UK health minister Wes Streeting resigns in another blow to PM Starmer
Pressure has mounted on Starmer in recent times to step down from his post.
Britain's Health Secretary Wes Streeting at Downing Street in London. (AP Photo) British health minister Wes Streeting resigned from government on Thursday, blaming his decision on a loss of confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership.
In a letter posted on X, Streeting said he has “lost confidence” in Keir Starmer’s leadership and it would be “dishonourable and unprincipled” to remain a part of the government.
— Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) May 14, 2026
Demands for a new direction
“It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour Unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism,” Streeting said.
In the resignation letter, the Labour leader added, “It needs to be broad, and it needs the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope that you will facilitate this.”
Mounting pressure on the prime minister
Streeting has become the first senior minister to quit Starmer’s cabinet which is now being viewed as a precursor to challenging the prime minister’s leadership. Starmer has been facing continued pressure from within the party to step down after Labour’s devastating results last week in local and regional elections.
Supporters of Streeting claim that he has support of 80 lawmakers which he needs to go to the Labour membership, but they are awaiting to check if the cabinet members would urge Starmer to resign, BBC reported.
Vision vs vacuum
Streeting is considered one of the Labour Party’s leader who who could try to unseat Starmer. Calling out his leadership inefficiency, Streeting wrote, “You have shown courage and statesmanship on the world stage — not least in keeping Britain out of the war in Iran. But where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift.”
However, Starmer has reiterated that he will not step down and warned member of parliaments that any contest to his leadership would plunge the current UK government into “chaos” when it should focus more on issues like war in the Middle East and the cost of living crisis.
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