16 May 2026 , 16:27
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Wes Streeting has confirmed he will stand in any future Labour leadership contest to replace Sir Keir Starmer in his first public appearance since resigning as health secretary.
Mr. Streeting announced on Saturday that he would launch his own bid to stand as Prime Minister, should a Labour leadership contest to replace Sir Keir be triggered.
"We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I’ll be standing,” he told reporters at a conference in central London.
Mr. Streeting, who this week stood down as health secretary, also insisted he did have enough support among MPs to trigger a contest, but suggested his challenge would "lack legitimacy" without rival Andy Burnham being given a chance to return to Parliament.
This comes after Mr. Burnham claimed he is only focused on winning a seat in Parliament, rather than ousting Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.
The Greater Manchester Mayor is among a group of senior Labour figures seen to be jostling to replace Sir Keir, as well as former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
Speaking at the Progress think tank conference on Saturday, Mr. Streeting said: “Firstly, I do have support in the parliamentary party, but this week I also had a choice.
“We could have rushed straight into a leadership contest, knowing not all of the candidates would be on the pitch, that Andy Burnham was about to stand in a by-election, and that if we had rushed ahead without giving Andy a chance to stand, the new leader, whether it was me or anyone else, would lack the legitimacy, and so we would end up extending instability and uncertainty.
“That might have been the self-interested thing to do for candidates who are in Parliament presently, but it wasn’t in the party’s interest and wasn’t in the national interest.”
Speaking publicly for the first time since quitting Government, the former health secretary said: “The voters did more than send Labour a message last week, they issued a warning: that unless we change course, we risk being the handmaidens of Nigel Farage and the breakup of the United Kingdom.”
He later criticized Labour’s course over the last few years, telling the audience at the conference for the think tank Progress: “Corbyn’s leadership was marred by factionalism. The moral emergency of antisemitism in our party left little room for intellectual renewal or policy debate on the center-left.
“We then had a dishonest leadership contest, followed by an overcautiousness in opposition. Interesting policy ideas couldn’t be floated because we were too afraid of what the Tories might say, so we said nothing.
“Instead of a willingness to challenge ideas and kick the tires, debate was viewed as division and shut down. As a result, we arrived in Government underprepared in too many areas and lacking clarity of vision and direction.”
Referencing the brewing contest to replace Sir Keir Starmer, he said: “That’s why we need a proper contest where all candidates can put their best foot forward.”
Mr. Streeting went on to criticize a culture of “management consultancy” at the center of Government, and called for Britain to rejoin the European Union.
“We need a bigger politics,” he told the conference.
He added: “Let’s embrace diversity of thought and competition for ideas as a strength. We won’t find radical solutions by ignoring ideas in favor of just problem solving – as though Government is the same as management consultancy – or if we believe that one person or one political tradition has a monopoly on ideas and wisdom.”
Leaving the European Union was a “catastrophic mistake,” Mr. Streeting said.
He added: “In 2026, the British people increasingly see that in a dangerous world, we must club together, both to rebuild our economy and trade, and improve our defense against the shared threats from Russian aggression and America First.
“The biggest economic opportunity we have is on our doorstep. We need a new special relationship with the EU, because Britain’s future lies with Europe – and one day back in the European Union.”
Technology & Business Editor