‘I’ll be standing’: Streeting gears up to join leadership race as Burnham vows to save Labour
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has confirmed he will join any potential leadership race, as pressure piles on Starmer’s premiership.
Speaking to Sky News, Streeting spoke of his intention to join the race.
He said: “We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I’ll be standing.”
He went on to confirm that he wouldn’t trigger an immediate contest as it wasn’t in the “party’s interest” or national interest.
He argued going ahead with an immediate contest would mean “the new leader, whether it was me or anyone else, would lack the legitimacy and so we would end up extending instability and uncertainty.”
He also repeated his call for Sir Keir Starmer to “set out a proper leadership timetable”, and to “give his ministers the freedom to nominate whoever they want to see as leader of our party and the prime minister of our country”.
Week of speculation
Streeting’s declaration follows days of speculation over whether Streeting would put himself forward for the top job after resigning from his position in cabinet.
The former health secretary posted a letter on X where he refers to last week’s local election results as “unprecedented – both in terms of the scale of the defeat and the consequences of that failure”.
He added there is “no doubt that the unpopularity of this government was a major and common factor” in the losses last week.
Facing Burnham
Streeting will most likely take on Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for the position in No 10, after he confirmed his intention to fight for a return to Westminster.
Burnham will run in the Makerfield by-election after MP Josh Simons said he would step down in order to allow Burnham to run.
Andy Burnham told the BBC he’s running in the Makerfield by-election to “save” Labour.
He said Labour has to acknowledge it has “not been good enough”, adding it “requires a lot of change”.
He said: “We’ve got to see this as a moment to reclaim the Labour Party, to save it from where it’s been. We can’t just carry on as we are.”
“I want Labour solidly to be the part of working class people people are working class and that requires a lot of change.”
Westminster was thrown into turmoil amid the resignations, which included Jess Phillips.
James Murray, MP for Ealing North, was appointed health secretary following Streeting’s resignation, while Lucy Rigby was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Rachel Blake was appointed City minister.
No formal leadership challenge has yet been triggered.