Wes Streeting: the UK’s next prime minister? – podcast | Wes Streeting

Keir Starmer was on the verge of a leadership race this week but he pulled it back. That doesn’t mean health minister Wes Streeting, one of the most talked about leadership candidates, and his rivals have disappeared.

Earlier this week, Labour’s leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, held a surprising press conference calling on Starmer to resign. Meanwhile, in Westminster, Streeting was preparing to publish all his messages with Peter Mandelson to head off rumors swirling about his friendship with the disgraced former US ambassador. But this sparked speculation that Streeting was co-ordinating with Sarwar’s team to put pressure on Starmer. Although Streeting has denied it, the whole incident has put the health minister back in the spotlight for his potential leadership plans.

So who is Wes Streeting and how did he come to prominence in the Labor Party? Noshen Iqbal profiles the health secretary and the Guardian’s politics editor, Kiran Stacey