Streeting still ready to challenge Starmer despite show of unity, allies say | Wes Streeting
Wes Streeting’s allies expect him to try to oust Keir Starmer within weeks, despite the health secretary insisting he supports the prime minister and has no intention of moving against him, the Guardian has been told.
Starmer sought to regain his authority over his party on Tuesday after a turbulent day at Westminster in which he was condemned by Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar and lost his communications director.
The Prime Minister said on Tuesday he would “never walk away” from his mission to change the United Kingdom, a position further reinforced by public shows of support from both Streeting and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.
But MPs close to the health secretary insist he still wants to replace Starmer and is willing to oppose him shortly after the Gorton and Denton by-elections at the end of this month.
One of them said he should act immediately, after the May municipal elections at the latest, to avoid a possible objection from his most likely opponent, Angela Rayner, who is awaiting the outcome of an investigation into property taxes.
“Nothing has changed,” someone said. “There was a big show of unity yesterday but Keir is no safer than it was yesterday.”
Another added: “We need to act quickly. Even though we are all feeling better there is a real risk of heading towards and eventually falling into that tepid decline where a Reform government becomes inevitable.”
“Wes has the numbers, but it will take a steeliness and determination that most colleagues have not yet shown.”
The person added: “At this point Keir is a zombie. He’s in the Theresa May phase of his leadership.”
Another Labor supporter said: “The truth is that the public do not like or trust Keir Starmer. When we get the results of the local elections it will inevitably become clear that something bigger needs to change.”
The MPs’ comments contrast with the public show of unity displayed by cabinet members on Tuesday.
He throws himself into the street he told the BBC: “The Prime Minister has my full support. He is presenting our country with enormous challenges and people must understand how honest he is in doing this.”
Speaking at an event in central London, Burnham also backed the prime minister and said it was time for everyone to “get back together and move in the same direction around our ambitions”. However, he added that the government should be more assertive, especially regarding housing.
Starmer chaired a lengthy cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning in which ministers had what one source said was a “frank and broad” discussion of what had gone wrong under the prime minister’s leadership.
A cabinet official later said: “We think Keir should stay in place but the culture at No 10 needs to change completely and briefings to colleagues need to stop.”
Following that meeting, Streeting and Starmer held a one-on-one meeting, which a source said was aimed at clearing the air between the pair.
Starmer spoke at an event in Hertfordshire on Tuesday and insisted: “I will never walk away from the duty I have been given to change this country, I will never walk away from the people I am charged with fighting for and I will never walk away from the country I love.”
Government officials say they are still trying to sort out whether there was any coordination between the health minister and Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar, who triggered the crisis by calling on the prime minister to resign on Monday.
A senior minister said: “There were junior ministers and PPSs ready to see it through. It fell apart by half. There was a plan but it didn’t work.”
“I think the current story is Wes’ poor decision. [Peter Mandelson] The texts have not freed people from their doubts and they seem obsessed, even helpless.”
A Downing Street source added: “Wes hasn’t moved, this is all very James Purnell-like.”
Purnell resigned as Gordon Brown’s work and pensions secretary in 2009, in a move that was expected to trigger a leadership bid from his ally David Miliband but subsequently never materialized.
But others concluded there was no coordination between Streeting and Sarwar, even if they did not trust the health minister’s assurance of future support.
They note that Streeting plans to publish his text messages with Peter Mandelson on Monday, making it not an ideal time to stage a coup.
Allies of Streeting also stated that while Sarwar was speaking, the health minister offered his support to the prime minister in an interview with Sky News.
One said: “Before Anas Sarwar made the statement, Wes told Sky News that Keir should be given a chance and should not resign. I’m afraid the conspiracy theory doesn’t fit the timeline of events.”
One minister added: “No 10 seems to have an obsession with Wes. People say he bottled it up with no evidence that he would do it. Wes is a smart political operator who knows that if you go out and call the Prime Minister and you don’t have a plan and the people in front of you come behind you, not everything will work out.”
MPs believe Starmer’s future now depends on the results of both the Gorton and Denton by-election and the local elections in May.
“Keir is there but he can’t stay for long. His name is constantly on the doorstep; people hate him. They didn’t fully trust him before the election and they certainly don’t trust him after.” [his decision to cut] winter fuel payments.”
