James Murray, the former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has been appointed Health Secretary following Wes Streeting’s resignation, Downing Street confirmed. Mr Streeting stepped down on Thursday, stating he had “concluded that it would be dishonourable and unprincipled” to remain in the Cabinet under Sir Keir Starmer. He pointed to a “drift” at the top of government and told the Prime Minister it is “clear” he will not lead Labour into the next election.
Streeting’s Resignation Letter
In his resignation letter, Mr Streeting attributed the “unprecedented” local election results partly to “the unpopularity of this Government”. He cited “individual mistakes on policy like the decision to cut the winter fuel allowance to the ‘island of strangers’ speech, all of which have left the country not knowing who we are or what we really stand for.” While acknowledging Sir Keir’s “many great strengths” and “courage and statesmanship on the world stage”, he criticised a lack of vision and direction. “Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift,” he wrote, also condemning the “heavy-handed approach to dissenting voices”.
Prime Minister’s Response
In a letter accepting the resignation, the Prime Minister expressed hope that the two “can work together to show that Labour in power can address the problems our opponents exploit”. Mr Streeting stopped short of launching a leadership bid but urged Sir Keir to allow the “best possible field of candidates” to replace him. His move could precipitate a contest, with Angela Rayner, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, armed forces minister Al Carns, and Andy Burnham among potential contenders.
Andy Burnham’s Ambitions
Mr Burnham has announced he will seek to stand for Labour in a by-election after an MP quit to make way for the Greater Manchester Mayor to return to Parliament and challenge Sir Keir Starmer. He expressed a desire to “bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people”. Josh Simons, Labour MP for Makerfield, confirmed he would stand down to enable Mr Burnham to “drive the change our country is crying out for”.
Mr Streeting congratulated the new Health Secretary on X, writing: “Congratulations to @jamesmurray_ldn on his promotion to Health & Social Care Secretary. He inherits a wonderful team and an important mission. He has my full support.” The resignation follows days of turmoil after Labour’s poor local election results, intensifying calls for the Prime Minister to step down.
