Wes Streeting has hit back at claims that he wants to take on Sir Keir Starmer, following an extraordinary intervention from Downing Street over suggestions of an upcoming leadership challenge.
The health secretary said on Sky News on Wednesday morning that he does not understand “how anyone thinks it’s helpful to the prime minister”, and ruled out launching a bid for the top job after the Budget at the end of this month.
Downing Street was preparing to defend the prime minister from any attempt to remove him in a coup on Tuesday night, with a number of ministers, including home secretary Shabana Mahmood and Mr Streeting, being proposed as a successor.
The PM has been subject to months of rumours that he could be replaced as Labour continue to tank in the polls under his leadership.
Several reports on Tuesday evening suggested the prime minister’s position could be challenged after the Budget later this month or next year’s local elections in May.
Sources claimed health secretary Wes Streeting has made moves to replace Sir Keir and loyalists within No 10 are said to fear his job could be under threat.
Asked if he was planning a leadership challenge, the health secretary told Sky News: “No, and I think whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors, and this is just about the worst attack on a faithful I’ve seen since Joe Marler was kicked out and banished in the final.
“It’s a totally self-defeating briefing, not least because it’s not true and I don’t understand how anyone thinks it’s helpful to the prime minister either.”
Asked if he would rule out demanding Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation after the Budget, he said: “Yes, and nor did I shoot JFK.”
The health secretary also suggested that the prime minister should sack those around him leading the briefing, but told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “He’s got to find them first and I wouldn’t expect him to waste loads of time on this.”
One senior figure told The Independent on Tuesday that the highly respected defence secretary John Healey is being put forward as “a continuity candidate” and “safe pair of hands”.
Meanwhile, home secretary Shabana Mahmood is another name in contention, while the left of the party is looking for former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner to make a comeback or energy secretary Ed Miliband to have a second go as leader.
Speculation has mounted over the prime minister’s future as Labour dropped to fifth in one poll behind the Greens. The party has failed to recover after rapidly losing support after winning the election. It is now averaging below 20 per cent in the polls, while Reform UK sit on more than 30 per cent.
Dissatisfaction in Labour over attempts to cut the welfare bill, foot-dragging on child benefit and an attempt to remove winter fuel payments from more than 10 million pensioners has seen a backlash in the party, with a major rebellion by MPs just before the summer.
This has culminated with sacked cabinet minister Lucy Powell winning the deputy leadership contest in a campaign where she strongly criticised the leadership under Sir Keir.
A senior party figure said: “A number of names are being bandied about. John Healey has come up a lot in the last week but we know Shabana Mahmood is looking at the top job. Wes [Streeting] is definitely on manoeuvres though.”
An ally of Ms Rayner said that this side of Christmas was “maybe too soon” for a leadership bid after being forced to resign over failing to pay stamp duty on her flat in Hove, East Sussex, but did not rule out her “having a go anyway”.
A Downing Street source said that early reports of a potential coup had been “overwritten”.
They added: “Would the PM fight a challenge? Of course. Would any challenge be irresponsible? Yes. But all completely hypothetical. Wes is a brilliant health secretary.”
A spokesperson for Mr Streeting said the claims he is plotting to replace Sir Keir “are categorically untrue”.
Speaking on Tuesday night, he added: “Wes’s focus has entirely been on cutting waiting lists for the first time in 15 years, recruiting 2,500 more GPs, and rebuilding the NHS that saved his life.”
However, Sir Keir’s biographer questioned the logic of those who had been briefing from within the corridors of power.
Tom Baldwin, a former journalist known to be close to the prime minister, wrote on social media: “I’m at a loss to understand why anyone would think this sort of briefing will help Keir Starmer, the government, or even their own cause.
“Some people just can’t resist, I guess, but it’s all a bit nuts.”
Streeting hits out at ‘self-destructive’ claims he’s plotting to oust Starmer: Latest
Streeting dismisses leadership challenge rumours as ‘Celebrity Traitors’ fiction
Streeting rules out bid to challenge Starmer amid ‘unhelpful’ briefing war
Trump says BBC ‘defrauded the public’ with editing of January 6 speech
Six big changes to expect from Reeves’ Budget and how they’ll impact your finances
Why a group of wealthy Brits have urged Reeves to introduce a wealth tax
