As ministers exited Downing Street after what many deemed the most uneventful Cabinet meeting in recent history, a few chose to speak with the press.
In line with a prearranged plan with No 10, these ministers expressed unwavering support for their embattled leader.
Among those publicly backing Sir Keir Starmer were Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, and Liz Kendall, the Science Secretary. Their support sent a powerful signal to those still conspiring to unseat Starmer: pause your efforts. Both Kyle and Kendall have ties to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, known for his strategic maneuvering.
Streeting was one of the last to exit No 10, reportedly unsuccessful, along with several colleagues, in obtaining a private meeting with Starmer.
Typically eager to engage with media, Streeting, who rarely misses an opportunity to be in front of a camera, surprisingly bypassed the press waiting outside Downing Street.
When the meeting commenced, Sir Keir Starmer, after a long period of introspection, dismissed any rumors of his resignation, stating, “The country expects us to proceed with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a Cabinet.”
One ministerial source told me: ‘Starmer’s opening remarks were aimed directly at Streeting, who did not respond. Instead, he joined in the pre-planned discussion about the impact of the Iran war on the British economy as if nothing untoward politically was happening. It was surreal.’
Streeting, who’s on the Blairite wing of the Labour Party, has been clear with anyone who will listen that he’s ready for a leadership contest. But now he’s adamant he will not trigger one – even though time is not on his side.
Wes Streeting uncharacteristically ignored the Press mob on Downing Street on Tuesday amid the procession of ministers leaving No10
‘Wes does not want to be seen as the assassin,’ says a supporter. ‘He can read a room. Starmer bought himself time. Everything for Wes is now on pause’
The bookmakers’ favourite to be next Labour leader, the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, does not have a Commons seat, which disqualifies him from running, playing into Streeting’s hands.
‘Wes does not want to be seen as the assassin,’ says a supporter. ‘He can read a room. Starmer bought himself time. Everything for Wes is now on pause.’
Many, indeed, fear he may have missed his moment altogether.
They may remember 1995 when then Prime Minister John Major resigned as Tory leader and called a leadership election to seek a renewed mandate. The time had come, he said, for those in his party who opposed him to ‘put up or shut up’.
Defence Secretary Michael Portillo was seen as the main threat to Major but chose not to stand in the first round of voting. It was seen as a ‘bottled’ opportunity and Major survived.
How quickly things change: on Monday night, Streeting was clearly orchestrating a putsch. First, the Health Secretary’s parliamentary private secretary (PPS) Joe Morris quit.
Although Morris held only a junior post in the government, his exit was significant because he is very close to Streeting. He was followed by Naushabah Khan, PPS to Cabinet Office Minister Darren Jones, another Streeting ally.
Then Streeting groupie Chris Curtis, the chairman of the Labour Growth Group – yes, there really is one – also publicly urged Starmer to fall on his sword.
The Labour Left detests Streeting because of his support for private contractors in the NHS and his admiration for Tony Blair. John McDonnell – Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow chancellor – accused the Health Secretary of mounting a ‘coup’ against Starmer.
Another Labour source told me: ‘The Left are trying to paint Streeting as a treacherous schemer and doing it with some success.’
While Streeting’s ‘friends’ are anxiously briefing he will not wield the knife, I can disclose that Team Streeting has been up and running for weeks, preparing the golden boy for power.
They include the aforementioned Peter Kyle, one of Streeting’s closest friends. They shared a Commons office for nine years.
Kyle was campaigning last week in the local elections in Streeting’s Ilford North constituency, where the Health Secretary has a wafer-thin 528 majority. Kyle and Streeting, I can reveal, even discussed the putative leadership over dinner after watching The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Another member is Anas Sarwar, the Leader of Scottish Labour, who in February was the most senior party figure to call for Starmer to go.
Among the ministers who backed Sir Keir Starmer publicly were Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary
Another member is Anas Sarwar, the Leader of Scottish Labour, who in February was the most senior party figure to call for Starmer to go
Team Streeting is also busy signing up MPs, party members and trade unionists who all have a vote in a leadership contest.
Dozens of Labour MPs have been approached to support Streeting, who needs 81 on his side – one fifth of the parliamentary party – to mount a challenge. There have also been extensive talks with sympathetic think tanks about developing policy ideas.
‘The Streeting operation is already in business,’ said another supporter. ‘It’s got people and it’s got money.’
There is even a ‘WesForLeader.com’ website, but the Health Secretary’s supporters insist this was a mischievous creation of his rivals to try to smear him.
One person who is definitely excluded from Team Streeting is his friend of 20 years, Lord Mandelson, whose appointment as US ambassador triggered what was until recently the worst crisis of Starmer’s leadership.
Some scurrilous party members even joke that Streeting and Mandelson are part of a so-called ‘gay mafia’ at the heart of the Labour Party. Streeting is engaged to Joe Dancey, a former Labour parliamentary candidate who used to work for Mandelson – himself, of course, one of Britain’s first openly gay Cabinet ministers.
When Matthew Doyle – also gay – was being eased out of his job as communications director in No 10 in February last year, Streeting contacted Mandelson in Washington to say: ‘You should get Doyle to do your comms in DC!’
Mandelson asked: ‘Why, was he pushed out?’ To which Streeting responded tersely: ‘God knows.’
Elevated to the peerage in December that year, Doyle was suspended by Labour weeks later over his links to a friend, Sean Morton, now a convicted paedophile.
‘They all wanted Mandelson to get that job and look at the mess we’re in now,’ hissed a senior Labour figure last night.
Streeting is now distancing himself from both men and has been hastily deleting photographs of him campaigning with Mandelson including one calling the serially disgraced peer a ‘legend’.
As a former EU trade commissioner, Mandelson would approve of Streeting’s ardent pro-Brussels stance. The Health Secretary is keen to go much further than Starmer in ‘resetting’ relations with Brussels.
Then there is Streeting’s back story, one of the most compelling of a would-be prime minister since the revelation that John Major was the son of a circus performer.
Besides being the first openly gay PM, Streeting would be the first occupant of 10 Downing Street whose mother was born in prison.
His grandmother Libby gave birth to his mother Corrina in 1964 while serving time in HMP Holloway in north London for receiving stolen goods. Corrina had him when she was 18 and he has five brothers, a sister and a step-sister.
His autobiography One Boy, Two Bills And A Fry Up – published in 2023 when he was still only 40 – describes the stigma of growing up with free school meals and tells how the NHS helped him overcome kidney cancer in 2021.
He’s never made any secret of his ambition. When asked in 2018 who he thought would be Labour leader in ten years, Streeting replied. ‘It’ll probably be me.’
In 2023, he said he would ‘die happy’ if he got the chance to serve as Labour leader, adding: ‘I have never been ashamed of aiming high and going as far as my talents will take me.’
There’s just one problem with aiming high. It’s a long fall if he doesn’t hit his target.
