Wes Streeting Resigns as Health Secretary
Wes Streeting has resigned as Health Secretary and urged Sir Keir Starmer to step down as Prime Minister, intensifying growing unrest within the Labour Party following heavy election setbacks across the UK.
The resignation marks the first departure from Starmer’s Cabinet since mounting criticism of the Prime Minister’s leadership emerged after Labour suffered significant losses in recent local elections in England, as well as parliamentary contests in Scotland and Wales.
Pressure on Starmer has increased sharply in recent days, with reports indicating that dozens of Labour MPs have publicly called for him to resign amid concerns over the party’s direction and declining public support.
In a resignation letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Streeting stopped short of launching his own leadership bid but argued that Labour should now hold an open leadership contest involving a wide field of candidates. He is also understood to have suggested that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham should be encouraged to take part in any future contest.
Streeting said the recent election results had convinced him that concerns surrounding Starmer’s leadership were central to Labour’s declining support among voters.
He pointed to a series of controversial policy decisions and messaging missteps, arguing they had created uncertainty about the party’s identity and values.
In his letter, Streeting criticised what he described as a lack of vision and direction at the heart of government, while also accusing the Prime Minister of failing to listen adequately to colleagues and backbench MPs. He suggested that internal dissent within the party had too often been handled in a heavy-handed manner.
Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, said: ‘Wes Streeting’s near 700 days as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have been eventful. His very first announcement would set the tone for his ‘move fast and break things’ approach declaring that ‘from today, the policy of this department is that the NHS is broken’. He has not stuck around long enough to fix it, but he can point to some areas of progress.
‘The elective care waiting list has started to come down, a 10 Year Plan for the health service has been created that if properly implemented would improve patient outcomes, there has been a strong commitment to give more control to patients and design services around them, and the passage of the Tobacco and Vapes Act will be remembered as a truly transformative piece of legislation that will have a measurable impact on the health of the nation for decades to come.
‘However, in terms of legacy, while we have seen many policy announcements, we haven’t seen this flow through to implementation in several areas. Streeting is also responsible for setting the wheels in motion for the largest NHS restructure in over a decade. Reorganisation is a tightrope many former health secretaries have tried to walk, often falling from it, frustrating their attempts to improve performance and distracting NHS staff from delivering care.
‘Similar warnings have been made about this plan, and it remains to be seen whether the upheaval is worth the pain, or whether it will deliver any real benefit for patients.
‘A change of Secretary of State is a big deal no matter the circumstance, but on the day after a King’s Speech which included the legislation required to restructure the health service, the potential ramifications are even more acute.
‘Each political leader is different from the last, with their own focus and priorities which shape where the Department expends its energy. Whomever steps into the role will face some immediate choices. Do they continue with the Health Bill in its current form – which will dominate their day-to-day job as Health and Social Care Secretary? Who do they appoint as the next NHS chief executive and what qualities are they looking for? Do they keep the same timetable for the Casey Commission or ask it to speed up?
‘These are decisions that will shape the health and care system for years to come and ones the incoming Secretary of State will have to grip quickly if they are to make a success of it.’
Downing Street had not issued an immediate response to Streeting’s resignation at the time of writing. However, throughout the week, Number 10 has continued to insist that the Prime Minioster has no intention of resigning.
