Wes Streeting resigns as health secretary

Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary, saying he has lost confidence in Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's leadership.

In his resignation letter, Streeting said it was clear Sir Keir would not lead Labour into the next general election.

Streeting said Labour MPs and unions would want a "debate about what comes next" but did not say he was formally launching a challenge to Sir Keir's leadership.

It comes after days of intense speculation that Streeting was planning a bid to replace Sir Keir as Labour leader, with allies saying he would do so as soon as Thursday.

Streeting met the prime minister in 10 Downing Street for less than 20 minutes on Wednesday morning, after dozens of Labour MPs urged Sir Keir to stand down.

Highlighting his record as health secretary, including a reduction in NHS waiting times, Streeting said there were "good reasons for me to remain in post".

But he added: "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."

Blaming the "unpopularity of this government" for Labour's dire results in last week's elections, Streeting said Labour needed a vision but instead "we have a vacuum".

"Leaders take responsibility, but too often that has meant other people falling on their swords," Streeting said.

He said the country faced big challenges "that require a bold vision and bigger solutions than we are offering".

"It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism," Streeting said.

"It needs to be broad, and it needs the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope that you will facilitate this."

Streeting would need the support of 81 Labour MPs to trigger a leadership contest under the party's rules.

Allies of Streeting said he did have the numbers, but decided to put pressure on the prime minister to set out a timetable for his departure, rather than kick off an immediate leadership contest.

Alan Gemmell – who is backing Streeting to be the next Labour leader – insisted the former health secretary had the support of more than 81 MPs.

The MP for Central Ayrshire told the BBC Streeting had "taken a principled decision today not to trigger a contest".

"It's clear in conversations with MPs and with the unions that the party wants a discussion, a battle of ideas, an open contest, a broad contest for the direction that we should take and how we fix the problems that we're in," he said.

Indicating he expected Streeting to challenge Sir Keir, he added: "I'm sure that we will see Wes making the argument for why he would be a great leader of our country."

Streeting's call for a "broad" debate about the party's leadership, with the "best possible field of candidates" suggests a desire to include other senior Labour politicians in the process.

Although he does not name the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in his resignation letter, Streeting appears to nod towards his inclusion in any future contest.

Burnham would need to win a parliamentary by-election and become an MP to enter a Labour leadership contest, a complicated endeavour fraught with risk and uncertainty.

Streeting's strategy appears to be getting his supporters to pile pressure on the prime minister to quit.

"We wait and see what Keir does," said one senior ally of the former health secretary.

"There's still a chance Keir goes of his own accord and sets a timetable and ends this chaos."

Supporters of Streeting suggest more ministers could resign from government later on Thursday, although not necessarily at cabinet level.

Sir Keir is battling to save his premiership after four junior ministers quit and dozens of Labour MPs urged him to resign following last week's heavy losses in elections across England, Scotland and Wales.

On Wednesday evening, Sir Keir held a series of meetings with Labour MPs and ministers in Parliament, telling colleagues: "We cannot let a leadership contest plunge us into chaos - a challenge would 100% do that."