STREETING PREPARING TO RESIGN – The Health Secretary will trigger a Labour leadership contest against Sir Keir Starmer
Wes Streeting is reportedly preparing to resign as Health Secretary and trigger a Labour leadership contest against Sir Keir Starmer as soon as tomorrow.
Allies of Mr Streeting said he was “going to go for it” after he met the Prime Minister at Downing Street for just 16 minutes this morning.
News that the Health Secretary is planning to jump ship, first reported by The Times just minutes before the King’s Speech, is a major blow to Sir Keir’s premiership as he attempts to quell a mounting Labour rebellion. Mr Streeting is believed to be in the final stages of preparing the leadership coup. However, he will need the support of 81 Labour MPs, a fifth of the parliamentary party, to stand against Sir Keir.
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, was also seen leaving No 10 around an hour after the meeting with Mr Streeting.
Almost 100 Labour MPs have demanded that Sir Keir quit after last week’s local elections bloodbath, with four ministers, including a key ally of Mr Streeting, resigning in protest. But the Prime Minister has so far refused to step down and instead dared rebels to oust him during a tense Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
