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Britain’s Health Minister, Wes Streeting, has resigned from the government and is preparing to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party.
In his resignation letter posted on X, Streeting said:
“It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election.”
— Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) May 14, 2026
He also said he had “lost confidence” in Starmer’s leadership and believed the party needed a broad leadership contest with strong candidates. Streeting did not confirm whether he had enough support from Labour lawmakers to officially trigger a leadership race.
Starmer has been under pressure after Labour performed poorly in recent local and regional elections. Several junior ministers have resigned, while more than 80 Labour MPs have reportedly asked him to step down. However, more than 100 lawmakers still back the prime minister, who has insisted he will remain in office.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner also returned to the spotlight after UK tax authorities cleared her of deliberate wrongdoing in a tax investigation. Rayner said she would not trigger a leadership contest herself but would play “whatever role I can” to help “deliver the change”.
She urged Starmer to “reflect” on his position following Labour’s election losses.
Another possible contender is Andy Burnham, although he currently cannot run because he is not a member of parliament. Despite the growing pressure, Starmer’s spokesperson said the prime minister is focused on governing and has no plans to resign.
The Labour Party suffered major setbacks in last week’s elections, losing support to the right-wing Reform UK party and the Greens. Starmer has promised to fight any leadership challenge and said he intends to prove his critics “wrong.”
