We've just been hearing from the prime minister's political spokesperson in the wake of PMQs with Sir Keir's Starmer.

They are asked for clarity on if the prime minister has full confidence in his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.

The reply is a fully throated backing.

Briefings from outside Number 10

However, the next response is interesting - in which the political spokesperson says the briefing against Wes Streeting came from outside Number 10.

The health secretary had blamed people in the building - but not the prime minister - for attacking him.

Asked about this, the spokesperson points out the attribution of the quotes that appeared overnight - which in Bloomberg and The Times were to "allies" or "supporters" of the prime ministers - rather than something like a Number 10 insider.

The spokesperson says that anyone briefing will be "dealt with" in the appropriate way.

Rupert Lowe, the former Reform UK MP who is known for his vociferous anti-migrant rhetoric, is one of those with a question at PMQs this week.

He asks Sir Keir Starmer: "Does the prime minister agree that for cases where the guilt is so undeniable, the crime so monstrous, the evil so irredeemable, the reintroduction of the death penalty for both foreign and domestic criminals should be put to the British people in a legally binding referendum?"

Unsurprisingly, the Labour leader - and former human rights lawyer - does not want a return of capital punishment.

Starmer says that it is right for people to be punished if they commit a crime, "reintroducing the death penalty is not the answer to this".

"It didn't work when it was in place, it led to the death of those that in fact turned out were innocent. 

"But what we must do is improve as we are the criminal justice response in this country."

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey uses his two questions to ask about the BBC - and heavily criticised Donald Trump for threatening to sue the corporation.

Starmer says he believes in a "strong and independent BBC - some would rather the BBC didn't exist".

He adds: "In an age of disinformation, the argument for impartial British news service is stronger than ever. 

"And where mistakes are made, they do need to get their house in order. 

"And the BBC must uphold the highest standards, be accountable and correct errors quickly."

Davey then asks if Starmer will sack former Tory adviser Sir Robbie Gibb from the BBC's board.

Starmer says he agrees that the Tories undermined the BBC - "they undermined pretty well everything they did in 14 years".

On Gibb, Starmer adds: "I'm not going to go into the individual runnings of the BBC."

Badenoch presses on with a focus on what she calls the "toxic culture" at Number 10.

She says the PMs allies accused the health secretary, home secretary and energy secretary of launching leadership bids.

"These attacks came from Number 10, nowhere else," she says.

"His toxic Number 10. The person responsible for the culture in Number 10 is his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. 

She asks: "Does the prime minister have full confidence in him?"

In a response that would appear to be a less than definitive backing of his chief of staff,  Starmer says: "Morgan McSweeney, my team and I absolutely focused on delivering for the country. 

The Tory leader begins her next comments by noting that she "didn't hear the PM give full confidence to Morgan McSweeney".

She says Starmer has "lost control of number 10" , adding that "the real scandal is that two weeks from a budget, the government has descended into civil war."

To howls of laughter and derision from the opposition benches, Starmer replies: "Mr speaker, this is a united team and we are delivering."

The speaker then intervenes in an attempt to quell the jeers from Tory MPs, saying: "If people want to audition for the pantomime, I suggest you go to the Old Vic."

 At PMQs, Sir Keir Starmer is asked by Kemi Badenoch about the briefings against Wes Streeting.

"The health secretary said there is a toxic culture in Downing Street that needs to change. He's right, isn't he?" Badenoch says.

Starmer replies: "Let me be absolutely clear - any attack on any member of my cabinet is completely unacceptable.

"I've never authorised attacks on cabinet members.

"I appointed them to that post because they're the best people to carry out that job."

Sir Keir Starmer is about to pop up for Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

Ahead of the weekly showdown, political editor Beth Rigby tells us what she think will happen.

"I think what you're going to see in the Commons in a moment is the prime minister coming out in full support for Wes Streeting. 

"But there is bad blood now and, some allies around Wes.

"And there's questions about what Keir Starmer does now."

Beth says there's pressure from some for the PM to sack the person briefing.

