you know what? If I’m going to sit here and say country before party, party before personal ambition, then yes, I have to say yes, don’t I.”
Last week, he said Sir Keir’s position as prime minister was “untenable” and told Channel 4 News that Burnham should be given the chance to “step up”.
Lewis first won his seat in 2015, and last year he increased his majority to more than 13,000.
But if he were to step down, any would-be successor would first need to win a selection contest before a by-election was held.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting – who last week denied claims he was plotting a leadership bid of his own – told LBC he thought it was a “peculiar” move by the Norwich South MP.
“I’ve got a lot of time for Andy and I think we need our best players on the pitch,” Streeting said.
“And whether he’s doing that as mayor of Greater Manchester or whether he wants to come back into parliament in the next general election, that is an issue for Andy.
“I think it’s a bit of a peculiar thing for Clive to have said to his own constituents, ‘Oh, well, I’m not interested in being your MP, I’m happy to do a deal with someone’.
“I would just say from personal experience, don’t take your voters for granted.”
In September, Burnham said he had “no intention of abandoning Manchester” but did not rule out challenging Sir Keir after a series of interviews in which he said colleagues had been urging him to stand.
Two Manchester Labour MPs, Andrew Gwynne and Graham Stringer, ruled out standing down for him ahead of the party’s conference in September.
Sir Keir has, meanwhile, said he will lead Labour into the next general election. It came after a bruising time last week, when anonymous briefings were given to journalists that some cabinet ministers – including Streeting – were plotting to oust him.
The ministers concerned have insisted this is not the case – but speculation continues about whether the PM will face a challenge in May, when Labour is expected to do badly in Scottish and Welsh elections, and in English local elections.
Anyone mounting a leadership bid would have to secure the backing of 80 Labour MPs.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to distance himself from an unofficial briefing to the media by unnamed “allies” that he intends to fight off a leadership contest which, they say, could come just 18 months into his premiership.
On Tuesday evening, unnamed sources were cited in The Guardian newspaper saying Health Secretary Wes Streeting has gathered significant backing to supplant Starmer.
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But on Wednesday morning, Streeting denied this, telling journalists that he was “not challenging the prime minister”.
“I’m not doing any of the things some silly briefer said overnight,” he stated.
Asked if those responsible for the briefing should be sacked, Streeting said, “Yes. But he’s [Starmer] got to find them first, and I wouldn’t expect him to waste loads of time on this.”
“There are people around the prime minister who do not follow his model and style of leadership,” he said.
In response to the ensuing media storm, Starmer, whose premiership since last year has been marred by poor polling, told reporters in north Wales on Thursday that briefings against ministers are “completely unacceptable”.
“I have been talking to my team today. I have been assured that no briefing against ministers was done from Number 10, but I have made it clear that I find it absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
The current internal party strife has shone a light on the prime minister’s standing as leader of the Labour Party.
In its most recent poll on Tuesday, pollster YouGov said of 4,989 people polled, only 27 percent thought he should continue as Labour Party leader.
Here’s what we know about the rumours of a leadership plot:
The UK’s secretary of state for health and social care, Wes Streeting, leaves after attending the weekly meeting of ministers of the British government at Number 10 Downing Street on November 4, 2025, in London, England [Carl Court/Getty Images]
What are the rumours about a leadership challenge?
On Tuesday evening, unnamed senior Starmer aides told The Guardian newspaper that any attempt to remove the prime minister would be “reckless” and “dangerous”. According to the aides, deposing Starmer so early in his term as prime minister would undermine financial markets and reverberate on the stock market, the party and its international relationships.
“The party would not recover for a generation,” one of the unnamed sources told The Guardian.
Number 10 sources also told The Guardian they are concerned about rumours that Streeting could be planning a “coup” and is just one of several Labour ministers who are “on manoeuvres” to take the leadership if the opportunity arises. However, none of them were likely to move against the prime minister right now.
They said the most likely moment for a leadership challenge would be after the autumn budget – the government’s tax-and-spending review, due in parliament on November 26 – if higher taxes are announced, or after May elections next year if the Labour party performs poorly.
“Keir will not stand aside at this point, for Wes or anybody else,” one source told The Guardian.
On Friday, the UK’s Financial Times cited an unnamed minister who claimed that support for the health secretary was growing following the news of the unsanctioned “briefing”.
