Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is preparing to resign from his cabinet position and mount a formal challenge for the leadership of the Labour Party as early as Thursday, according to sources close to him. The move comes amid deep frustration with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership, with allies of Streeting indicating that he intends to trigger a leadership election.
Leadership Bid Imminent
Allies of Streeting have stated that he plans to stand down as health secretary, potentially triggering a contest for the party's top job. Downing Street insiders had previously suggested that Streeting did not yet have the required support from 81 MPs needed to formally launch a leadership bid, following an ultimatum from Starmer to "put up or shut up." However, a source close to the health secretary dismissed the idea that Starmer had seen off a putsch as "laughable."
"No one has the numbers till the bell is struck, even canvassing isn't real, people need certainty before they write their name down. But he thinks he's got the numbers," the source told the Guardian. A second MP, also close to the Streeting camp, confirmed they had been involved in discussions about securing the requisite numbers and had begun ringing around MPs.
Support and Timing
Two other MPs said they had been contacted by allies of Streeting on Tuesday evening, with one being told: "He's going for it." However, one of these MPs expressed uncertainty about whether Streeting had sufficient backing to follow through with the plan. The briefing and its timing, minutes before the start of the king's speech, caused annoyance among some Starmer allies in the cabinet. "It's not great for this to happen with the monarch in parliament," one source commented.
Streeting held brief talks with Starmer in Downing Street on Wednesday morning, but his spokesperson said he would not comment afterwards to avoid distracting from the king's speech. Starmer's official spokesperson declined to disclose the details of their discussion but confirmed that Streeting remained in his job and that "the prime minister has full confidence in the health secretary."
Reactions from Allies
Another MP, a close ally of Starmer, said the prime minister had always believed Streeting would not win the party and that he would fight any challenge, despite intense pressure from MPs who have publicly called for his resignation. One cabinet ally of the prime minister told the Guardian: "Personally I'd throw him in the river but luckily Keir Starmer is a calm and patient person."
Earlier on Wednesday, Zubir Ahmed, a close ally of Streeting who quit as a minister on Tuesday, renewed calls for the prime minister to resign, stating that his authority had "irretrievably ebbed away."
