Wes Streeting has issued fresh pledges on tax and energy production as he spelled out the differences between him and main leadership rival, Andy Burnham. The former Health Secretary said his premiership would break with Keir Starmer's by issuing licences for new drilling in the North Sea.
In a rebuke to Ed Miliband's slavish addiction to Net Zero, Mr Streeting said the present ban is like 'cutting off our own nose to spite our face'. The bullish leadership contender said: 'The granting of those licences will not necessarily translate into cheaper bills, but it will translate into higher tax receipts.'
'We do have to take climate change globally much more seriously and go aggressively towards more renewable energy. But there's sometimes a danger of Britain wanting to lead the world. We cut off our own nose to spite our face without contributing to the greater whole,' he added.
Speaking to the Sunday Times as he toured the country visiting local Labour Party branches, Mr Streeting also appeared to side with critics of Rachel Reeves, who argue she has fuelled the youth unemployment crisis by hiking taxes on businesses. Mr Streeting warned: 'We have to make it easier for businesses to employ young people and for businesses to take that risk on someone.'
'I think we should be thinking actively about how to incentivise, whether that's through targeted reduction in employers' national insurance or other kinds of recruitment and retention incentives,' he said.
But while he agreed with Sir Tony Blair on the issue of business taxes, Mr Streeting issued a slapdown of the former prime minister's essay on Sir Keir Starmer's failings. He argued: 'Blair's done himself a disservice proposing a prescription that was absent of any values. I feel the Tony Blair of 1997, or the Tony Blair of 2007 for that matter, would have been making an argument that said, 'Okay, big revolution coming, how do we apply traditional values in a modern setting?''
Today, Mr Streeting will make a speech on the NHS in an attempt to shore up his credentials to be the next prime minister. As MPs debate the NHS Modernisation Bill, which he drafted before quitting as Health Secretary last month, Mr Streeting will urge the Government not to abandon its reform agenda for the service.
Mr Streeting is set to highlight a list of self-proclaimed successes seen by the NHS on his watch, citing the Government hitting its target to cut maximum waiting times, as he seeks to emphasise his record of delivery as a minister. But he will insist he did not achieve improvements in the NHS simply because Rachel Reeves threw more cash at the service.
He will tell MPs: 'Investment matters, but we're combining investment with reform: embracing technology, cutting bureaucracy, improving productivity and changing how care is delivered.'
Polls suggest Mr Streeting would be beaten by an Andy Burnham landslide. His interview this weekend appeared to make overtures to Mr Burnham, as he considers positioning himself to serve in his rival's Cabinet. The Ilford North MP insisted he is not competing 'against' the Manchester mayor. He said: 'I don't see people inside the party as kind of enemies or opponents. I'm not someone who is hostile to Andy Burnham in any sense.'
