Streeting set to move on PM as SNP targets Labour rebels
The Health Secretary is believed to have told his close colleagues he was preparing to resign and run to become Prime Minister.
Wes Streeting‘s allies have claimed he is set to resign from the UK Government today and launch a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer as Scottish Labour MPs were urged by the SNP to support its attempt to oust the embattled Prime Minister.
Mr Streeting’s predicted manoeuvre comes after scores of Labour MPs - many of them supporters of Mr Streeting - called for the PM to resign over the past few days.
Last night, the health secretary was working to secure the support of enough MPs to trigger a contest.
Sir Keir was also meeting ministers and Labour MPs in Parliament in a bid to avert the potential leadership challenge, it is understood.
Cabinet ministers loyal to the Prime Minister have also been working the members’ tea room urging colleagues not to “plunge the party into chaos” and warning that a leadership contest would paralyse the Government for months.
As pressure holds on Sir Keir, the SNP called for Scottish Labour MPs to support its attempt to use an amendment to the King’s Speech next week to remove him from office.
SNP Chief Whip Kirsty Blackman said: "The outgoing Scottish Labour Party leader must step up to the plate and do his bit to end the Westminster leadership crisis - or the Labour government will continue to be completely distracted from the issues that matter, including helping families with the cost of living emergency, which has soared under Keir Starmer.”
Labour MP Brian Leishman - who has called for the Prime Minister to resign - said it was a “political stunt” from the SNP which he would not support.
The Alloa and Grangemouth MP said: “I think there is absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind as to my thoughts on Keir Starmer’s performance as PM.
“I don’t need to vote for a political stunt about the PM from the SNP.”
Mr Streeting confronted his boss over the crisis engulfing Labour as the pair met for crunch talks – which lasted for 16 minutes – in Downing Street ahead of the King’s Speech yesterday.
Reports of Mr Streeting’s plan to oust the Prime Minister emerged shortly before King Charles III read out the Government’s legislative agenda for the next parliamentary session.
Asked whether the Prime Minister still has confidence in the Health Secretary, his spokesman told reporters: “Yes,” confirming he was still in post.
The official declined to “get into the content of internal meetings” when asked for details of what was discussed, adding: “But the Prime Minister has full confidence in the Health Secretary.”
Sir Keir has managed to cling on to power and see off an immediate threat to his leadership in the last few days.
This is despite four ministers resigning, including Glasgow South West MP and junior health minister Zubir Ahmed.
At least 86 Labour MPs have demanded he stands down.
The party has descended into civil war as more than 100 other MPs signed a statement backing Sir Keir and warned “this is no time for a leadership contest”.
Following his morning meeting with Sir Keir, Mr Streeting ignored reporters shouting questions at him as he made his way out of No 10.
Mr Streeting’s team failed to deny claims he was poised to quit and the minister posted on X on Wednesday as if business were carrying on as usual, talking up the Government’s record on the NHS and saying nothing of the turmoil within the party.
Unlike other senior ministers, he did not take to social media to reiterate his support for the Prime Minister on Tuesday nor did he stop to voice his backing for Sir Keir as he left the weekly Cabinet meeting that morning.
Ten Scottish Labour MPs have called for Sir Keir to stand down.
These are Dr Ahmed, Richard Baker, Maureen Burk, Irene Campbell, Graeme Downie, Alan Gemmell, Brian Leishman, Gordon McKee, Euan Stainbank and Melanie Ward.
Another 10 have publicly given him their support.
These are Scottish Secretary Douglas McAllister, culture minister Ian Murray, Johanna Baxter, Chris Kane, Douglas McAllister, Chris Murray, Kirsteen Sullivan, Alison Taylor and Patricia Ferguson.
This leaves another 16 Scottish Labour MPs (excluding Joani Reid who resigned the whip earlier this year) - several of which are in government.
The SNP urged Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who previously called for Sir Keir to resign, to whip Labour MPs in Scotland to support its attempt to oust Sir Keir in an amendment to the King’s Speech.
However, Scottish Labour MPs take orders on whipping from the government in Westminster.
Ms Blackman, SNP chief whip and MP for Aberdeen North, said: “Anas Sarwar has repeatedly failed to act on his opportunistic election stunt call for Keir Starmer to resign in February.
“At every opportunity that Sarwar has had to put his call into action, and actually remove the Prime Minister, he has chickened out.”
Ms Blackman said the Scottish Labour leader had “one more opportunity to act”, adding: “The question is, will he back the vote of no confidence or will he keep Starmer in post and allow this Westminster circus to go on and on?
“Anas Sarwar must finally put his money where his mouth is and whip Scottish Labour Party MPs to back a vote of no confidence in Keir Starmer or his empty words will amount to nothing.
"Despite his bravado, Anas Sarwar has repeatedly failed to act on his opportunistic election stunt call for Keir Starmer to resign in February.
"Back then, he claimed "the distraction has to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change" but since then he has sat on his hands and his silence has been deafening.
"At every opportunity Sarwar has had to put his call into action, and actually remove the Prime Minister, he has chickened out.”
"Just last month, he refused to back the vote on an inquiry into Keir Starmer over his role in the Peter Mandelson scandal, which would have forced the Prime Minister from office.
"Now, he has one more opportunity to act - the question is, will he back the vote of no confidence or will he keep Starmer in post and allow this Westminster circus to go on and on.
"After taking the Scottish Labour Party to their worst ever result, this could be one of Anas Sarwar's final acts as leader. He must do the right thing."
Labour MP, Douglas McAllister described the move by the SNP as “incoherent nonsense”.
He added: “It was only yesterday that John Swinney and the SNP Scottish Government tried to convince us that they had opened up talks with the PM for a route towards an independence referendum. They can’t have it both ways."
Mr McAllister said that Dave Doogan, the new SNP leader at Westminster, “clearly didn’t get the memo”.
He added: “Not a great first day at the office for their new Westminster leader. It must be tough looking after a group of seven MPs.”
Mr McAllister referred to the SNP’s support of the motion raised by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in April for a parliamentary investigation into whether the Prime Minister misled the Commons over the vetting of Lord Mandelson for his appointment as UK ambassador to the US.
Mr McAllister added: "Also, I’m not sure why they are going to all the effort of their own motion, as the 28th of April demonstrated when they all supported Kemi and the Conservatives motion. Each and everyone of the Tartan Tories voted with the Conservatives. True to form, they love nothing better than the Nationalists playbook of supporting the Tories and trying to bring down a Labour Government.”
Meanwhile, the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations warned that Mr Streeting resignation and leadership challenge could badly impact the UK economy.
Nigel Green of deVere Group said the Health Secretary mounting a leadership challenge could cause gilts and the pound to be plunged into crisis territory.
He said: “Should Wes Streeting resign and launch a leadership challenge, gilts and sterling could move rapidly into crisis territory.
“The markets hate uncertainty, but they hate political vacuum even more.
“A cabinet resignation followed by a leadership fight would signal that the government is losing control of itself while investors are already questioning the country’s fiscal direction.”
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