Health Secretary Wes Streeting became the first senior minister to quit on Thursday in what was seen as a precursor to challenging Starmer’s leadership. He said he had lost confidence in Starmer, who should not serve out the rest of his term.
“You have shown courage and statesmanship on the world stage — not least in keeping Britain out of the war in Iran,” Streeting wrote in an excoriating resignation letter.
“But where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift.”
But Streeting stopped short of saying he was the best candidate to lead the party at the next election due by 2029, suggesting Starmer should step aside to allow a “broad” field of candidates to debate the future of the party.
Starmer is under growing pressure to step down after disastrous results for his Labour Party last week in local and regional elections. The election drubbing cemented doubts among many party members about Starmer’s judgment, vision and leadership ability — a brutal indictment on a leader who returned Labour to power in July 2024 after 14 years in opposition.
Starmer responded in a generous letter to Streeting, saying he was “truly sorry” to see him leave the government and praised his stewardship of the state-run National Health Service.
Making no reference to Streeting’s criticisms, Starmer laid out his hope the two “can work together to show that Labour in power can address the problems our opponents exploit, can instal hope where they want despair, and can bring people together where they want division”.
If Starmer doesn’t step down, any challenger would need support from a fifth of Labour lawmakers, or 81, to trigger a leadership contest.
For days, Streeting had been expected to launch a bid on Thursday but the wording of his statement stoked speculation he didn’t have enough votes yet, or that he was giving Starmer a chance to announce his resignation on his own terms.
Another likely challenger, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, said on Thursday that she had reached an agreement with authorities to clear up questions about her taxes that forced her to leave the cabinet last September.
Rayner told The Guardian newspaper that Starmer should “reflect on” his position, adding that she was ready to “play my part” in any leadership election if Streeting triggered a contest.
A third rival, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, was ineligible for the leadership because he didn’t have a seat in parliament, but on Thursday afternoon a Labour lawmaker announced that he was standing aside so that Burnham could run in a special election. If he’s elected, Burnham could then run for the leadership.
“There is only so much that can be done from Greater Manchester. Much bigger change is needed at a national level if everyday life is to be made more affordable again,” he said, on X.
“This is why I now seek people’s support to return to Parliament: to bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people.”
Race to unseat Starmer heats up
Pressure for Starmer to step aside has intensified since Labour suffered heavy losses in local and regional elections last week, underscoring voter frustration with a government that has failed to deliver on pledges to boost economic growth and improve living standards for working people.
A stagnant economy and stubbornly high inflation have made it difficult for Starmer’s government to deliver on the promises it made when winning a landslide election victory less than two years ago.
Starmer has vowed to remain in office, warning lawmakers that any leadership contest would destabilise the government when it should be focused on issues like the cost of living crisis and war in the Middle East.
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