Wes Streeting has stepped down as health secretary.
Streeting, who is widely tipped to run against Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader after a disastrous set of local council election results last week, tendered his resignation in a letter to the prime minister.
In his letter, Streeting warned of the rise of “dangerous” English nationalism, adding where the country needs vision, it now has a vacuum, and telling the PM it is now clear he will not lead the Labour party at the next general election.
While citing progress made in cutting NHS wait lists – in particular today’s news that the NHS has hit its interim 18 week wait time target as good reasons to remain in post – Streeting said having lost confidence in Starmer’s leadership, he has concluded that it would be “dishonourable and unprincipled” to do so.
Streeting was appointed as health secretary following Labour’s election victory in the summer of 2024.
In the months following his appointment, he promised a sweeping performance review of the NHS with a league table for trusts that he said would help patients to choose where they want their treatment.
In the summer of the following year, the government launched plans for a Neighbourhood Health Service prioritising community diagnostics as part of its 10 year health plan.
That same summer, Streeting ruled out VAT on private healthcare following calls from former Labour leader Lord Kinnock.
And just this past February, he launched a national cancer plan to boost survival rates and meet wait time targets.
