Health Secretary Wes Streeting has declared that taxes in Britain are currently 'too high', while skilfully avoiding direct questions about his ambitions to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader.
Tax Burden and Brexit's Economic Shadow
In a candid interview with The Observer, the cabinet minister expressed significant unease with the nation's fiscal landscape. Mr Streeting stated he was "really uncomfortable with the level of taxation in this country," highlighting the heavy demands placed on both individuals and businesses. This concern follows the November Budget, where Chancellor Rachel Reeves implemented tax rises totalling £26 billion.
He directly linked the need for economic growth to the UK's relationship with Europe, warning that the country had taken a "massive economic hit" from Brexit. The Health Secretary argued that "the best way for us to get more growth into our economy is a deeper trading relationship with the EU." While he praised the Prime Minister's recent 'reset' with the bloc as a good start, he ruled out any return to freedom of movement.
The Labour Leadership 'Soap Opera'
With Labour trailing Nigel Farage's Reform UK in recent polls, speculation about Sir Keir Starmer's future has intensified. Mr Streeting, widely seen as a frontrunner alongside Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and former deputy PM Angela Rayner, was pressed on his leadership aspirations.
He described recent media coverage of a potential challenge as a "silly soap opera" that bore no resemblance to reality. "I'm diplomatically ducking the question to avoid any more of the silly soap opera we've had in the last few months," he said, though he did not explicitly rule himself out. He insisted Sir Keir had his "absolute support" and considered a recent row over negative briefings from inside Number 10 to be "water under the bridge."
The interview comes just a week after Mr Streeting voiced frustration in the New Statesman about the government's "practical, technocratic approach," warning it risked being seen as merely the "maintenance department for the country."
Contenders and Public Endorsements
The leadership speculation has been fuelled by public comments from senior figures. Last week, former Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared to endorse Shabana Mahmood as a future leader, praising her as "brilliant" and "impressive".
On Sunday, Labour chair Anna Turley was forced to affirm that Sir Keir would "of course, absolutely" still be Prime Minister next Christmas. When asked if the UK would elect a gay Prime Minister, Mr Streeting pointed to the country's progressive record, highlighting the atheist PM with a Jewish wife who succeeded the first Hindu PM.
The political manoeuvring unfolds against a challenging economic backdrop, with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) stating that none of the measures in November's Budget would have a "material effect" on growth, placing further pressure on the government's economic strategy.