She adds that MPs a "really unhappy".

"I think the bigger point in all of this is, as I understood it, from the conversations I've been having in recent days, it is true that MPs are wondering about the future of Keir Starmer in the context of leading them into the next general election - but that actually any move against Keir Starmer, as I understood it, there was a settled view that that would come potentially after the ballot box test in May."

We've just heard from the Speaker's office that after PMQs - so at around 12.30pm - the Conservatives will be asking an urgent question.

Shadow minister Louie French will be asking: "To ask the secretary of state for culture, media and sport if she will make a statement on her involvement in the appointments process for the chair of the independent football regulator."

This comes after inadvertent breaches were found in the way the chair was appointed - namely around the fact that he had previously donated to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.

Jo White, the Labour MP for Bassetlaw, is speaking to Paste BN about the briefings out of Number 10 that have ignited a political row this morning.

While not a household name, she is someone prominent in the "red wall" caucus of MPs.

She tells us that she is "really disappointed" by what has emerged in the past 18 hours or so.

"Our enemies love it when we start fighting like dogs in public," she says, "and this really has to stop."

"I think that, people briefing, not just from Number 10, but also from inside the party, and they think they're so, so very, very clever. 

"And this is a basket of absolute nothing.

"I've had nobody come to me about a leadership challenge.

"I convened the red wall group of MPs, and I know of nobody who is part of that plotting."

White says she has "absolute confidence" in Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, adding that she thinks he will last beyond the budget and will be in place "in the general election".

She then claimed that the red wall caucus WhatsApp group was "silent" about the briefing war today as they were more focussed on delivering for their constituents.

The MP added that the issue is a "Westminster bubble" issue - and that is why she wants to see more cabinet ministers leave London and visit the country.

By Mickey Carroll, science and technology reporter

Away from the drama in the Labour Party, groups tackling AI-generated child sexual abuse material could be given more powers to protect children online under a proposed new law.

Organisations like the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), as well as AI developers themselves, will be able to test the ability of AI models to create such content without breaking the law.

That would mean they could tackle the problem at the source, rather than having to wait for illegal content to appear before they deal with it, according to Kerry Smith, chief executive of the IWF.

The IWF deals with child abuse images online, removing hundreds of thousands every year.

Ms Smith called the proposed law a "vital step to make sure AI products are safe before they are released".

Here is a bit more on the madness over the past 24 hours.

There has been lots of talk of plotting in recent days and it seems yesterday the prime minister's allies wanted to get out the idea that he would fight any challenge to try to quieten down the noise. 

The idea perhaps was to get this notion into a well-placed column or two and political pod here or there - a few of us were told about his intention to fight on. 

But that backfired (which given the febrile nature of Westminster right now is perhaps understandable) as Starmer fighting on became a big news story.  

Number 10 sources are now trying to put the genie back into the bottle. 

One figure tells me that, when asked about a challenge, there was a decision to make it clear and put it about that PM would stay on and fight. 

But I am also told by a source that there is frustration about how it played out and there hasn't been any attempt to brief against Wes Streeting and it "got out of control". 

A Number 10 source also tells me: "Wes is doing a good job, is an asset and doing a big speech today making the broader case of not cutting spending ahead of the budget"

One Streeting supporter tells me this morning: "Let's see how the day goes, but so far I'd say Wes is the winner." 

The wider view amongst those who think the prime minister might have to be replaced is that May would be the moment, not post budget. 

One informed senior figure told me this week that any move against Starmer would be far more likely to come after May rather than the budget.

This figure argued that many in the PLP could probably get around a combination of tax rises for wealthier workers, pensioners and landlords and more support for parents with more than two children in the budget - if that is what No 10 do. 

And any challenge, if it comes, would hinge on the ballot box test in the May elections.

There is a settled view among some very senior figures in the party that Starmer lacks the charisma and communication skills to take on Farage and win over the public - particularly if or when he breaks a bunch of manifesto pledges.

I will have lots more on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast later this week.