Wes Streeting Resigns From Government With Ferocious Attack On Keir Starmer

Wes Streeting has resigned as Keir Starmer’s health secretary with a ferocious attack on the prime minister.

The MP for Ilford North hit out at the prime minister in a statement, saying: “As you know from our conversation earlier this week, having lost confidence in your leadership, I have concluded that it would be dishonourable and unprincipled to do so.”

It comes after more than 90 Labour MPs publicly called for Starmer to resign, while four ministers and four ministerial aides quit and urged the prime minister to set out a timetable for his departure.

Fury towards Starmer reached a tipping point after Labour’s catastrophic results in last week’s elections in England, Scotland and Wales.

Streeting has long-held ambitions to be the prime minister and speculation he would offer a direct challenge to Starmer mounted this week as the ex-health secretary’s allies pointedly called for the PM to step down.

Angela Rayner is also now free to launch a leadership bid having been cleared of any wrongdoing by the tax man this week.

The former deputy prime minister has paid the £40,000 she owed His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, who said they were satisfied there had been no tax avoidance.

She refused to rule out standing in a contest but insisted she would not directly challenge Starmer.

Any challenger needs the support of 20% of the Parliamentary Labour Party, working out to 81 MPs according to its current number of seats.

Only Starmer himself would not need to meet that threshold as he is the incumbent leader, meaning he is automatically on the ballot. 

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