Streeting was not the only name mentioned as a potential leadership contender. Both Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary and a former leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband were named as possible contenders, the sources said.
Who briefed the press?
The British press is speculating that the unofficial briefing may have been organised by Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, as a tactic designed to put off any ministers thinking about challenging him.
McSweeney, who has been widely credited with helping Starmer to win the July 2024 election, is now facing calls to resign from unnamed members of parliament, according to reports.
However, Starmer appeared not to support such a move on Thursday when he reiterated that he “of course” has complete confidence in his chief of staff.
What do opposition parties say?
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was quick to respond, accusing Starmer of losing control of his party during Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Question Time.
Badenoch called Starmer a “weak prime minister at war with his own cabinet”.
“Two weeks before the budget, isn’t it the case that this prime minister has lost control of government, he’s lost control of his party and lost the trust of the British people,” she said.
Earlier in the debate, Badenoch referred to an interview Streeting gave to the BBC in which he accused Downing Street of having a “toxic culture”, and asked Starmer if his minister was correct.
“Any attack on any member of my cabinet is completely unacceptable,” Starmer said in response.
Meanwhile, the far-right Reform UK party’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf, wrote on X on Thursday that the “terrifying thing about the coup against Starmer is that Labour members will choose his replacement”.
“Their favourite Labour minister is Ed Miliband. Some of the most unhinged people in the country will choose the next Prime Minister,” he added.
Reform’s popularity has risen hugely in the UK since last year’s election.
How does the autumn budget fit into this, and how is Labour polling?
The briefing came just two weeks before Starmer and his chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, announce the autumn budget on November 26.
The budget, which outlines the government’s tax-and-spending plans for the next year, has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks, as it was widely expected to break one of Labour’s main election pledges: not to increase income taxes.
However, the Financial Times reported on Friday morning that Reeves is now ruling out any rise in income tax amid concerns that it could seriously anger voters and backbench legislators.
Why else is Starmer losing popularity in the UK?
Since winning the election in 2024, the prime minister has received backlash from across the political spectrum, including from Labour voters, over several issues.
According to a YouGov poll in September, if an election were to be called now, the far-right Reform UK would win, leaving the Labour Party as the second-largest party and the former governing party, the Conservatives, in third place.
Here are some of the main areas of domestic policy which are causing the popularity of Starmer’s Labour Party to wane.
Migration
The opposition Reform UK party has risen in popularity largely on the back of its calls for stricter migrant control. The key issue is the rapid rise in the numbers of people arriving in small boats across the English Channel from France, particularly in the past year.
In September, Starmer struck a “one-in-one-out” migrant exchange deal with France in an effort to deter people from attempting the Channel crossing. Under the deal, France will accept the return of asylum seekers who crossed to the UK but cannot prove a family connection to the UK.
For each migrant France takes back, the UK will grant asylum to one person who has arrived from France through official channels and who can prove they have family connections in the UK.
But only a handful of migrants have been deported under the scheme so far. Furthermore, on Monday, the Home Office reported that a second migrant had re-entered the UK after being deported to France.
Rise of the far-right
Starmer has faced criticism for his lukewarm response to the rising number of far-right protests across the country.
In September, at least 11,000 people joined a “Unite the Kingdom” march, displaying the St George flag in London.
While Starmer denounced violence against police officers during the protests and argued that the US was “built on diversity”, the antifascist group, Hope Not Hate, and several MPs have urged the government to take stronger action against the rise of far-right groups.
Critics also say Starmer has not done enough to appeal to people who support Reform, or to address their concerns about migration.
Accidental prison releases
In a major blunder, HMP Wandsworth prison in London wrongly released two offenders in early November, including an Algerian sex offender.
Both men were eventually returned to prison but, in the case of the Algerian offender, only after the man handed himself in. Conservative Party shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said the mistake revealed “the incompetence of this government”.
Economy
Starmer has been grappling with a low-growth economy since the start of his term in government.
According to new figures from the Office for National Statistics on Thursday, between July and September, the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by just 0.1 percent in comparison with growth of 0.3 percent between April and July.
Meanwhile, inflation remained stuck at 3.8 percent in September 2025 – unchanged from July and August. This is the highest it has been since the start of 2024.
Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls from senior ministers to sack whoever was behind briefings to the media that the PM is facing a leadership challenge.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Health Secretary Wes Streeting were both named as potential challengers in the anonymous briefings – now both are calling for whoever was behind them to be found and sacked.
It comes as Sir Keir apologised to Streeting for the episode, which the PM is said to be “incadescent” about.
It has intensified pressure on the prime minister’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, whom some – including senior figures in government – hold ultimately responsible for the briefings, as well as the overall culture inside No 10.
Both Streeting and Miliband have stopped short of publicly criticising McSweeney, and on Wednesday Streeting made a point of praising his role in Labour’s general election victory.
Speaking to the BBC, Miliband said it’s been a “bad couple of days”, adding: “We’ve got to learn the lessons of this episode and say this is not where the focus should be.”
He said he was confident the prime minister would want to find who the anonymous briefer was and “get rid of them if he can find out”.
“He hates it when things get leaked, he hates it when cabinet colleagues get briefed against.
“People listening to this programme might think ‘if he hates it, why can’t he stop it’.
“The truth is, sometimes these things do happen. There are noises off and you can never quite know where they are coming from.”
Miliband’s name has been discussed by some Labour MPs as another possible challenger to the prime minister.
Asked if he would rule out returning as Labour leader, he replied: “Yes.”
He added: “I had the best inoculation technique against wanting to be leader of the Labour Party which is that I was leader of the Labour Party, between 2010 and 2015.
“I’ve got the T-shirt – that chapter’s closed.”
Sir Keir apologised to Streeting in a brief phone call on Wednesday evening, however supporters of the health secretary are said to be irritated that briefing against him has continued.
Those around the health secretary argue that “this kind of briefing culture followed Keir Starmer from opposition into government”.
There are a declining number of advisers who were with Sir Keir in opposition and are still working for him now.
McSweeney is one of them, and the most senior. He has been approached for comment and not replied.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Sir Keir had “lost control of his government… and lost the trust of the British people”.
She said McSweeney was responsible for the culture in No 10 and asked if the prime minister still had confidence in him.
Sir Keir replied: “Morgan McSweeney, my team and I are absolutely focused on delivering for the country.
“Let me be clear, of course, I’ve never authorised attacks on cabinet members, I appointed them to their post because they’re the best people to carry out their jobs.”
He added that “any attack on any member of my cabinet is completely unacceptable” and specifically praised Streeting for doing a “great job”.
Speaking after PMQs, the prime minister’s press secretary told reporters the briefings against Streeting had come “from outside No 10” and that the prime minister had full confidence in McSweeney.
The spokesperson refused to say whether there was a leak inquiry, but did say leaks would be “dealt with”.
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to say Wednesday whether he would urge President Trump to drop his threat to sue the BBC for a billion dollars over the broadcaster’s edit of a speech he made after losing the 2020 presidential election.
During his weekly questioning in the House of Commons, Starmer was asked by Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, whether he would intervene in the row between Trump and the British public broadcaster, and to rule out the idea that the British people would hand over money to the U.S. president.
Instead of responding directly, Starmer reiterated the government’s line since the BBC’s director-general, Tim Davie, announced his resignation on Sunday because of the scandal.
“I believe in a strong and independent BBC,” he said. “Some would rather BBC didn’t exist, I’m not one of them.”
However, he added that “where mistakes are made, they do need to get their house in order.”
In an interview that aired Tuesday on Fox News, Trump said he intended to go through with his threat to sue the BBC, a century-old institution under growing pressure in an era of polarized politics and changing media viewing habits.
“I guess I have to,” he said. “Because I think they defrauded the public and they’ve admitted it.”
The president’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, sent the threat to the BBC over the way a documentary edited his Jan. 6, 2021, speech before a mob of his followers stormed the U.S. Capitol. The letter demanded an apology to the president and a “full and fair” retraction of the documentary along with other “false, defamatory, disparaging, misleading or inflammatory statements” about Trump.
If the BBC does not comply with the demands by 5 p.m. EST Friday, then Trump will enforce his legal rights, the letter said.
The row centers on an edition of the BBC’s flagship current affairs series “Panorama,” titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The third-party production company that made the film spliced together three quotes from two sections of the 2021 speech, delivered almost an hour apart, into what appeared to be one quote in which Trump urged supporters to march with him and “fight like hell.”
