U.K. health secretary will run to unseat Starmer after scathing letter

Wes Streeting, who resigned as U.K. wellness caput this week, announced Saturday helium volition tally to regenerate Keir Starmer arsenic Labour person and premier minister, aft the enactment suffered disastrous section election results.

"We request a due contention with the champion candidates connected the field, and I'll beryllium standing," Streeting said astatine a deliberation vessel lawsuit successful London, 2 days aft Greater Manchester politician Andy Burnham unveiled a bid to go a subordinate of Parliament, oregon MP.

If successful, that would let Burnham to tally successful a Labour enactment contention that present appears each but inevitable, though it is yet to beryllium formally triggered by MPs.

Wes Streeting arrives astatine the Progress Conference astatine Convene successful London, Saturday May 16, 2026. Jeff Moore/AP

Streeting wrote successful a scathing resignation missive challenging Starmer's enactment that helium does not spot the premier curate arsenic being capable to "lead the Labour Party into the adjacent wide election," and noted that wherever the enactment needs "vision," determination is simply a "vacuum."

His missive followed the resignations of 4 other members of Starmer's authorities aft the losses successful the section elections. Nigel Farage and his right-wing populist enactment Reform U.K. made important gains crossed England successful those elections. 

Streeting, whose governmental ambitions person agelong been known, is 1 of respective challengers who could effort to unseat the premier minister. 

Challengers indispensable get enactment from astatine slightest 20% of the Labour Party's members of parliament to trigger a enactment election, according to the party's rules.

Starmer has vowed to remain in office, informing lawmakers that immoderate enactment contention would plunge the authorities into "chaos" astatine a clip it should beryllium focused connected issues similar the outgo of surviving situation and war successful the Middle East.

He has been successful bureau for conscionable nether 2 years aft Labour won a landslide successful the past nationalist parliamentary elections.

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