Allies of Wes Streeting have ‘infiltrated’ Government and are ready to back him in a future leadership contest, insiders have claimed.

The ambitious Health Secretary has a loyal ‘network’ already within Downing Street, across government departments and in Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee. 

They include senior No10 advisers who are ready to ‘switch allegiance’ if Sir Keir Starmer were to leave before the next election.

‘His people are running the party. It would be a smooth transition,’ a source said. 

It comes amid a briefing war within Government, with Cabinet ministers privately expressing frustration at negative headlines which they claim are linked to Downing Street.

One source said the briefings were part of a power struggle between factions surrounding high profile ministers tipped to succeed Sir Keir including Mr Streeting, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. 

A Labour source said last night there were also concerns that the ‘Boys Club’, which critics claim surrounds Sir Keir, were targeting senior female ministers ‘who they think got too close to Sue Gray’. 

Sir Keir has been the subject of speculation that he will not last his full term, fuelled by poor poll ratings after just six months in office. 

One Labour insider suggested last night that Mr Streeting’s hopes of succeeding Sir Keir would depend on changing the rules on how leaders are elected – by excluding party members from having a vote and leaving it just to MPs while in government.

The insider said: ‘That’s probably Wes’s best chance – reforming the leadership rules.’

A source close to Mr Streeting said he was focused ‘24/7’ on ‘delivering the fastest cut in waiting times in the history of the NHS’.