Former UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has formally launched his bid to challenge British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party and the premiership of the country. Streeting resigned from his cabinet position earlier this week following Labour’s devastating performance in the local elections.
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham is also being widely discussed as a potential leadership contender, with Labour insiders increasingly viewing him as a serious alternative to Starmer. Labour officials are facilitating Burnham’s possible return to Parliament through an upcoming by-election, a move widely considered as preparation for a future leadership contest.
Prime Minister Starmer is facing growing calls from within his own party to resign following Labour’s poor local election results and the rise of Reform UK across England.
In his speech launching his challenge, Streeting warned that nationalist and populist forces are increasingly taking power across Britain after Reform UK made major gains in the local elections, winning control of 14 councils and significantly increasing its national presence.
Streeting strongly criticised Labour’s current direction under Starmer, arguing that the party had become overly centralised, and politically uninspiring. He said Labour had entered government “unprepared” and accused the current leadership of suppressing internal debate and political creativity.
Streeting described Brexit as a “catastrophic mistake” that weakened Britain economically, politically and strategically. He argued that the UK should eventually seek to rejoin the European Union, stating that Britain’s long-term prosperity and security increasingly depended on rebuilding close political and economic ties with Europe.
He also warned that Britain risks isolation in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment and said that Europe must become a closer strategic partner in defence, trade and industrial policy. He also urged Britain to take defence more seriously in response to Russian aggression and the rise of “America First” politics.
Streeting additionally criticised attempts by mainstream parties to imitate nationalist rhetoric in order to compete electorally against Reform UK. He warned that copying populist narratives would only strengthen extremist movements rather than defeat them.
He also referred to a major protest taking place on the same day in London led by Tommy Robinson. The protest is the second mass demonstration of its kind in the past months organised by nationalist and far-right groups in Britain.
The growing Labour civil war comes amid a major political shift in Britain following Labour’s local election losses and Reform UK’s surge across large parts of England. Starmer remains formally in office and has so far refused to resign, but internal pressure within the party continues intensifying.
You can listen to his speech here.
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