UK ex-health minister says will run to replace Starmer

Wes Streeting, who resigned as UK health secretary this week, announced Saturday he will run to replace Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister, after the party suffered disastrous local election results.

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Streeting quit the government on Thursday with a withering assessment of Starmer’s leadership, but no other senior minister followed suit and the 43-year-old MP did not immediately trigger a leadership contest.

Later that day, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham unveiled a bid to become an MP which, if successful, would allow the 56-year-old from the left of the party to stand in that contest.

While still not announcing he has kickstarted the formal leadership challenge process, Streeting confirmed on Saturday he will vie to replace Starmer and become the centre-left Labour's new leader.

Whoever leads the ruling party, which has a big majority in Britain's parliament, will by default become prime minister.

“We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I'll be standing,” Streeting said in a speech and question-and-answer session at a think tank event in London.

Explaining the lack of a formal contest launch, Streeting - from Labour's right-wing and long thought to covet the premiership - said he wanted “all of the candidates... on the pitch.”

“If we had rushed ahead without giving Andy a chance to stand, the new leader, whether it was me or anyone else, would lack the legitimacy.”