Governance

UK: Health Secretary Wes Streeting Resigns

Is Streeting Labour's boldest hope for revival or a liability destined to destroy the party?

Published 4 hours ago

UK: Health Secretary Wes Streeting Resigns

Story

Above: Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting in London on May 13. Image credit: Thomas Krych/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

Streeting is a self-made politician who rose from a council flat in Stepney to the Cabinet, representing a Blairite alternative with real governing experience. Time and time again, Labour's choice of a socialist leader has led to electoral annihilation, leaving Streeting — also the party's best communicator — as the sensible choice if the party wants to implement credible governance.

The Standard The Times

Narrative B

Wes Streeting is bought and paid for by private health care interests, with over £372,000 in donations from private health companies, while he champions privatizing NHS services. Polling shows a Streeting-led Labour would be obliterated on a national level, with the majority of Brits who've heard of him actively disliking him. Streeting is Labour in name only — he is not the person to fix Britain.

Canary Socialist Worker