Leadership challenge rumours are looming for the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but the British leader has maintained that his party is a united front.
Starmer was forced to address the whispers surrounding the Labour Party, and that his rivals are seeking to replace him, calling them "counterproductive nonsense".
But by Wednesday, the whispers had grown much louder, as media outlets had quotes from Starmers' own allies in their reporting, saying that his role as leader of the party and the nation was under threat.
A name that cropped up in these quotes was Health Secretary Wes Streeting, with ambition that was being watched with "particular suspicion".
Claims about Streeting made the front page news on Wednesday morning, local time, splashing across The Times and The Telegraph and leading on the BBC.
The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, additionally accused Starmer of creating a toxic atmosphere in Downing Street, while Streeting did interviews reaffirming his loyalty to Starmer.
Labour has a comfortable majority, and while the next election is not due until August 2029, the federal Budget is in just two weeks' time, which will put pressure on Starmer to perform.
