Wes Streeting on why Keir Starmer cannot save himself or his country
6/5/20261 hr 24 min
It is now hard to imagine that just three weeks ago, Wes Streeting was still serving in Keir Starmer's cabinet. As Health Secretary, Streeting gave the PM one of his biggest success stories from Labour's so far deeply troubled time in government - getting waiting lists down, and dragging the NHS into the 21st century.
In the short time since he left role, he has become one of Starmer's biggest problems. His criticism of the PM is blistering, his analysis of where Labour has gone wrong is compelling, and his finger is twitching over the leadership contest trigger, waiting - so he says - for Andy Burnham to get into the arena.
Streeting has long been talked up as a future Labour Prime Minister, but bruising recent membership polling shows the Labour party faithful are still far from convinced by his pitch. So why is he so convinced that this is a fight worth having?
In this extended interview with Lewis, he explains why he fears that Keir Starmer, a man he respects, will become the "midwife" for a dangerous new kind of politics if he doesn't step aside - regardless of who replaces him.
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
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Lewis Goodall· Host0:29
[upbeat jingle] This is a Global Player original podcast.
Wes Streeting· Guest0:35
Nigel Farage is an English nationalist. This is the type of propaganda that is reminiscent of the 1930s.
Lewis Goodall· Host0:42
Would you do it much differently to, to Keir Starmer, or would you have your own approach? I mean, it must be something you've thought about, must be an intriguing prospect.
Wes Streeting· Guest0:48
Yeah, but s- um, say what you mean and mean what you say.
Lewis Goodall· Host0:51
Is Musk a threat to British democracy?
Wes Streeting· Guest0:53
Of course he is. He's meddling in it, and that's the other thing I think we should say very confidently, bugger off.
Lewis Goodall· Host0:57
We are at a weird moment in British politics, a sort of breath. You'd probably call it an oasis if you're Andy Burnham. A moment possibly where one era hasn't quite given way to another, but where we can almost feel it closing in. A PM still in office with a leadership contest that has started but also hasn't quite started. A by-election being fought for all intents and purposes as a means to replace him, the highest possible national stakes, but which is also about the redevelopment of Winstanley Hall or traffic