Streeting becomes the first Cabinet official to step down as Starmer faces increasing calls to resign following Labour’s poor performance in last week’s local and regional elections.
Wes Streeting, the UK Health Secretary, resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Cabinet on Thursday, a move widely seen as a preliminary step toward challenging Starmer’s leadership.
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As the first Cabinet member to resign, Streeting’s departure adds pressure on Starmer, who is under scrutiny after Labour’s heavy losses in recent local and regional polls.
In his resignation letter shared on X, Streeting stated, «Where vision is required, there is an emptiness. Where firm direction is needed, there is only aimlessness.»
He added, «It is evident now that you will not lead the Labour Party into the upcoming general election and that both Labour MPs and Unions desire a debate grounded in ideas rather than personal or trivial factional conflicts.»
Thursday saw Starmer’s position growing increasingly precarious as prospective contenders, including his widely popular former deputy Angela Rayner, began positioning themselves for a possible leadership challenge.
Starmer, who ended 14 years of Conservative rule by securing the 2024 election, is currently battling to retain leadership following his party’s poor showing in local and regional elections last week.
Four junior ministers have resigned, and over 80 Labour MPs have called for him to step down; despite this, he remains determined to hold on, buoyed by support from more than 100 ruling party lawmakers.
No formal challengers have emerged yet, though media reports suggest Streeting is preparing a bid for the leadership.
Meanwhile, Rayner announced that HMRC had cleared her of intentional misconduct in a recent tax matter, paving the way for her potential participation in a leadership contest.
The 46-year-old confirmed she would not initiate a leadership contest but expressed her willingness to contribute in any capacity to «deliver change,» as told to The Guardian.
A leading left-wing voice popular among Labour activists, Rayner also urged Starmer to reconsider his leadership role.
After stepping down in September due to underpayment of a property tax, Rayner said Thursday that HMRC officially cleared her of deliberately trying to evade tax.
Reports indicate she paid off £40,000 (€46,195) in back taxes.
«I welcome HMRC’s findings, which have exonerated me from any wrongdoing,» she said in a public statement.
«My intention was to pay the correct tax amount. I acted with appropriate caution and integrity, following expert advice, which HMRC has acknowledged.»
Local election defeat
Streeting, 43, is favored by Labour’s right wing but faces resistance from left-leaning MPs who prefer either Rayner or Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as leader.
Burnham is currently ineligible to run since he does not hold a Westminster seat; his supporters are urging Starmer to set a clear exit plan that would permit Burnham’s candidacy.
Rayner resigned from her roles as deputy prime minister and housing, communities, and local government minister after an inquiry found she breached the ministerial code over a flat purchase in southern England.
Last week’s local elections dealt a blow to Starmer’s leadership after 22 months in office, with the far-right Reform UK party and the left-wing Greens making substantial gains at Labour’s expense.
For the first time, Labour lost control over the devolved Welsh parliament, failing also to reduce the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) majority in Edinburgh.
While Rayner stopped short of explicitly calling for Starmer’s resignation, she acknowledged voter dissatisfaction with current governance.
«The current approach is not effective and must be changed,» she expressed in a detailed, 1,000-word analysis of the party’s electoral setbacks on Sunday.
According to party regulations, any leadership challenger must secure backing from 81 Labour MPs, representing 20% of the parliamentary party, to initiate a contest.
Starmer declared his intention to resist any leadership challenge vigorously, pledging on Monday to improve and prove his critics wrong.
Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, commenting on the turmoil for the first time on Thursday, warned colleagues against jeopardizing the economy or plunging the nation into instability through a leadership battle.
Additional sources • AFP