One of Keir Starmer’s closest advisers has said the Cabinet has agreed it must focus on helping to tackle the crisis of food price inflation rather than a damaging leadership contest.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street today after a Cabinet meeting, international development minister Jenny Chapman said discussions had focused on the crisis in the Middle East and its impact on consumers and the cost of living.
“The discussion that we’ve just had really brought it home to everybody around the table just how serious the issues are that we are there to tackle and the cost of the living and the impact of the Strait of Hormuz,” Chapman told the BBC.
“[We focused] on food and fuel prices and what that means for inflation and what that means for the impact on businesses.”
Industry leaders have widely criticised a lack of support to protect against an expected wave of inflation later in the year, while the crisis shows no signs of easing amid deadlock in talks over a peace deal.
Starmer has has insisted he has no intention of resigning. Despite around 80 Labour MPs having now called on him to leave his post, or set out a timetable for his resignation, as well as a raft of resignations.
Health secretary Wes Streeting, seen as a potential challenger, was among those who left the meeting without commenting.
One industry source said: “The last thing the industry needs now is weeks of more political chaos.
“We need the government to be focusing on what it is doing to help the industry tackle looming food price inflation.
“Forget months of a leadership contest, what is it going to do to help reduce energy costs?”
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