Wes Streeting warns Labour must ‘change course’ or risk handing election victory to Reform
Wes Streeting has warned Sir Keir Starmer that his government has lost the fight against nationalism and risks “handing the keys to Number 10 to Nigel Farage and Reform UK” unless he changes course.
In his resignation speech in the House of Commons, he said he had “no regrets” and “no rebellious hope” after leaving the government last week and called on Sir Keir to resign.
The former health secretary confirmed at the weekend that he would enter any Labor leadership contest to replace Sir Keir.
But the party is now waiting with bated breath to see whether another challenger for the top spot, Andy Burnham, can win next month’s Makerfield by-election.
Some MPs believe that if Mr Burnham returns to parliament having defeated Reform and clinched his seat, he will almost certainly become Britain’s next prime minister, despite Sir Keir insisting he will not “walk away” from Downing Street.
In his speech, Mr Streeting said: “I left the Government because we are in the fight for our lives against nationalism, and it is a fight we are now losing.
“Unless we change course we risk handing the keys to Number 10 to Reform and I don’t want that to disturb our conscience.
“For the first time in our history, nationalists are in power in every corner of the United Kingdom. Scottish and Welsh nationalism represents an existential threat to the future integrity of the United Kingdom. Reform UK poses a threat to the values and ideals that have made this country great.”
Mr Streeting also told MPs that Labor did not believe the government had “time to waste on treading water” and cited artificial intelligence, climate change and technology as among the challenges the government must deal with.
“Each generation was providing a better future for the next generation; we are still able to do that,” he said. “The question is not whether young people will fight for their country, but when their country will fight for them.”
Mr Streeting concluded his speech by paraphrasing a quote from bowel cancer campaigner Deborah James, who said: “I leave the government with no regrets and a rebellious hope.” Mr Streeting himself suffered from cancer.
“The Labor Party was elected to deliver real change,” he said. “We still can.”
