UK: Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigns, likely in bid to topple PM Keir Starmer
Key takeaways
- Two Labour Party politicians have positioned themselves to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership.
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting made the most direct move, becoming the first senior member of Starmer's Cabinet to resign in protest after Labour's drubbing in local and regional elections last week.
- A combative Starmer speech on Monday and a tense Cabinet meeting on Tuesday both failed to calm the waters after the election losses.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Two Labour Party politicians have positioned themselves to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership. Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned, and Angela Rayner said her tax affairs were back in order.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dl LNWes Streeting refused to talk to the press when Cabinet met on Tuesday, May 12, and he resigned two days later Image: Jack Taylor/REUTERSAdvertisement Two heavy hitters in the UK Labour Party sought to position themselves to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, albeit with neither announcing a direct challenge, instead seeming to encourage the embattled party leader to make way voluntarily.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting made the most direct move, becoming the first senior member of Starmer's Cabinet to resign in protest after Labour's drubbing in local and regional elections last week.