Streeting officially enters the race for Labour leadership…

Streeting officially enters the race for Labour leadership, Starmer faces historic crisis

16.05.2026 22:00 HotInfo

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces the historically biggest crisis of his government. Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned on Thursday, May 14, and openly questioned Starmer's ability to lead the Labour Party into the next election. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Streeting wrote that he "has lost confidence in his leadership" and criticized him for the fact that "where we needed vision, there is a vacuum." On Saturday, May 16, the 43-year-old Streeting officially declared his candidacy in the contest for the leadership of the Labour Party and the posts of party leader and prime minister. svet.sme.sk ↗

Streeting confirmed his candidacy on Wednesday with Sky News, stating that "we need to hold a contest with the best candidates" and describing himself as one of them. According to his statements, Britain's future lies in Europe, and he called leaving the European Union "a catastrophic mistake." He delivered this official statement shortly after Starmer appointed James Murray as the new Health Secretary. hnonline.sk ↗

The Health Secretary's resignation represents the peak of an internal party revolt within the Labour Party, which just last week suffered a crushing defeat in the local elections. On Wednesday, Starmer sought to reassure his ministers and MPs that he continues to implement a "radical" reform plan. He warned them that a leadership contest would "plunge the country into chaos" and destabilize it. However, the Prime Minister did not stop the revolt within the party with these appeals. Previously, approximately 80 Labour MPs had already called on Starmer to resign immediately or to draw up a plan for his departure. hnonline.sk ↗

Other potential candidates for the position of Labour leader include Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, who, according to reports, is being considered a favorite for the post, as well as other party figures. Burnham is preparing to return to Parliament after MP Josh Simons vacated his seat in the Makerfield constituency for him. Political commentators point to parallels with the fall of British prime ministers in recent years – from Boris Johnson through Liz Truss to Rishi Sunak. A key part of Britain's financial community is concerned about a scenario of party leadership that would ignore public finances and market realities, which could lead to a scenario similar to that under Truss, when UK bond yields rose dramatically. BBC News ↗

Starmer continues to contain political crises alongside security challenges related to antisemitism in London and diplomatic disputes, including the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador. At the same time, large demonstrations are taking place in London, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets on opposing sides: on one side, supporters of activist Tommy Robinson focused on anti-immigration and Islamophobic policies, and on the other, activists for Palestinian rights. Welt ↗