The former British Minister of Health Wes Streeting announced this Saturday that he will run for the Prime Minister’s Labor leadership race, Keir Starmer. “We need a fair contest with the best candidates, and I will run,” he said in statements to the media at a conference organized in London by the ‘Progress’ political platform, days after resigning from the Government in dissatisfaction with Starmer’s leadership.
The authority of the head of the Government has been weakened after more than 80 Labor MPs They asked for his resignation or to present a calendar for his withdrawal from power after the harsh electoral setback suffered by his party in the local elections in England and the regional elections in Scotland and Wales. However, in order to officially challenge Starmer’s leadership, Streeting will need the explicit support of 81 Labor MPswhich represents 20% of the party’s parliamentary group.
Streeting defends a new relationship with Europe
Streeting expressed the need for Labor to have a good leadership campaign, one that is “fair” between “candidates who can demonstrate the best qualities.” In his extensive speech, the former head of Health also appeared in favor of a “new relationship” with Europe and that the United Kingdom returns to the future European Union.
He stated that the Brexit or British exit from the EU, for which the British voted in a referendum in 2016, was a “catastrophic mistake”. A better relationship with European neighbors would help “rebuild our economy and trade, and improve our defense against the common threats of Russian aggression,” he added.
Andy Burnham, into the battle for leadership
Regarding the eventual battle for the Labor leadership, another of the possible candidates is the mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnhamafter yesterday he received the green light to be selected as a candidate for a seat, which, if won, would allow him to run for the leadership of the current party in power.
The mayor received the approval of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labor Party to appear as one of the candidates to be the party’s candidate for the seat of the English constituency of Makerfieldwhich has been left vacant after the recent resignation of its deputy, the Labor Josh Simons.
It is expected that this Monday the Committee will close the deadline for the presentation of candidacies and that next Thursday the name of the candidate will be announced, but it is assumed that it will be Burnham. Specifically, to run for the head of the British Government, Burnham must first be elected MP, then challenge Starmer’s mandate – for which he needs the support of 81 deputies from his formation– and finally being elected Labor leader in internal party elections.
