David Lammy has criticized his Cabinet colleagues for engaging in negative conversations about Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves with the press while having drinks. The Deputy PM expressed disappointment over leaks from within the Government, particularly regarding his reforms to the courts system.
This comes after accusations that the PM and the Chancellor misled the Cabinet about a shortfall in public finances. One Cabinet minister described the budget handling as a disaster. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch highlighted the internal briefing conflict within the Cabinet during PMQs, questioning ministers on whether they were behind negative briefings.
In a message directed at Cabinet members leaking information about Starmer and Reeves, Lammy urged them to stop as it hinders the government’s ability to govern effectively. He emphasized the importance of focusing on serving the country rather than engaging in unproductive conversations with journalists.
Speaking on The News Agents podcast, Lammy, who also serves as the Justice Secretary, expressed disappointment with the prevalence of leaks within the government, stating that it undermines the functioning of the government. He emphasized his distaste for political infighting and leaks, noting that it is not favored by the public.
Lammy’s proposals to reduce the number of cases going to jury trials were leaked to the media before their official release. He faced backlash over initial plans to eliminate jury trials for certain offenses but later revised the threshold to offenses likely to result in a sentence of three years or more.
For quick access to valued news, consider choosing Daily Mirror as a ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News.