Sack Streeting, cabinet ministers urge Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls from cabinet ministers to follow Kemi Badenoch’s playbook and sack health secretary Wes Streeting for disloyalty.
Ministers are becoming increasingly frustrated about Streeting’s forthright public criticisms of the Labour party, with some privately accusing him of putting his leadership ambitions first and “attacking No 10”.
One cabinet minister told The Times that Starmer needed to learn from Badenoch, who sacked Robert Jenrick from the Conservative shadow cabinet earlier this week ahead of his defection to Reform.
Fend off oust attempts
In November, Downing Street confirmed it would fend off any attempts to oust Starmer, following fears of potential leadership bids from Streeting and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.
Polticial commentators also suggested former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and home secretary Shabana Mahmood, could also pose a threat to Starmer’s premiership.
This week Streeting launched another critique of his party’s failure to get policy right “the first time”, after a number of policy u-turns, including a pub tax raid and taxes on family farms.
Hours later Labour made yet another u-turn regarding plans for mandatory digital IDs.
Another cabinet minister described the health secretary’s behaviour as “wild”.
They said: “Everyone knows he has MPs from the 2024 intake telling anyone who’ll listen that it’s time get rid of Keir and make Wes PM instead.
“It’s wild behaviour. If he doesn’t bring it to a head, he’ll have to be brought to a heel.”
Meanwhile, a third claimed Streeting is “exactly the same as he when he was 18”, wanting to be prime minister.
They said: “If he doesn’t become Labour prime minister he will tell himself his entire life has been a failure.
“Everything he’s doing now is in pursuit of that aim. Has he been pushing the boundary of what’s acceptable? Yes.”
“Incredibly stupid” briefing
A spokesman for Streeting told The Times: “It’s a real shame that Keir’s so-called allies are briefing against Wes yet again, when they should be talking about the second biggest fall in waiting lists in 15 years, and ambulances arriving 15 minutes faster with Labour.
“Given Reform and the Tories are at each other’s throats right now this briefing is also incredibly stupid.
“Wes is delivering real change in the NHS, and is out there making the case for Keir and for Labour.”
A No 10 source also Streeting was doing a “great job as health secretary, hailing him a “key player in the team”.
While Streeting has become increasingly outspoken, a succession of ministers have rallied around Starmer.
During Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, transport secretary Heidi Alexander said that they needed to form a “praetorian guard” around the prime minister and set aside “personal ambition”.
Five other cabinets also reportedly came to Starmer’s defence.
Starmer has previously warned that there will be “utter chaos” if MPs move against him and that it risks handing power to Nigel Farage.
He is believed to be concerned it would lead to market turmoil and add to geopolitical instability.