Where does this mudslinging place Britain's government?
"It's not been our finest 24 hours since taking office," one top source within the administration admitted following mudslinging one way and another, some in public, considerably more confidentially.
The situation started following anonymous briefings to journalists, including myself, that Sir Keir would oppose any effort to remove him - while claiming senior ministers, such as Wes Streeting, were planning contests.
The Health Secretary maintained he was loyal with the Prime Minister while demanding those behind the briefings to face dismissal, with Starmer announced that negative comments targeting government officials were "unacceptable".
Doubts about whether Starmer had sanctioned the initial leaks to flush out potential challengers - and whether the sources were acting with his awareness, or endorsement, were added to the situation.
Was there going to be a probe regarding sources? Might there be sackings within what was labeled a "poisonous" Downing Street operation?
What did associates of Starmer trying to gain?
I have been making loads of phone calls to patch together what actually happened and in what position all this leaves Keir Starmer's government.
Exist crucial realities at the heart to this situation: the administration is unpopular along with the prime minister.
These realities are the rocket fuel behind the constant talks being heard regarding what the party is trying to do to address it and potential implications for how long the Prime Minister remains as Prime Minister.
But let's get to the aftermath of this internal conflict.
The Reconciliation
The prime minister along with the Health Secretary had a telephone conversation recently to patch things up.
Sources indicate Sir Keir said sorry to Wes Streeting in the brief call and they agreed to speak in further detail "soon".
The conversation avoided Morgan McSweeney, Starmer's top aide - who has become a lightning rod for blame from various sources including the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch publicly to party members both junior and senior in private.
Generally acknowledged as the mastermind of the election victory and the political brain behind Sir Keir's quick rise since switching from previous role, the chief of staff also finds himself among those facing criticism if the government operation appears to have stuttered, stumbled or outright failed.
There's no response to questions, while certain voices demand his head on a stick.
Detractors maintain that in government operations where his role requires to exercise numerous significant political decisions, responsibility falls to him for how all of this unfolded.
Others in the building assert no staff member was behind any briefing against a cabinet minister, after Wes Streeting said the individuals behind it ought to be dismissed.
Consequences
At the Prime Minister's office, there exists unspoken recognition that the Health Minister handled multiple pre-arranged interviews on Wednesday morning professionally and effectively - even while facing persistent queries about his own ambitions because the leaks concerning him came just hours before.
Among government members, he exhibited a nimbleness and knack for communication they desire the Prime Minister shared.
Furthermore, it was evident that at least some of those briefings that attempted to shore up the prime minister resulted in a chance for Streeting to declare he agreed with among fellow MPs who labeled Number 10 as problematic and biased and the individuals responsible for the briefings ought to be dismissed.
A complicated scenario.
"I'm a faithful" - the Health Secretary rejects suggestions to contest leadership for leadership.
Internal Reactions
The PM, it's reported, is furious about the way the situation has played out while investigating how it all happened.
What seems to have malfunctioned, from the administration's viewpoint, is both volume and emphasis.
Initially, they had, perhaps naively, thought that the briefings would generate media attention, but not continuous headline news.
Ultimately far more significant than expected.
I'd say a PM allowing such matters be revealed, through allies, relatively soon after a landslide general election win, would inevitably become front page major news – precisely as occurred, on these pages and others.
Furthermore, concerning focus, sources maintain they hadn't expected so much talk concerning Streeting, later significantly increased through multiple media appearances planned in advance the other day.
Others, certainly, determined that that was precisely the intention.
Wider Consequences
This represents additional time when government officials discuss lessons being learnt and on the backbenches numerous are annoyed concerning what appears as a ridiculous situation unfolding forcing them to firstly witness and then attempt to defend.
And they would rather not do either.
Yet a leadership and a prime minister with anxiety regarding their situation surpasses {than their big majority|their parliamentary advantage|their