LABOUR has been plunged into vicious infighting as Wes Streeting was forced to deny plotting a coup against Sir Keir Starmer.
Allies of the PM accused the Health Secretary of preparing to launch an immediate challenge against their ailing leadership.
A spokesman for Mr Streeting rubbished the claims as “categorically untrue” as his pals in turn attacked Downing Street for the briefing.
A Labour MP ally told The Sun: “The boys in No 10 are deluded. We’re entering tin foil hat territory here.
“Increasing numbers of Labour MPs are asking why it is that they keep turning on their own Cabinet Ministers with such vicious and paranoid briefing.
“First it was Lisa, then Angela, then Bridget, then Lucy, now Wes.
“They would do better to get on and focus on the massive task of delivering a successful Budget – that is what we all badly need to happen.”
A government source added: “Number Ten has gone into full bunker mode, turning on their most loyal cabinet members for absolutely no reason.
“A circular firing squad won’t help the government out of the hole we’re in.”
Mr Streeting is understood to have grown unhappy with some of Sir Keir’s decisions and has spoken out in Cabinet.
He is believed to have used one meeting to criticise the government’s plans for a digital ID scheme.
But he was last night also expected to give his boss his support when he appears on a round of interviews this morning.
Sir Keir is believed to have only seen Mr Streeting on Monday night when they had a meeting in Downing Street.
While some PM allies were last night briefing against Mr Streeting, a senior No10 source last night called him a “brilliant Health Secretary”.
Many MPs are growing frustrated with the PM’s struggles to turn around flagging poll numbers.
This comes as tensions continue to mount surrounding the upcoming Budget.
Sir Keir Starmer cannot lead Labour into the next election if he breaks his manifesto and raises income tax, members of his own government have said.
The PM and his Chancellor Rachel Reeves are facing a growing backlash over plans to hike the levy by 2 pence.
Panicked Labour MPs fear the move will spark fury among voters who will seek their revenge by booting the party out of No10 at the next election.
One Labour frontbencher said: “Starmer can’t lead the party into the next election if he breaks the manifesto.
“He and Reeves are joined together in lockstep. I don’t think Rachel will have to resign immediately if she raises income tax.
“But I do fear we are stumbling into something which is bigger than breaking a manifesto commitment. It is pretty fundamental.
“You don’t have to be a strategic mastermind to come up with the next election’s slogan – they said they wouldn’t put up income tax and they did.”
The embattled PM is facing growing plots against him by his disgruntled backbench MPs.
Westminster is thick with chatter he could face a leadership challenge – most likely after the local elections next May.
But some believe that if the Budget goes down really badly with the country, the knives could come out earlier.
The Chancellor is scrambling to try to find tens of billions of pounds to bankroll her spending plans in the Budget on November 26.
