"What would happen, in such a challenge? Would Streeting reap the benefit of the rule change of 2021, in which a candidate would need 20% of the parliamentary party to nominate, rather than 10%? All the rumours back then were that this change was specifically designed to favour Streeting, by keeping mavericks, outliers, lefties or, let's give them their umbrella description, any MP the membership didn't actively loathe off the ballot."
"It's all utterly fascinating, except for the fact that it's completely meaningless. If Streeting replaced Starmer tomorrow, he would have exactly the same problems by the end of the week: a fixation with process over project; an absence of any determinable values; and maybe not by Friday, certainly by Christmas, you would know him by the trail of broken promises."
Rapid political manoeuvres in 2025 sparked talk of a Labour leadership challenge and speculation about Wes Streeting. Briefings suggested internal pressure and debates over nominations driven by a 2021 rule change raising the threshold to 20% of MPs, a change portrayed as favouring Streeting by excluding mavericks. Questions emerged about potential contenders, gender expectations, and party identity. A change of leader would be cosmetic: a Streeting premiership would inherit the same issues—prioritising process over policy, lacking clear values, and risking broken promises—so leadership replacement would not address underlying strategic and ideological deficits.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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