Wes Streeting on why Keir Starmer cannot save himself or his country

The News Agents

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Friday, 5 June 2026 - 1 hour 25 minutes

It is now hard to imagine that just three weeks ago, Wes Streeting was still serving in Keir Starmer's cabinet. As Health Secretary, Streeting gave the PM one of his biggest success stories from Labour's so far deeply troubled time in government - getting waiting lists down, and dragging the NHS into the 21st century.

In the short time since he left role, he has become one of Starmer's biggest problems. His criticism of the PM is blistering, his analysis of where Labour has gone wrong is compelling, and his finger is twitching over the leadership contest trigger, waiting - so he says - for Andy Burnham to get into the arena.

Streeting has long been talked up as a future Labour Prime Minister, but bruising recent membership polling shows the Labour party faithful are still far from convinced by his pitch. So why is he so convinced that this is a fight worth having?

In this extended interview with Lewis, he explains why he fears that Keir Starmer, a man he respects, will become the "midwife" for a dangerous new kind of politics if he doesn't step aside - regardless of who replaces him.

The News Agents is a Global Production.

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