Streeting resigns, but can he trigger a leadership contest? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 14, 2026 · 28 MIN

Streeting resigns, but can he trigger a leadership contest?

from Daily Politics from the New Statesman

Wes Streeting resigned as Health Secretary on Thursday morning, but Ailbhe Rea says Keir Starmer is determined to fight on.After days of speculation – and a 16-minute meeting at Number 10 – Wes Streeting has finally resigned from cabinet.On the same day, Angela Rayner has announced she has been "cleared" of wrongdoing related to unpaid property tax, which would leave her free to run in a leadership contest if one is triggered.However, sources inside Number 10 have told Ailbhe Rea that Wes Streeting does not have the backing of enough MPs to trigger a leadership contest. So what is the former Health Secretary hoping to achieve?And if a leadership contest were triggered, who else would be likely to run?Ailbhe Rea and Anoosh Chakelian discuss the latest from Westminster in The Politics Show.READ: Wes Streeting resigns with an excoriating letter to StarmerLISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wes Streeting resigned as Health Secretary on Thursday morning, but Ailbhe Rea says Keir Starmer is determined to fight on.After days of speculation – and a 16-minute meeting at Number 10 – Wes Streeting has finally resigned from cabinet.On the same day, Angela Rayner has announced she has been "cleared" of wrongdoing related to unpaid property tax, which would leave her free to run in a leadership contest if one is triggered.However, sources inside Number 10 have told Ailbhe Rea that Wes Streeting does not have the backing of enough MPs to trigger a leadership contest. So what is the former Health Secretary hoping to achieve?And if a leadership contest were triggered, who else would be likely to run?Ailbhe Rea and Anoosh Chakelian discuss the latest from Westminster in The Politics Show.READ: Wes Streeting resigns with an excoriating letter to StarmerLISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOW PLAYING

Streeting resigns, but can he trigger a leadership contest?

0:00 28:38

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Daily Politics from the New Statesman?

This episode is 28 minutes long.

When was this Daily Politics from the New Statesman episode published?

This episode was published on May 14, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Wes Streeting resigned as Health Secretary on Thursday morning, but Ailbhe Rea says Keir Starmer is determined to fight on.After days of speculation – and a 16-minute meeting at Number 10 – Wes Streeting has finally resigned from cabinet.On the same...

Can I download this Daily Politics from the New Statesman episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!