Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary, claiming it would be ‘dishonourable’ to remain in post.
Following several days of speculation, the Labour health secretary announced his resignation on Thursday (14 May), nearly two years after taking the post.
In his resignation letter, Streeting criticised prime minister Keir Starmer’s approach to internal dissent, stating: ‘Your heavy-handed approach to dissenting voices diminishes our politics.’
He added: ‘It is not 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. 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.’
It is understood that Streeting has spent the last few days seeking support from MPs for a potential leadership challenge. However, his decision not to move immediately suggests he doesn’t have the 81 MPs required to trigger a formal contest.
Streeting’s exit comes after several of his close allies, including Jess Philips, Zubir Ahmed and Alex Davies-Jones, also stepped down and called for Starmer to quit.
If Starmer does not resign, he would automatically appear on the ballot in any leadership contest. Any such race would mark the first attempt to unseat a sitting Labour prime minister through a formal challenge.
In the letter, Streeting said the local election results showed leadership was at the heart of Labour’s problems. He wrote: ‘There are many reasons we could point to: from individual mistakes on policy, like the decision to cut the winter fuel allowance, to the ‘island of strangers’ speech, all of which have left the country not knowing who we are or what we really stand for.
‘Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift. This was underscored by your speech on Monday. Leaders take responsibility, but too often that has meant other people falling on their swords. You also need to listen to your colleagues, including backbenchers, and the heavy-handed approach to dissenting voices diminishes our politics.’
After the general election in July 2024, Streeting said: ‘From today, the policy of this department is that the NHS is broken.’ Arguably, the statement is more relevant than ever.
During the King’s Speech, the government said abolishing NHS England would be one of its main priorities for the year ahead. However, following today’s developments, it is unclear how those plans will move forward.
For further analysis of what Streeting’s resignation could mean for the NHS and social care, The Kings Fund has published a detailed blog on the subject, which can be read here.
UPDATE:
James Murray has been appointed as the new secretary of state for health and social care.
In a post on X, Streeting said: ‘He inherits a wonderful team and an important mission. He has my full support.’
Murray was first elected as an MP in 2019, with his previous roles including exchequer secretary to the treasury and shadow financial secretary.
What’s more, he also served as an executive member for housing and development at Islington Council from 2010 to 2016, after being elected as a councillor for the authority in 2006.
Image: Openverse
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