Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary on Thursday, launching a blistering attack on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. While the ambitious MP is not expected to trigger an immediate official leadership contest, his intervention has further dented Starmer's already ailing authority and made a challenge in the coming weeks even more likely. Here, we examine what Streeting said in his resignation letter and what he truly meant.
'Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift'
Streeting is homing in on one of the most common criticisms of the prime minister: that he lacks a vision for government. Starmer's ideological pragmatism may have won him a landslide election victory, allowing him to shape-shift into a party leader who united a broad, albeit shallow, coalition. However, it has also caused him to struggle in office. Starmer is more a technocrat than a visionary, often bogged down in day-to-day governance rather than implementing the sweeping changes he promised and voters desperately need.
'Leaders take responsibility, but too often that has meant other people falling on their swords'
Sir Keir Starmer has overseen a massive turnover of senior government positions as he repeatedly attempted to reset his agenda amid growing criticism. From Sue Gray, his former chief of staff sacked just months into the government, to foreign office chief Sir Olly Robbins, the prime minister has ousted several key players. Streeting is making clear that it is time for the prime minister to take responsibility himself rather than letting others fall on their swords.
'You also need to listen to your colleagues, including backbenchers, and the heavy-handed approach to dissenting voices diminishes our politics'
Streeting's letter also highlights claims that Starmer cannot listen to advice and pushes out dissenting voices. This has been evident in the tight control he has exerted over the Labour Party, repeatedly stripping the whip from MPs who rebelled on issues like the two-child benefit cap or welfare changes.
'It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election... Labour MPs and Labour Unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism. It needs to be broad, and it needs the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope that you will facilitate this.'
The former health secretary is trying to show he has the party's best interests at heart, not his own ambitions. While many saw his resignation letter as the starting gun for a leadership challenge, his allies have told The Independent that he will not trigger a contest today, pointing to this line. Streeting is trying to avoid accusations of being self-serving or overly ambitious, which would likely be levelled at him if he triggered a quick contest before rival Andy Burnham, seen as the most popular choice, has a chance to return to Westminster. Streeting is also hoping the prime minister will voluntarily resign, rather than forcing Streeting to wield the knife and face accusations of treachery.
