Wes Streeting snapped at Kemi Badenoch after she mocked him over his planned coup against Sir Keir Starmer.
The Tory leader told Mr Streeting to “do your job” as Health Secretary during a Commons debate on the King’s Speech today.
Mr Streeting is reportedly planning to resign and launch a Labour leadership challenge against the Prime Minister as soon as tomorrow.
The Health Secretary met Sir Keir at No 10 this morning for 16 minutes, to air his concerns about the leadership crisis engulfing Downing Street. Less than two hours later, reports emerged that he had told friends he was planning a challenge.
Mrs Badenoch said that the King’s Speech drawn up by Sir Keir amounted to “a load of reannounced policies”, adding: “Scrapping NHS England [was] something the Prime Minister announced 14 months ago.
“But then I suppose the Health Secretary has been a bit distracted lately, hasn’t he? He’s chuntering now…”
Responding to Mr Streeting’s protestations in the Commons, which were unclear, she continued: “Why don’t you just do your job? Do your job! There’s no point him giving me dirty looks, we all know what he’s been up to. He knows, we know.”
Mrs Badenoch also accused Sir Keir of being “in office but not in power” as he attempts to quell a growing Labour backlash against his leadership.
Almost 100 Labour MPs have demanded that Sir Keir quit after last week’s local elections bloodbath, with four ministers, including a key ally of Mr Streeting, resigning in protest.
In a further blow to Sir Keir’s authority, all 11 trade unions affiliated to the Labour Party issued a joint statement today urging the Prime Minister to stand aside.