Wes Streeting has resigned as Health Secretary, stating he no longer has confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership.
In his resignation letter, Streeting highlighted a series of achievements during his time in office, including a reduction of 110,000 in NHS waiting lists in March and improvements in ambulance response times and A&E performance.
He said waiting times had reached their best levels in five years and that the government had recruited 2,000 additional GPs, while mental health staffing targets were met three years ahead of schedule.
Streeting also pointed to financial performance, stating that the Department of Health and Social Care had balanced its budget for the first time in nine years and exceeded NHS productivity targets.
Despite these developments, he said that remaining in his role would be “dishonourable and unprincipled” after losing confidence in the prime minister.
The resignation follows recent election results, which Streeting described as “unprecedented” in scale and consequence, and he said the government’s unpopularity had been a significant factor in losses across England, Scotland and Wales.
He referenced concerns over policy decisions and messaging, stating that the country no longer clearly understood what the government stood for.
Streeting acknowledged Starmer’s role in leading Labour to victory in the 2024 general election and praised his conduct on the international stage, including keeping the UK out of the war in Iran.
However, he said there was a lack of direction in leadership, writing: “Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift.”
He also called for a broader debate within the Labour Party about its future leadership, stating that discussions should focus on ideas rather than individuals.
Streeting said serving as Health Secretary had been “the greatest joy” of his career but added that he was saddened to be leaving government under the circumstances.