STORY
Wes Streeting has used his first Commons speech since resigning as Health Secretary to warn that Labour is “in the fight of our lives” against nationalism and risks losing unless it offers a clearer sense of change. Streeting told MPs that the party needed to be more ambitious in government and said Labour could not afford to leave voters feeling that politics had failed to improve their lives.
Streeting said Labour faced pressure from nationalist and populist parties across the UK, including Reform UK, the SNP and Plaid Cymru. He argued that the party needed to reclaim a confident sense of patriotism and show that government could deliver on housing, jobs and opportunity, particularly for younger people facing high costs, economic uncertainty and the impact of artificial intelligence.
The speech followed Streeting’s resignation from the Cabinet and his call for Keir Starmer to stand down as Prime Minister. While he did not launch a direct leadership bid in the Commons speech, his intervention added to wider pressure on Starmer after a period of Labour unrest, ministerial resignations and speculation about the party’s future direction.