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

[Twiglets1]

Wes Streeting will reportedly resign as Health Secretary and trigger a leadership contest against Keir Starmer and it could be as soon as tomorrow.

Allies of Mr Streeting said he was “going to go for it” after he met the Prime Minister in Downing Street for just 16 minutes this morning.

A spokesman for the Health Secretary said he would not discuss his brief meeting with Sir Keir over fears it would overshadow the King’s Speech, which will take place later today at 11.40.

AIBU to assume that Streeting is in the final stages of preparing a coup for the Labour leadership and will very likely make his move tomorrow?

If the Labour party think Wes Streeting is the answer, they're asking the wrong question...

I don’t really agree with Starmer having to go.

But if he does - Streeting seems to be the best of the available options?

I don’t feel that he has enough support really. I doubt that anything will happen.

Never trusted him. Couldn’t put my finger on why, but always got untrustworthy vibes from him.

Where has this been reported or suggested if no details of their meeting have been released

To me he seems to be the best of a bad bunch.

Rayner would be a disaster.

Burnham would also be bad (his hype seems to be media generated) plus he doesn't have a seat.

Unless they can find a credible candidate, then best sticking with what they’ve got.

Rayner or Streeting would last a matter of a few months. 🙄

Wes Streeting has always denied everything to do with wanting the top job and often been the PM’s biggest cheerleader in the past. Goes to show how brutal politics is and how so many of them are just self serving. Doesn’t surprise me at all. Don’t trust any of them really.

YANBU this will happen.

The press will find some kind of smear on Wes Streeting ( Mandelson) and he won’t last too long if he is successful. I doubt that he will be, but depends if he decides to go ahead with this leadership challenge or not.

Unfortunately it appears to be going this way

I would rather Starmer stay for now, and hand over to Andy Burnham who I believe would appeal to more voters in the next GE and be able to handle the left of the party better, as they will continue to cause issues for the leader of the party unless Labour stupidly move to the left again

He has to find 81 MPs willing to back him first.

Commentators are always telling us there are three factions in Labour: the Labour right (centrists), the soft left and the hard left (Campaign Group / formerly called "Corbynites")

Burnham, Rayner and Ed Miliband are soft left. Starmer, Streeting and Mahmood are Labour right.

I can see the point of replacing Starmer, but I can't see the point of them replacing him with someone who will have the exact same policies but can do a slightly more convincing impression of a human being. And I would describe myself politically as Labour right!

That's not true. He has said that he will be ready to launch a leadership bid should the position become available. He has been pretty open about that.

The past two years have been shambolic. Labour had a chance to unite us as a country and have failed dismally. I think Streeting is the most credible option but remains to be seen if Labour Party members would support him as more likely to go further to the left and cement themselves as a one term government

Isn't Burnham left? Didn't he say something like: "I'm not bothered about the bond markets"

There is a complete lack of a coherent plan eg how are they going to increase productivity and encourage financial growth or are they going to come after the middle high earners and those with capital assets even more? At some point the balloon will burst and there will be free fall. To be fair even Trump had a ‘plan’ even if we dislike it. Labour just seems to be about more tax, more tax, more tax, more welfare giveaways, more tax, more public sector increases, more tax etc.

Oh good - someone even more useless. NHS is more fucked than ever before and he seems to think jumping on the publicity bandwagon to be photographed gurning with that one from Little Mix (?) was a good idea.

All of a sudden, Starmer doesn’t seem a bad option

Streeting “allies” talking to journalists have said he will.

I’ve heard a few interviews with Wes Streeting on lbc where he was scoffing at having a go at the being PM , but I appreciate I haven’t heard every single interview his ever given and I must have missed many where he has said that he would. This was last year . Maybe he now feels the time is right , but depends on his support from others as well and it seems a bit chaotic at the moment as to what any of them want.

Nobody can answer the question about why Streeting is better. I understand he is not Starmer, but there should be more to it than that.

I don’t think Streeting will necessarily be any more popular as a leader than Starmer - he will have the same difficulties. Arguably he’s a better communicator than Starmer and more media friendly. Is he good at the difficult stuff which makes a PM? No idea.

Streeting is Peter Mandelson’s protégée.

Mandelson wants his share of the NHS spoils. Mandelson’s company, Global Counsel, coached Palantir to win the NHS data contract. Streeting is bought and paid for by US private health.

anyone who thinks Streeting is going to be a positive for this country hasn’t been paying enough attention.

No he is not left of the party and disliked by many on the left but further to the left than Streeting

When it suits him ... he manoeuvres about which will upset some in the party. I think AB knows the party has to stay centre to win the next election

Well I suppose the right wing nutter attacks will write themselves with Streeting. He is the sinister Mandelson protege, anti family who will sell your Granny and her medical records to private companies.

I think it’s the fact that there have been no details of their meeting released make it more likely than not to be the case. If they’d all been hunky dory and supportive then they’d have been straight out and said so.

I've always thought Streeting seems smarmy and untrustworthy. And the fact that he's in bed with Palantir should mean he's nowhere near Health, let alone the top job.