UK Political Crisis: Health Secretary Resigns, Hinting at Starmer's "Voluntary Exit"
Wes Streeting, the UK's Health Secretary, became the first senior cabinet member to resign on Thursday. The move is widely seen as paving the way for pressure on Keir Starmer to step down. Streeting stated he has lost confidence in Starmer and believes the latter should not continue serving out the remainder of his current term.
In a sharply worded resignation letter, Streeting wrote: "You have shown courage and statesmanship on the international stage, particularly in avoiding the UK's involvement in an Iran war. But when we needed vision, we saw a blank; when we needed direction, we saw confusion." However, Streeting did not explicitly position himself as the best candidate to lead the Labour Party into the next general election—set no later than 2029. Instead, he implied that Starmer should voluntarily step aside to allow broader discussions within the party about its future direction.
Starmer did not directly respond to Streeting’s criticism but said he hopes both sides can continue working together “to prove that a Labour government can solve problems exploited by opponents, bring hope where they create despair, and unite people where they deepen division.”
Following a crushing defeat for Labour in last week’s local and regional elections, Starmer has faced mounting pressure to resign. This electoral loss has deepened many party members’ doubts about Starmer’s judgment, political vision, and leadership capabilities. Nevertheless, despite the setback, Starmer has announced he will remain in office. He warned Labour MPs that any leadership contest would destabilize the government at a time when it should be focused on tackling cost-of-living crises and the Middle East conflict.
The health secretary’s resignation is undoubtedly a major blow to Starmer. It was under his leadership that Labour ended a 14-year period in opposition and returned to power in July 2024.
If Starmer refuses to step down voluntarily, any challenger would need support from at least one-fifth of Labour MPs—meaning at least 81 signatures—to trigger a formal leadership election. For days, speculation has swirled that Streeting would formally announce his challenge on Thursday. Yet his wording has sparked speculation: perhaps he hasn’t yet secured enough backing, or perhaps he’s offering Starmer a chance to resign with dignity.
Another potential challenger, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, said on Thursday she had reached an agreement with relevant departments over tax-related issues. These issues forced her to leave the cabinet last September. Speaking to The Guardian, Rayner urged Starmer to “seriously reflect on his position.” She also said she is ready “to play a role in any leadership election” if Streeting officially launches a challenge.
A third possible contender, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, currently holds no parliamentary seat and thus is technically ineligible to run for party leader. However, on Thursday afternoon, a Labour MP said he would be willing to resign to free up a seat. Burnham stated he would seek internal party approval to contest a special by-election. If elected, he could then enter the leadership race.
Despite intense internal party strife, the government received some positive news on the same day. Official data showed that the UK economy grew by 0.6% in the first quarter of this year—exceeding market expectations and surpassing the previous quarter’s growth rate, despite negative impacts from the Iran conflict. Economic growth means increased government revenues, which can help fund Labour’s policy priorities and potentially reduce borrowing pressures.
Differing from the Conservatives, Labour has never historically forced out a sitting prime minister during their term in office. Professor Jonathan Tonge of the University of Liverpool noted: "Labour isn’t accustomed to being harsh on its leaders. They typically don’t oust their party head. In contrast, the Conservatives have always been ruthless in such matters." Nonetheless, he pointed out that even if Starmer survives this crisis, given today’s highly fragmented political landscape in the UK, he may face another challenge within months.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1865208125630539/
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