May 14, 2:51 PM
UK Health Minister Wes Streeting Preparing to Resign and Launch Leadership Bid, Report Says
A brief meeting with Keir Starmer. Nomination papers being discussed. The King's Speech is happening, but Streeting's mind may already be elsewhere.
Britain's health minister, Wes Streeting, is preparing to resign and could quit as early as Thursday, according to a report in the Times. The newspaper added that he is likely to mount a formal challenge for the Labour Party leadership.
Streeting had a brief meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday ahead of the King's Speech, the report said, citing allies of Streeting who claimed he had made clear he was determined to proceed with the challenge. Discussions have also taken place about preparing nomination papers for lawmakers to back a leadership challenge, according to the Times.
For now, the official line is more cautious. The Times quoted a spokesman for Streeting as saying: "Wes is the Health Secretary, he is proud of his record of falling waiting lists and a recovering NHS. He is not planning to say anything following his meeting with the Prime Minister that might distract from the King's Speech."
There was no immediate comment from his office.
The timing is delicate. The King's Speech is a set-piece parliamentary event where the government lays out its legislative agenda. Resigning on the same day would be a distraction of the highest order – which is precisely what Streeting's spokesman says he wants to avoid. But the fact that the story is out, and that nomination papers are being discussed, suggests the move is coming regardless.
Streeting has been one of the more prominent faces of Starmer's cabinet, frequently touting progress on NHS waiting lists. A leadership challenge would pit him directly against the prime minister, who has faced growing internal discontent over various policy issues. Whether Streeting has the numbers to succeed is another matter. But first, he has to resign. And that could happen as early as Thursday.
The Times report did not specify what triggered the decision, but allies suggest Streeting has been considering the move for some time. For Starmer, it is yet another headache. For Streeting, it is a gamble. And for the NHS? The waiting lists will have to wait.
Written by Thorben Thiede