Among the parts cut out was a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
BBC Chairman Samir Shah apologized Monday for the misleading edit that he said gave “the impression of a direct call for violent action.”
In addition to Davie’s resignation, the news chief Deborah Turness quit Sunday over accusations of bias and misleading editing.
Watch: Sir Keir Starmer says any attack on cabinet members “unacceptable”
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he has “never authorised” attacks on his cabinet ministers, calling briefings against them “unacceptable”.
The PM was speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions after some of his allies told numerous media outlets he could face a leadership challenge from another cabinet minister such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
There has been speculation about the extent to which Sir Keir was aware of the anonymous briefings, which had been aimed at shoring up his position, or had encouraged them in some way.
Streeting has denied he was lining up a leadership bid, and called on those behind the briefings to be sacked.
Asked at an NHS conference in Manchester if he would fight alongside Sir Keir if there were any plots to oust him as PM, Streeting said: “Yes.”
“The bizarre thing about some juvenile briefing overnight is it’s people in No 10 who’ve said the PM is fighting for his job.
“I don’t think that’s a helpful or constructive thing to say, I also don’t think it’s true,” he added.
Streeting has attacked the “toxic culture” inside No 10, but has said he does not think the PM is behind the briefings.
Asked whether he thought Sir Keir’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney was responsible for the culture in Downing Street, he said: “I am not going to add to the toxic culture by contributing to the toxic culture and going after individuals.
“I don’t think that is a constructive or positive thing to do.
“One thing I would say for Morgan McSweeney is there wouldn’t be a Labour government without him.”
At PMQs, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the PM had “lost control of his government… and lost the trust of the British people”.
She said McSweeney was responsible for the culture in No 10 and asked if the prime minister still had confidence in him.
Sir Keir replied: “Morgan McSweeney, my team and I are absolutely focused on delivering for the country.
“Let me be clear, of course, I’ve never authorised attacks on cabinet members, I appointed them to their post because they’re the best people to carry out their jobs.”
Sir Keir told MPs “any attack on any member of my cabinet is completely unacceptable”.
He said Streeting – who missed PMQs to deliver a speech at the NHS conference – was doing a “great job” cutting waiting lists and boosting the number of doctors.
Speaking after PMQs, the prime minister’s press secretary told reporters the briefings against Streeting had come “from outside No 10” and that the prime minister had full confidence in McSweeney.
The spokesperson refused to say whether there was a leak inquiry, but did say leaks would be “dealt with”.
Briefings of this nature are often part of reporting on politics in Westminster, when people speak to journalists “off the record”.
This means they say things that they are not prepared to say on camera, which the BBC reports in order to give the full story.
On Tuesday evening, supporters of the prime minister told journalists he would fight a challenge to his leadership, which they believed could come as soon as after the Budget on 26 November.
They argued that removing the PM could create chaos, destabilise the international markets and damage the relationship he has built with US President Donald Trump.
The names being discussed by Labour MPs as potential candidates to replace Sir Keir include Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. There is also speculation Energy Secretary Ed Miliband could stand.
“I’m a faithful” – Wes Streeting denies plan to challenge Starmer as PM
Despite winning a landslide majority in the July 2024 general election, Sir Keir has had a rocky time in Downing Street and opinion polls suggest he is unpopular.
Both the Budget in two weeks’ time, and elections in Scotland and Wales and local elections in England next year, are crunch points for the government.
Supporters of the prime minister have argued a leadership contest would plunge the party into the chaos associated with the last years of the previous Conservative administration.
In order to trigger a leadership contest against the prime minister, challengers would need the support of 20% of Labour MPs, which currently means 81 nominations would be required.
Some Labour MPs and ministers have publicly and privately condemned the briefings.
Appearing on BBC Politics Live, Business Minister Sir Chris Bryant said he thought they were “plain daft”.
Labour MP for Bassetlaw Jo White said: “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.”
But some Labour MPs who are usually supportive of the prime minister described the timing and substance of the briefing as “badly handled” and “baffling”.
One senior Labour figure questioned why Sir Keir’s allies had “legitimised what was a taboo” by publicly entertaining the prospect of a leadership challenge.
