Streeting resigns, but can he trigger a leadership contest?
5/14/202629 min
Wes Streeting resigned as Health Secretary on Thursday morning, but Ailbhe Rea says Keir Starmer is determined to fight on.
After days of speculation – and a 16-minute meeting at Number 10 – Wes Streeting has finally resigned from cabinet.
On the same day, Angela Rayner has announced she has been "cleared" of wrongdoing related to unpaid property tax, which would leave her free to run in a leadership contest if one is triggered.
However, sources inside Number 10 have told Ailbhe Rea that Wes Streeting does not have the backing of enough MPs to trigger a leadership contest. So what is the former Health Secretary hoping to achieve?
And if a leadership contest were triggered, who else would be likely to run?
Ailbhe Rea and Anoosh Chakelian discuss the latest from Westminster in The Politics Show.
READ: Wes Streeting resigns with an excoriating letter to Starmer
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAnoosh Chakelian· Host0:00
What happens when you share great wine with some of the most powerful voices in journalism and politics?
Speaker 20:06
I think wine lubricates life. If you get to understand the life stories, you understand the character of the people who become our leaders.
Anoosh Chakelian· Host0:14
It felt like crisis politics.
Speaker 20:16
Lying got into the bloodstream of our politics.
Speaker 30:20
I've no idea what I'm doing, but I just want to drink it.
Anoosh Chakelian· Host0:22
Oh, isn't that clever?
Speaker 20:23
Oh, yes. Now, that's very pleasing.
Anoosh Chakelian· Host0:25
Pour a glass and join us for Vintage Politics.
Speaker 30:29
This episode is brought to you by the Royal Osteoporosis Society. For years, Annette's GP blamed her severe back pain on gardening. It wasn't. She actually had four broken bones in her spine and osteoporosis. Ministers have promised a national rollout of osteoporosis clinics 63 times, but two years on, there's still no plan. Annette isn't the only one suffering. 2,000 people die each year after fractures these clinics help to prevent. Publishing the plan means saving lives. Visit the ros.org.uk/stillnoplan to find out how you can help.
Anoosh Chakelian· Host1:13
The New Statesman. Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary, but he hasn't yet triggered a Labour leadership challenge. Does he have the backing of enough MPs to do so? Our political correspondent, Ethan Croft, analyzes Streeting's