Wes Streeting, who recently stepped down as the U.K. health secretary, declared on Saturday his intention to succeed Keir Starmer as the Labour leader and prime minister. This announcement follows Labour’s poor performance in recent local elections. Streeting voiced his determination at a London think tank event, urging for a competitive leadership race. This comes as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham also expressed his intent to pursue a seat in Parliament, potentially positioning himself for a future leadership contest.
Success for Burnham in securing a parliamentary position could enable him to compete in what seems to be an inevitable Labour leadership challenge, despite it not being formally initiated yet. Wes Streeting attended the Progress Conference in London, highlighting his readiness for the contest. His resignation letter sharply criticized Starmer’s leadership, stating concerns about Starmer’s capability to lead the Labour Party into the next general election and pointed to a lack of vision within the party.
This resignation contributes to a growing list, alongside four other members of Starmer’s government, who departed following the election losses. Nigel Farage and his party, Reform U.K., saw substantial gains across England. Streeting, known for his political aspirations, joins the list of potential leaders aiming to dethrone the prime minister.
According to Labour’s rules, a leadership contest requires backing from at least 20% of its members of parliament. Currently, Starmer remains resolute, emphasizing that any leadership change would disrupt government operations at a critical time, when focus should be on issues like the cost of living crisis and conflicts abroad. Starmer has served as leader for nearly two years after Labour won a significant victory in the last parliamentary elections.