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"It's not been our strongest day in government," a senior figure close to power admitted following political attacks one way and another, openly visible, plenty more in private.

It began with unnamed sources to journalists, among others, that Sir Keir would fight any move to challenge his leadership - and that government figures, particularly the Health Secretary, were plotting challenges.

The Health Secretary maintained his loyalty remained to the PM while demanding the sources of the briefings to lose their positions, with Starmer declared that any attacks on his ministers were deemed "unacceptable".

Doubts about whether Starmer had authorised the original briefings to flush out possible rivals - while questioning the sources were operating knowingly, or endorsement, were added into the mix.

Might there be an investigation into leaks? Might there be terminations in what the Health Secretary described as a "hostile" Number 10 operation?

What could those close to the prime minister hoping to achieve?

I have been numerous discussions to reconstruct what actually happened and where all this leaves Keir Starmer's government.

There are crucial realities at the heart in this matter: the leadership has poor ratings and so is Starmer.

These realities act as the driving force underlying the persistent conversations circulating concerning what the party is planning to address it and potential implications for how long Sir Keir Starmer carries on in Downing Street.

Turning to the fallout following the political fighting.

The Repair Attempt

The prime minister along with the Health Secretary had a telephone conversation on Wednesday evening to mend relations.

Sources indicate the Prime Minister said sorry to Wes Streeting in their quick discussion while agreeing to speak more extensively "shortly".

Their discussion excluded the chief of staff, the prime minister's chief of staff - who has emerged as a central figure for negative attention ranging from Tory leader Badenoch openly to Labour figures at all levels privately.

Widely credited as the strategist of the political success and the strategic thinker responsible for Starmer's rapid ascent since switching from his legal career, he is likewise the first to face scrutiny if the Prime Minister's office seems to have experienced difficulties or failures.

McSweeney isn't commenting to requests for comment, as some call for his removal.

Detractors argue that in a Downing Street where he is expected to exercise numerous important strategic calls, he must accept accountability for these developments.

Different sources within assert no-one who works there initiated any leak targeting a minister, after Wes Streeting said whoever was responsible ought to be dismissed.

Consequences

Within Downing Street, there's implicit acceptance that the health secretary conducted a round of planned discussions recently with grace, confidence and wit - despite being confronted by continuous inquiries concerning his goals since the reports targeting him came just hours before.

For some Labour MPs, he showed agility and communication skills they hope the Prime Minister possessed.

It also won't have gone unnoticed that certain of the leaks that attempted to support the prime minister ended up creating a chance for Wes to declare he supported the view of his colleagues who labeled Number 10 as toxic and sexist and that the sources of the reports must be fired.

What a mess.

"I remain loyal" - the Health Secretary denies plan to challenge Starmer for leadership.

Official Position

The PM, I am told, is furious regarding how these events has played out and examining what occurred.

What seems to have gone awry, from the administration's viewpoint, involves both quantity and tone.

First, officials had, maybe optimistically, believed that the leaks would generate certain coverage, instead of wall-to-wall headline news.

It turned out considerably bigger than they had anticipated.

This analysis suggests a prime minister letting this kind of thing be known, through allies, under two years post-election, was certain to be headline top of bulletins stuff – as it turned out to be, in various publications.

Furthermore, on emphasis, sources maintain they were surprised by considerable attention concerning Streeting, later massively magnified by all those interviews planned in advance on Wednesday morning.

Different sources, it must be said, believed that that was precisely the purpose.

Wider Consequences

This represents further period when government officials mention learning experiences and on the backbenches plenty are irritated regarding what they perceive as an unnecessary drama unfolding which requires them to firstly witness and then attempt to defend.

Ideally avoiding do either.

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