Keir Starmer Cabinet descends into open war as Wes Streeting accused of lying | Politics | News

express.co.uk · Feb 18, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Brutal slapdown for Health Secretary as he is accused of plotting to depose the under-fire Prime Minister 14:56, Wed, Feb 18, 2026 Updated: 15:43, Wed, Feb 18, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer's Cabinet is openly fighting (Image: Getty)Sir Keir Starmer's Cabinet has descended into open warfare after Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson launched a blistering attack on Wes Streeting. Ms Phillipson accused the Health Secretary of "rewriting history" as she brutally slapped down his claim that he helped lead the push for abolishing the two-child benefit cap, a key Labour policy.In a December interview, Mr Streeting claimed: "It’s no coincidence that in the Cabinet, among the people pushing hard to abolish the two-child limit, were me and Bridget, because we have both lived through child poverty.” However, speaking to The New Statesman, Ms Phillipson hit back: "I think people ultimately know how this has come about, and shouldn’t try to rewrite history. I have been there right from the beginning, co-chairing the task force, initially with Liz [Kendall], who’s been fantastic … and then more recently with Pat [McFadden].”Wes Streeting was slapped down by his colleague (Image: Getty)Mr Streeting has been frequently accused of plotting a leadership coup against Sir Keir. Highlighting his role in pushing for popular Left-wing policies among Labour MPs would help him attract vital support.Last week, Labour MPs claimed Mr Streeting would move against the "zombie" Prime Minister within weeks, despite the Health Secretary publicly declaring his support for the Labour leader.Ensure our latest politics headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.Bridget Phillipson appeared to blast her Cabinet colleague (Image: Getty)One friend of Mr Streeting said he was willing to stand against the PM after the Gorton and Denton by-election later this month, warning “we need to act quickly”.The friend added: “There is a big risk that we meander and end up in this tepid decline where we all make ourselves feel better, but a Reform government becomes inevitable. Personal finance news, money saving tips and advice plus selcted offers and competitions Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy“Wes has the numbers, but it will require a steeliness and a determination that most colleagues have not to date shown.”The Health Secretary said the claims were “categorically not true”.