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?

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

Isn't this a case of Streeting not being able to win no matter how he plays it?

If he goes straight for an immediate leadership challenge, he will be accused of being too scared to go up against Andy Burnham.

If he allows a longer process for the "battle of ideas" to fully play out, he gets accused of only doing it to avoid looking like the sole backstabber.

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.

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

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.

Is there really any polling to suggest that Ed Miliband would beat Keir Starmer?

Please provide a link to it as I find that seriously hard to believe. I wonder who the heck was polled to get that response!

What polling numbers? What is your source for saying that?

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.

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

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?

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.

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

Thank you.

I think it's surprising that Labour members think the answer is to replace Starmer with someone more left wing (& my personal opinion is that's a mistake as far as the general electorate goes) but anyway.

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.