In a divided Labour party, Wes Streeting is one of the great dividers.
Staffers who have worked for the former Health Secretary speak of the loyalty and admiration he inspires through his intelligence, hard work and compassion. “He’s personable, likeable and connects with people,” says one on the right of the party, “but there’s also that steel and determination within him.”
Those on the left see a different side. A former colleague from his days as a councillor acknowledges Streeting is “very bright” and “works exceptionally hard”, yet laments how “dismissive and negative” he can be towards people who backed Jeremy Corbyn – while ensuring “other people do his dirty work for him”.
Another ex-staffer sums up how he is viewed within Labour. “When I used to say, ‘I work for Wes,’ I got visceral hatred or overwhelming joy – one of the two.”
This may leave Streeting struggling to secure enough support within the Labour membership to win a party leadership election and claim No 10 – having resigned from Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet on Thursday, saying he had lost confidence in the Prime Minister.
