Where has this internal conflict leave the UK administration?
"It's not been our best 24 hours since the election," a senior figure in government acknowledged following political attacks in various directions, some in public, much more confidentially.
The situation started following anonymous briefings to journalists, this reporter included, that the Prime Minister would resist any attempt to replace him - and that cabinet ministers, including Wes Streeting, were considering challenges.
Streeting maintained his commitment stood with the Prime Minister and urged the sources of the leaks to face dismissal, and the PM declared that negative comments against cabinet members were deemed "unjustifiable".
Questions concerning whether Starmer had sanctioned the original briefings to identify potential challengers - and if those behind them were acting with his awareness, or consent, were added amid the controversy.
Might there be a leak inquiry? Might there be sackings at what Streeting called a "poisonous" Downing Street setup?
What were individuals near Starmer hoping to achieve?
There have been multiple discussions to reconstruct the true events and in what position these developments positions Keir Starmer's government.
Stand two key facts at the heart in this matter: the government is unpopular and so is the prime minister.
These realities are the primary motivation underlying the ongoing talks being heard concerning what the government is trying to do about it and what it might mean regarding the duration Sir Keir Starmer continues in Downing Street.
Turning to the aftermath of this political fighting.
The Repair Attempt
The PM and Health Secretary Wes Streeting had a telephone conversation on Wednesday evening to patch things up.
It's understood Sir Keir said sorry to the Health Secretary during their short conversation while agreeing to converse more extensively "shortly".
They didn't talk about the chief of staff, Starmer's top aide - who has turned into a lightning rod for blame from various sources including opposition leader Badenoch in public to Labour figures junior and senior privately.
Commonly recognized as the architect of the election victory and the political brain responsible for Starmer's rapid ascent following his transition from his legal career, McSweeney is also among among those facing criticism whenever the Prime Minister's office seems to have experienced difficulties or failures.
He is not responding to questions, while certain voices demand his head on a stick.
Those critical of him argue that in government operations where his role requires to exercise numerous significant political decisions, responsibility falls to him for how all of this unfolded.
Alternative voices from insist nobody employed there was responsible for any briefing targeting a minister, following Streeting's statement the individuals behind it ought to be dismissed.
Consequences
Within Downing Street, there is a tacit acknowledgement that Wes Streeting handled multiple planned discussions the other day with dignity, aplomb and humour - although encountering incessant questions about his own ambitions as those briefings about him occurred shortly prior.
For some Labour MPs, he demonstrated a nimbleness and knack for communication they hope the PM demonstrated.
It also won't have gone unnoticed that at least some of those briefings that aimed to support the prime minister led to a chance for Wes to say he agreed with from party members who have described Number 10 as hostile and discriminatory while adding the sources of the reports must be fired.
Quite a situation.
"My commitment stands" - Streeting rejects suggestions to oppose the PM for leadership.
Government Response
The PM, it's reported, is extremely angry at how the situation has played out and examining how it all happened.
What looks to have gone awry, from No 10's perspective, includes both quantity and tone.
Initially, they had, possibly unrealistically, thought that the leaks would generate some news, rather than continuous major coverage.
Ultimately to be much louder than they had anticipated.
I'd say a prime minister letting this kind of thing be revealed, through allies, relatively soon after a landslide general election win, was certain to be headline significant coverage – as it turned out to be, in various publications.
And secondly, regarding tone, sources maintain they hadn't expected so much talk about Wes Streeting, later massively magnified by all those interviews he had scheduled on Wednesday morning.
Different sources, certainly, concluded that specifically that the goal.
Wider Consequences
These are further period where administration members mention learning experiences while parliamentarians plenty are irritated at what they see as a ridiculous situation playing out forcing them to firstly witness subsequently explain.
Ideally avoiding both activities.
However, an administration and a prime minister displaying concern concerning their position exceeds {than their big majority|their parliamentary advantage|their