Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is valued by Labour colleagues for his communication skills. As he considers a bid to challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership, the MPs supporting him are not ideological clones. Some are personal allies, while others simply see him as one of the few senior Labour figures capable of communicating beyond Westminster.
Zubir Ahmed
Former health minister Zubir Ahmed, the Glasgow South West MP, is among the small group of Streeting-supporting junior ministers who resigned on Tuesday. Working in Streeting's health department, the former surgeon collaborated closely with Streeting on NHS reform. Ahmed used his resignation to publicly criticise Starmer's leadership.
Jess Phillips
Former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, the Birmingham Yardley MP, also resigned on Tuesday as Streeting's allies sought to pick up momentum to push Starmer out. She departed with a stinging letter, saying the prime minister was too cautious and wedded to process to deliver bold action.
Joe Morris
Joe Morris, the MP for Hexham since 2024, was Streeting's own parliamentary private secretary (PPS). His resignation on Monday evening was seen as firing the starting gun on a possible Streeting bid. The two are close, with Streeting travelling north to campaign for Morris to become an MP.
Alex Davies-Jones
Alex Davies-Jones, the Pontypridd MP and former victims minister, is viewed by colleagues as in Streeting's orbit and resigned on Tuesday. She implored Starmer to act in the country's interest and set out a timetable for his departure.
Chris Curtis
Chris Curtis, chair of the Labour Growth Group and MP for Milton Keynes North, spoke after a speech by Starmer in London, saying it had not done enough to save the prime minister and that he should set a timetable to leave.
Alan Gemmell
Alan Gemmell, the Central Ayrshire MP and former diplomat, is close to Streeting and called on Starmer to resign on Monday.
Melanie Ward
Melanie Ward, MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, was PPS to David Lammy before stepping down on Monday amid a wave of resignations by Streeting allies.
Peter Kyle
Business secretary Peter Kyle has been publicly loyal to Starmer so far, but is very close friends with Streeting and shares a similar ideological viewpoint. Sent out to represent the government on Monday's early media round, Kyle dismissed the idea of Streeting mounting a challenge, saying they had gone to dinner and to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2 at the cinema.
