U.K. health secretary will run to unseat Starmer after scathing letter
Wes Streeting, former U.K. health secretary, has announced his candidacy to replace Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader and prime minister following poor local election results. Streeting criticized Starmer's leadership in a resignation letter, citing a lack of vision within the party. Other figures, including Andy Burnham, may also challenge Starmer, though a formal leadership contest has not yet been triggered.
- ▪Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary and announced his bid to replace Keir Starmer as Labour leader.
- ▪Streeting stated in a resignation letter that Starmer lacks the vision to lead the party into the next general election.
- ▪Four other members of Starmer's government also resigned following the local election losses.
- ▪Nigel Farage's Reform U.K. party made significant gains in the local elections across England.
- ▪A Labour leadership contest requires support from at least 20% of the party's MPs to be formally triggered.
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World U.K. health secretary will run for prime minister after challenging Starmer's leadership in scathing resignation letter May 16, 2026 / 12:03 PM EDT / CBS/AFP Add CBS News on Google Wes Streeting, who resigned as U.K. health secretary this week, announced Saturday he will run to replace Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister, after the party suffered disastrous local election results."We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I'll be standing," Streeting said at a think tank event in London, two days after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham unveiled a bid to become a member of Parliament, or MP.If successful, that would allow Burnham to run in a Labour leadership contest that now appears all but inevitable, though it is yet to be formally…
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