Who would be in Wes Streeting’s corner if he ran for the Labour leadership?
For all that Labour’s left denounce Wes Streeting as a reincarnated Blairite, he has friendships and alliances across various Labour factions, not all of which lean into each other.As he considers a bid to challenge Keir Starmer, 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.Former health ministerThe 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.Former safeguarding ministerOne of the better-known ministers, despite her officially junior role covering safeguarding in the Home Office, Phillips also resigned on Tuesday as Streeting’s allies sought to pick up momentum to push Starmer out.The Birmingham Yardley MP departed with a stinging letter of departure, saying the prime minister was too cautious and wedded to process to deliver bold action, even in her vital brief.Former parliamentary private secretary to StreetingThe MP for Hexham since 2024 – the first Labour representative for the Northumberland seat since it was created – was Streeting’s own parliamentary private secretary (PPS), the lowest rung of frontbench work.His resignation on Monday evening was seen as firing the starting gun on a possible Streeting bid.
The two are close – Streeting travelled north to campaign for Morris to become an MP,Former victims ministerThe Pontypridd MP, who was the well-regarded victims minister in the Home Office, is also viewed by colleagues as in Streeting’s orbit, and resigned on Tuesday,She was also adamant that Starmer should step down, writing in her resignation letter to him: “I implore you to act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure,”Chair of Labour Growth GroupAnother 2024-intake MP, after taking Milton Keynes North from the Conservatives, Curtis is chair of the influential Labour Growth Group, which lobbies on economic and planning reform,Speaking on Monday after a speech by Starmer in London, Curtis said it had not done enough to save the prime minister, and that he should set a timetable to leave.
MP for Central AyrshireYet another member of the 2024 intake, the Central Ayrshire MP and former diplomat is close to Streeting, and like Curtis, on Monday called on Starmer to resign.Former parliamentary private secretary to David LammyAlso a 2024 arrival, and also a Scottish MP, representing Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, Ward was PPS to David Lammy, the justice secretary and deputy PM, before stepping down on Monday amid a wave of resignations by Streeting allies.Business secretaryThe business secretary has been publicly loyal to Starmer so far, and thus has not acted like an outrider, as those above have.But Kyle, who represents Hove and Portslade, 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 that in the wake of last week’s local elections, rather than plotting the pair had gone out to dinner and to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2 at the cinema.
‘Hold the line’: Burnham tells allies in parliament he still has options to return
Andy Burnham has told Labour MPs they should hold the line and that he has options to return to parliament after several seats identified by his allies failed to materialise.Two seats that backers of the Greater Manchester mayor had described as “nailed on” as recently as Monday night are now out of contention after the MPs concerned got cold feet.Burnham spoke to a number of MPs by phone on Tuesday and assured them that he still intended to seek an imminent return to parliament.The Guardian was told by two MPs on Wednesday that Jeff Smith, who represents Manchester Withington, an affluent suburb of the city, was in talks about stepping aside for Burnham, but his friends denied it. Asked whether he was about to make way, Smith told the Press Association he was not
‘It’s more incrementalism’: Starmer’s safe king’s speech fails to quell mutiny
For Keir Starmer’s Labour critics, his second king’s speech, in which the government set out what it would do in parliament over the next 12 to 18 months, was a crystallisation of everything that was wrong with the prime minister’s strategy.Over 34 bills and three draft ones, Starmer set out a programme he said would “make this country stronger and fairer”. But the package, which included limiting trial by jury, reshaping the NHS and moving the country closer to the EU, fell short of what some in the prime minister’s party feel is needed to win back voters’ trust.“Most of this is incrementalism,” said one Labour MP. “This sums up where we have gone wrong in the first two years in government
Starmer has ‘full confidence’ in Streeting despite health secretary’s allies saying he is planning to resign – as it happened
Downing Street has now confirmed that Wes Streeting is still health secretary. The PM’s spokesperson told reporters the prime minister has “full confidence” in the health secretary.Allies of Wes Streeting have said he is preparing to stand down as health secretary amid deep frustration with Keir Starmer’s leadership, and could mount a formal challenge for the leadership as early as Thursday.Keir Starmer has put long-promised changes to education, health and the courts at the heart of his agenda for the next year, as the embattled prime minister looks to prove he can enact the scale of change being demanded by Labour MPs and voters. There were 37 bills in the speech
Labour politicians should put the country before their party | Letters
As an active and loyal Labour member, I am infuriated by what is happening within the party (Burnham allies warn against quick ‘coronation’ of Streeting if Starmer quits, 12 May). The ongoing circus about the leadership is a terrible distraction from the numerous global and national issues that the government and the prime minister should be focused on. But the most infuriating aspect of the entire shambles is the relentless speculation and briefings from so-called “allies” of Andy Burham.No Labour member has an innate right to be selected as a parliamentary candidate. The assertion that a sitting Labour MP should give up the seat voters elected them to, necessitating a byelection so that Burnham can run, then assuming that he would automatically retain the seat, is arrogance beyond belief
Labour lost the vote of small business owners like me | Letter
Your report (Reform wins across northern England overturn decades of Labour control, 8 May) touched on Labour losing support among small business owners. I wanted to offer the perspective of a small independent business owner who has traditionally supported Labour.Labour’s poor local election results may reflect a growing frustration among small business owners who no longer feel recognised as “working people”. In hospitality, hair and beauty, retail and trades, there are thousands upon thousands of us keeping local economies alive while taking home increasingly modest incomes ourselves.Last year, our small independent restaurant in Margate turned over roughly £350,000
King’s speech might be the last word on Starmer as reluctant monarch does his duty | John Crace
The king looked fed up. His attempts to throw a sickie had come to nothing. Did the government really want to go ahead with the state opening? Apparently it did. Would it be OK if he phoned it in? He fancied a day working from palace. It wouldn’t be OK
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