Health Secretary Wes Streeting has told Sir Keir Starmer he is preparing a case to become the next Prime Minister if Labour is forced into a leadership contest this week, amid mounting pressure on the PM following Labour’s heavy election losses.
In a weekend of political drama, Sir Keir brought former Prime Minister Gordon Brown back into Downing Street in a last-ditch attempt to shore up his premiership ahead of a major reset speech today.
The Telegraph reports that Mr Streeting has made clear he will not directly challenge Sir Keir, but allies say he is preparing a leadership platform “if it all falls apart” and another candidate triggers a contest.
One ally told the newspaper: “This week has shown he can win. The results in Redbridge show that Wes can beat challengers on both the Left and Right. If there’s a contest, the next leader of the Labour Party has to be someone who can keep Farage out of No 10.”
Mr Streeting’s team is reportedly already drafting a potential leadership campaign centred around five key policy “pillars”, while allies believe upcoming NHS performance data could strengthen his position.
The report comes as Sir Keir attempts to reset his premiership with a major speech today, where he is expected to promise closer ties with the EU and argue that “incremental change won’t cut it” as Labour seeks to recover from its bruising election results.
Pressure is also building inside the Parliamentary Labour Party, after backbencher Catherine West threatened to bring Sir Keir down if senior Cabinet figures fail to act, urging ministers to “close themselves into a room today” and agree on an alternative leader.
Ms West said she would decide after today’s speech whether to seek nominations for a leadership challenge.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has also intervened publicly for the first time since the local elections, calling for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to return to Westminster and warning: “What we are doing isn’t working, and it needs to change. This may be our last chance.”
More than 40 Labour MPs have now either called for Sir Keir to resign or demanded a timetable for his departure, according to the newspaper.