Wes Streeting: PM-in-waiting or this generation's David Miliband'?

"As the unofficial political truce of the king's speech approached, with still no sign of a leadership challenge from Wes Streeting, some of his Labour colleagues assumed the health secretary's chance to go for the top job might have passed for ever. There is a risk he becomes the David Miliband of this generation if he doesn't do something, one MP said, a reference to another longtime heir apparent who never made the final step."

"But then, more or less exactly as the monarch's state coach arrived at parliament, the briefings began: Streeting would resign, perhaps as early as Thursday, and push for a leadership election. What had changed? In one sense, nothing more than events. Streeting's ambition has long been a subject for open discussion and frequent jokes within Labour, including self-deprecating ones from the man himself."

"Billed as planning, not plotting, the idea was to be ready if a contest began, rather than instigating one. On Monday morning, Peter Kyle, the business secretary and a close friend of Streeting, recounted to Sky News a recent joint trip for dinner and to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2, questioning if a man hellbent on a leadership bid would have the time for such leisurely fripperies."

"Two things shifted the narrative. Firstly, Starmer clung on, even after an underwhelming reset speech on Monday morning, suffering no worse damage than the resignation of a few junior ministers, mainly allied to Streeting, and no open challenges beyond a short and slightly whimsical one from the backbencher Catherine West. Secondly, as the days dragged on, Downing Street and its al"

Wes Streeting’s leadership ambitions were widely discussed within Labour, with jokes and self-deprecation from Streeting himself. Some colleagues believed his chance to challenge for the top job had passed because no leadership challenge had emerged. Briefings then began around the time the monarch’s state coach arrived at parliament, indicating Streeting would resign, possibly as early as Thursday, and would push for a leadership election. The shift was attributed to events: Keir Starmer remained in office after an underwhelming reset speech, with only limited ministerial resignations and no open challenges beyond a brief one from Catherine West. Additional factors were developing as days went on.

Read at www.theguardian.com