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The Scottish Labour MPs who briefed against Sir Keir Starmer were “all men angling for promotion”, one of their Westminster colleagues has claimed.
A Labour MP said the “handful” who were reportedly privately pushing for Wes Streeting to replace the Prime Minister were known to “the whole Scottish group”.
They also said that the “rest of us find it bizarre” that those involved would “think promotion comes from fuelling leadership gossip”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (centre right) and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (centre left) pose for a photograph with the new intake of Scottish Labour MPs outside no 10 Downing Street.Anas Sarwar accused the MPs of “idiotic” behaviour earlier this week after anonymous briefings that Sir Keir had to go.
It came after allies of the Prime Minister branded those briefing “idiots”.
A Labour MP told The Scotsman: “The whole Scottish group knows who is involved in this nonsense. It was the same people, all men, angling for promotion.
“The rest of us will find it bizarre if they think promotion comes from fuelling leadership gossip rather than putting those ‘talents’ into taking on the SNP’s woeful record in government and backing Anas and the whole team to win in May.”
Another Scottish Labour MP said they were “not happy” about the briefings and that it was “nonsense”.
A third added that it was “wide of the mark” to suggest the Scottish Labour group was “united” in a bid to remove the PM.
A Labour source said those involved should be focussed on the Holyrood election: “With less than four months until polling day, the best things MPs and MSPs can do is get out campaigning, rather than engage in tittle tattle.”
Mr Sarwar branded some of his own MPs “idiotic” when asked about the briefings on Wednesday.
He was asked about one source close to the PM telling a newspaper that “these idiots need to stop being part of the problem … not least the select few on the payroll.”
Another told the paper: “They’re idiots if they think they would have won their seats without Keir.”
Mr Sarwar said on Wednesday: “Anyone that thinks the answer to any issue is to do briefings or counter briefings or talk negatively about their colleagues, I think that is idiotic.
“I think anyone that engages in that behaviour, regardless of which political party they are in, regardless of which part of the country they are in - is idiotic.”
The Scottish Labour leader added: “The best thing our ministers can do is be behind their doors, at their desks, improving outcomes for people across the country.
“The best thing that Scottish Labour MPs can do is be on the front line with their candidate, making the arguments about what the choice is in Scotland in helping us get rid of the SNP and elect a new government.
“If anyone has something to say, they should be brave enough to put their name to it.”
He branded the reports “tittle tattle” and suggested the Labour government should “not be shy” in boasting about its record.
Mr Sarwar had distanced himself from Sir Keir in his new year speech on Monday.
He acknowledged that the Prime Minister was “unpopular” and that voters are “angry, frustrated and impatient” with the pace of change promised.
One Scottish Labour MP dismissed the idea that all Scottish Labour MPs wanted to get rid of the Prime Minister: “A piece claimed every single Scottish Labour MP wanted PM to go or part of the coup to remove him.
“It was the usual unnamed source. We found it laughable because no truth to it whatsoever.”
They added: “Nothing will happen, there will be no coup.
“My message to my colleagues is to hold their nerve. We are only 18 months into a five-year term.
“The Tories might have changed their PM repeatedly but we are not them. Why would we return to that chaos?
“It’s almost as if we are programmed to think that is normal behaviour, in the world of social media. We carry on, we are making gradual progress.
“We are actually a pretty tight group who get on really well and the idea that we are united behind a leadership challenge is so far wide of the mark.”
One Labour source said that the idea to oust the PM had started with some MPs “sounding off” in private conversations. When they found that some others agreed, it led them “to ponder if it was do-able”.
Another Labour source said the briefing was not a “plot” and was instead “just folk spouting off”.
In November, Health Secretary Mr Streeting denied suggestions from the Prime Minister’s allies that he was seeking to challenge for leadership.
People close to Sir Kier had told several news outlets that they were suspicious of Mr Streeting’s leadership ambitions.
When asked whether he was planning a leadership challenge, the Health Secretary told Sky News: “No, and I think whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors, and this is just about the worst attack on a faithful I’ve seen since Joe Marler was kicked out and banished in the final.
“It’s totally self defeating briefing, not least because it’s not true and I don’t understand how anyone thinks it’s helpful to the Prime Minister either.”
Asked if he would rule out demanding Sir Keir resignation after the Budget, he said: “Yes, and nor did I shoot JFK.
“I don’t know where Lord Lucan is, had nothing to do with Shergar, and I do think that the US did manage to do the moon landings. I don’t think they were fake.”