Wes Streeting risks inflaming Labour’s infighting by poking fun at attacks on Sue Gray’s enormous salary and power, joking that she was accused of “shooting JFK” … while Ed Miliband claims being in government is “like playing Mario Kart”.

Wes Streeting risked fuelling the internal power struggle within the Labour Party by mockingly attacking Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial chief of staff, Sue Gray.

Leaked information about Mrs Gray’s salary, which at £170,000 is higher than that of the Prime Minister, has fuelled reports of a civil war within the No 10 Year 11 team.

There were also acrimonious briefings over Ms Gray’s role in Downing Street, amid claims of a power struggle among the Prime Minister’s senior aides.

It was a miserable start to Sir Keir’s first Labour Party conference as Prime Minister, which was also dominated by a row over the acceptance of lavish gifts.

But Health Secretary Streeting last night sought to defuse tensions over Ms Gray’s role by downplaying briefings about her powers and salary.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” he joked. “Sue Gray hid Lord Lucan and shot JFK, and I can’t even tell you what she did to Shergar.”

“Honestly, I don’t know how we’re going to recover from this.”

His cabinet colleague Ed Miliband also supported Ms Gray, comparing the Labour Party’s power to the video game Mario Kart because “things come flying at you and you just have to keep going”.

Leaked information about Ms Gray’s £170,000 salary – higher than the Prime Minister’s – has added fuel to reports of a civil war within Sir Keir’s nomination team.

Ed Miliband supported Ms Gray, comparing Labour’s power to the video game Mario Kart because “things come flying at you and you just have to get on with it”.

Bitter briefings about Ms Gray made for a miserable start to Sir Keir’s first Labour conference as prime minister, which was also dominated by a row over his acceptance of lavish gifts.

Speaking to the New Statesman, the Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero Emissions said: “What keeps you in government is the issue.”

‘[Harold] Macmillan said, “Events, my boy, events.” Well, what keeps you going is a sense of direction and momentum.

“It’s like the video game Mario Kart. You drive, things fly at you and you just have to keep driving.”

Mr Miliband also praised Ms Gray for the role she played before the general election and now since Labour took power.

“If you take Sue Gray, she played an incredibly important and positive role when she came in when we were in opposition and she plays an incredibly positive role in government,” he added.

“When you speak to Cabinet ministers and mayors, they can testify to how Sue is helping to deliver the government’s agenda and what a difference she is making.”

The leaks about Ms Gray’s lavish salary came after other special advisers’ salaries were also cut.

Speaking at a conference event last night hosted by the Labour Together think tank, Mr Streeting mocked the BBC for revealing that Mrs Gray earns more than Sir Keir, namely £166,786.

He said: “I welcome the BBC’s belief that no one should earn more than the Prime Minister, that no one should be treated with hospitality and that we should judge performance by social media mentions. Comrades, be careful what we wish for.”

Ms Gray is not expected to attend the Labour conference in Liverpool this week, but Sky News reported that she is in Downing Street working on government affairs and on preparations for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.

Sir Keir insisted he was “in full control” despite the briefings against Ms Gray.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said yesterday she was angry at attempts to “demonise workers in their workplace by the press and the media”.