How to put a rocket under gossip about government

WHAT on earth is going on? That was the verdict from MPs as my phone glowed red hot with messages about the bitter briefing war at the top of government.

- BY LIZZY BUCHAN, POLITICAL EDITOR

It began when allies of Keir Starmer launched an extraordinary bid to protect the PM by suggesting it would be reckless to topple him - and insisted he would fight any leadership challenge.

The finger was pointed at Wes Streeting, the ambitious Health Secretary, who was then forced to deny he was plotting a coup.

Beneath the spin, what appears to have happened is an increasingly paranoid No10 kicked off a story about a leadership crisis in a bid to stop a leadership crisis.

It is an old political play - flush out your rivals, then force them into a public show of loyalty to dampen their ambitions.