Wes Streeting becomes first Labour MP to openly seek replacement of PM Keir Starmer

LONDON: Former British health secretary Wes Streeting has become the first Labour MP to publicly confirm that he intends to bid to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer as leader of the ruling Labour Party.

Wes Streeting, 43, who resigned from his cabinet post earlier this week, announced his intention during a speech on Saturday, calling for a “proper contest” for the party leadership.

“I’ll be standing,” he declared, although he has not yet formally triggered a leadership challenge.

In his resignation letter, Streeting said he had “lost confidence” in Starmer’s leadership and argued that the British prime minister lacked both vision and direction.

Widely regarded as one of Labour’s strongest communicators, Streeting has become a prominent figure in British politics since helping front Labour’s successful 2024 general election campaign.

The outspoken politician, who comes from the party’s centrist and right-leaning wing, gained further visibility while overseeing England’s troubled National Health Service.

Political analysts say speculation about his leadership ambitions had circulated for months as Starmer faced mounting political difficulties.

Born to teenage parents and raised in a working-class housing complex in east London, Streeting frequently highlights his background and says his family life was far removed from Britain’s political elite.

After studying at University of Cambridge, he entered politics through the centrist think tank Progress, founded by allies of former prime minister Tony Blair.

Streeting was elected to parliament in 2015 and emerged as a vocal critic of Labour’s leftward shift under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Supporters describe him as a polished and direct communicator capable of reconnecting Labour with voters, while critics within the party accuse him of being overly ambitious and politically opportunistic.

Steven Fielding, a professor of British politics at the University of Nottingham, said Streeting possessed “a very acute political sense and an ability to communicate”, but questioned how different his politics would be from Starmer’s.

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Streeting’s approval ratings among the wider British public remain modest. According to polling by YouGov, he is viewed negatively by 30% of respondents and positively by only 12%.

The Labour politician is openly gay and has spoken publicly about the challenges of reconciling his Christian faith with his sexuality.

He has also faced criticism over his links to senior Labour figure Peter Mandelson, who recently came under scrutiny over his association with late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Streeting has denied being a close friend of Mandelson.