AIBU to predict Streeting will resign tomorrow & trigger leadership contest.

I went to a meeting years ago when she was running for leader I think.
Yvette Cooper was the only speaker. She had virtually nothing to say, just waffle. I was very disappointed.

The Ed Stone is pure The Thick of It. In a way, it almost seems like a better time, before Brexit turned the country into an omnishambles

The papers will find the ‘ Ed stone ‘ straight away. That was a really stupid gimmick , because since then there has been a pandemic and wars started and economic turbulence and Brexit and all sorts going on. How can you set anything in stone if you’re running a government?
I also felt that was an act of desperation as he knew he was not popular at all. He’d be even less popular as PM now though.

It's been a fascinating morning on Times Radio, which I've heard in the car between other stuff, in particular the sudden focus on Al Carns after his article for the New Statesman.

Multiple views canvassed, and lots of positive opinions on Carns. The one that rang truest for me was that it's Carns jockeying for promotion under any new leader. From the little I know about the individuals, I could see an all ex-military line up for the Defence portfolios, with Al Carns replacing Healey, with Luke Pollard and Dan Jarvis. Given that increasing defence spending is seen as central in view of DJT/Putin/Iran, it would be a bold commitment.

Streeting's timing is well-judged. Good news on NHS targets, so proof that he's not failed in office.

Personally, it would be NO to Rayner from me; and also no to either Burnham or Milliband, both of whom have failed before. If Milliband won, how long before the papers find the 'Ed Stone' again?

Here. I am sure that was why Streeting hoped to get a resignation and not fight a contest

Streeting would lose leadership contest against Keir Starmer, poll reveals - LabourList

Here you are! This is the bit on who was polled:

Survation surveyed 1,124 readers of LabourList, the leading dedicated newsletter and news and comment website for Labour supporters, who also said they were Labour Party members between May 13 and 14.
Data was weighted to the profile of party members by age, sex, region, 2020 leadership vote and 2025 deputy leadership vote. Targets for weighting were drawn from the British Election Study and the results of the leadership and deputy elections.

Lol aged well didn't it!

But so far WS hasn't laid down the gauntlet.... he has only resigned.

No one should be worried about Burnham, he needs a helpful MP to step down (why give up £300k over the next 3 years) and then win the seat, given the locals, he wouldn't win and how embarrassing would that be.

Polling is showing that Keir would beat Wes in a straight contest. Also shows that Angela and Ed would beat Keir, as would Andy.

Yes. He can’t win an election on any of the polling numbers. So the letter is a bid to the next leader for a job and a sign that he will shed his Blairite credentials to do that.

Do you know what, I don’t really think Streeting wants a battle of ideas or Andy Burnham in it. He just doesn’t want to be in a battle which can cast him as a backstabber, which is the role that he will be given if Starmer can possibly arrange it

He’s just resigned as health secretary

I think if Starmervstands he will win, because the Left want to wait for Burnham and Streeting doesn't have the support. He should go for it. He's ineffectual with his party but he may as well crack down on them now and tell them to put up or shut up until the next election. Most of them will lose their seats. Especially the ones who think going further Left is going to help them

That is interesting to know about Wes Streeting regarding the trans letter.

He seems to be burning up all the political support he had by desperately trying to push Starmer to resign. I do not think he is all that popular with the Labour membership and hoped for MPs to coronate him. He is going to be disappointed

Well, his NHS improvements are subjective. Nothing has changed for this area. It’s still a shitshow. He’s probably the best of a bad bunch though. Without proper reform, the NHS won’t improve. 🤷‍♀️

Rayner, despite being ‘cleared’, suddenly, of a tax fiddle, is hopeless. 🙄. I know she has promised to give Waspi’s compensation, but taxing the middle and rich classes more to pay for it, doesn’t feel like a good option. And I’m talking as a WASPI. 🙄

Miliband would be completely silly. He’s failed once.

Theres a complete lack of talent to choose from.

Depressing really.

So self explanatory that the first tax advice she sought was "no, you do not need to pay the higher rate..."

Like i said, you don't know her specific case nor her defence to HMRC.

...and so far, WS hasn't triggered a leadership contest.... so thats another "rumour" with no legs...

@Alexandra2001 the point is that what is written on HMG’s own website with regard to stamp duty is self explanatory. You have to pay the higher rate if you own a second property, even if that property is in trust for your child and even if you are not a trustee of the trust. How much more tax advice did she need?

I think she has got off very lightly and that treatment is not available to others when they also make a genuine mistake. Could Rayner’s case have been construed as carelessness? 100%.

anyway, back to Streeting. No, no and no again.

This is the measure of the man, isn’t it? A nasty misogynist who has done NOTHING to implement the Supreme Court ruling of April 2025.