Jun 22, 2026
Wes Streeting resigned as UK health secretary and confirmed he will run to replace Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister if a leadership contest is triggered. Streeting stepped down earlier this week with a scathing resignation letter urging Starmer to set a timetable for his departure, as the prime minister faces mounting pressure over his leadership.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to step down on Tuesday despite growing pressure from within his own Labour Party, including junior government members and party colleagues, to resign. The leadership crisis has prompted a scheduled meeting with Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Britain's ruling Labour Party faced significant defeats in local elections as Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party made sweeping gains, marking one of Labour's worst election results in history. Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to remain in office despite the losses.