It's official: Wes Streeting of the Labour Party wants to be Britain's next prime minister
Wes Streeting has officially announced his intention to challenge Keir Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party and become Britain's next prime minister. His move comes amid declining Labour fortunes since their 2024 landslide victory. Streeting is the first MP to formally enter the race, though others like Andy Burnham may follow.
- ▪Wes Streeting announced on Saturday his intention to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a Labour Party leadership contest.
- ▪Streeting is the first member of Parliament to declare a challenge against Starmer.
- ▪Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham may also enter the race if he wins a special election for a House of Commons seat.
- ▪Keir Starmer faces growing criticism over policy U-turns and his appointment of a friend of Jeffrey Epstein.
- ▪The Labour Party's popularity has declined in the two years since its historic 2024 victory.
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NewsUKUK PoliticsIt's official: Wes Streeting of the Labour Party wants to be Britain's next prime ministerWes Streeting's ambition to head the British government was one of the worst-kept secrets in U.K. politicsBrian Melley & Jill LawlessSunday 17 May 2026 09:01 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"ffeb9e78cf0f156abc70e1e794f7fa23","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/wes-streeting-keir-starmer-labour-party-jeffrey-epstein-london-b2978095.html","title":"It's official: Wes Streeting of the Labour Party wants to be Britain's next prime…
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