Streeting declares he has the 80 MPs to challenge Starmer — but will not pull the trigger

Labour MP Wes Streeting insisted on Tuesday that he has secured the parliamentary support necessary to mount a formal challenge for the leadership of the party, declaring himself "absolutely confident" that he commands the 80 signatures required to trigger a members' vote, even as he acknowledged that he has no intention of pulling the trigger himself before this Thursday's crunch by-election in Makerfield. The former health secretary, who resigned from the Cabinet in May without directly confronting Sir Keir Starmer, told journalists in London that he hopes the Prime Minister will "reflect on his own position" and set out a timetable for his departure once the result of the by-election — which the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, is widely expected to win — is known. Speaking after delivering a speech on economic policy in the City of London, Streeting said he wants a "genuine contest" to decide who succeeds Starmer, rather than an unopposed coronation for Burnham, the current favourite for the job should he secure the vacant seat in the North West.

Describing himself as the "plucky underdog" in any looming battle for control of No 10, Streeting was emphatic that he will be a candidate. "For the avoidance of doubt, for the umpteenth time, I will be standing," he said. Yet his approach risks creating a potential stalemate, for he made clear that he does not wish to initiate a contest unilaterally. "I've not triggered a contest because we've got a by-election underway where one of the inevitable candidates is on the ballot paper," he explained. "Had I tried to pull a fast one and get ahead of Andy Burnham before he came back, I think that would have been foul play." It is understood that supporters of both Streeting and Burnham are pinning their hopes on mass Cabinet resignations to force Starmer's hand, though the Prime Minister has insisted he will fight on. Allies of Starmer, it is claimed, doubt that Streeting truly possesses the requisite 80 backers, but the MP for Ilford North brushed aside such scepticism.

In his address on economic policy, Streeting laid out a vision he termed "progressive capitalism", arguing that the left should not be "squeamish about competition". He pledged to recruit 20,000 scientists, engineers and artificial intelligence experts from overseas over the course of the next parliament, and promised emergency legislation to accelerate the construction of key infrastructure. Positioning himself within the party's centrist tradition, inspired by the legacy of Tony Blair, he took veiled swipes at Burnham's more left-wing inclinations. "I don't believe we've sat through 40 years of neoliberal failure," he remarked, and added, in a pointed reference to a comment Burnham made last year about Britain being "in hock" to the bond markets: "Bond markets are not bond villains."

Streeting warned that the leadership contest should not degenerate into a "Dutch auction" of ever more expensive pledges, a remark widely interpreted as a critique of the promises Starmer himself made during his 2020 campaign. "You won't find me making pledges to win your vote in a leadership election only to let you down after the ballots are counted," he said. On fiscal matters, he indicated that he would review the costly triple lock on the state pension after the next election, calling for "a serious conversation as a nation about intergenerational fairness." He declined, however, to specify a target for defence spending, despite the resignation last week of Defence Secretary John Healey, who had argued that Britain should commit to spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030. "Britain's defences must be funded adequately," Streeting said, but would not be drawn further.

On Europe, Streeting — who has previously said he "one day" wants Britain to rejoin the European Union — said he would "start talking to the EU now ahead of the next general election" about enhancing ties, but refused to pledge that rejoining would feature in the 2029 manifesto. He ruled out holding an early general election if he becomes prime minister, insisting that he was "elected on that manifesto" and would "deliver on that manifesto." On net zero, he backed the overall target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, but said the country did not need to "stick to short-term arbitrary targets." Looking ahead to the impact of technology on the labour market, he called for Britain to examine Denmark's "flexicurity" model, in which employers enjoy greater freedom to hire and fire, in preparation for what he described as "massive labour market dislocation caused by AI."

As the clock ticks down to Thursday's by-election, the Labour Party braces for what many anticipate will be a bitter, summer-long struggle for the direction of the country. Whether Starmer survives the week, or whether Streeting and Burnham ultimately face each other in a contest for the soul of the party, one thing appears settled: the "plucky underdog" from Ilford North insists he will be on the ballot.