Health secretary’s lack of challenge had reassured Starmer and his allies – but then briefings for a speculative Thursday launch emerged
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s 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.
