In a fresh political storm, allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting have hit back against briefings targeting him, after reports emerged that Cabinet ministers are urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to sack Streeting for perceived disloyalty.
Senior figures in Downing Street are said to be pushing for Streeting’s removal, citing his “outspoken opinions” in public pronouncements. This internal pressure is understood to stem from a briefing war originating in the Prime Minister’s office, aimed at the health secretary over his perceived ambitions to succeed Starmer.
One minister told The Times that the Prime Minister needs to learn from the example of Kemi Badenoch, who dramatically sacked her shadow justice secretary for disloyalty before he could undermine her and defect to Reform UK. They suggested that Streeting was “undermining all of us” in government and “repeatedly breaching collective responsibility”.
However, a spokesperson for the health secretary described the timing of the latest briefing against him as “incredibly stupid”, noting its emergence while Reform UK and the Conservatives vie for dominance on the political right. They said, “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.”
The spokesperson added, “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.”
Concerns have been growing over the direction of the Labour government, with devastating approval ratings and a rapidly growing number of U-turns in policy. Streeting has previously voiced his concerns about the government’s direction, and hit out at a “toxic culture” in Downing Street when briefings against him were made public in November.
A No 10 source, however, told The Times that Streeting was doing a “great job as health secretary” and was a “key player in the team”. The latest briefings against the health secretary are not the first time figures in Downing Street have accused him of plotting against the Prime Minister, with a row breaking out in November over supposed coup attempts against Starmer.
Streeting has categorically denied any such plotting, and called on the Prime Minister to sack those responsible for “self-defeating” rumours about a potential Labour leadership challenge. The health secretary’s allies have now hit back, accusing the Prime Minister’s allies of engaging in a “briefing war” that is “incredibly stupid” given the current political climate.
