Wes Streeting is delivering his first speech today since resigning as the country’s health secretary.
Mr Streeting dramatically quit his ministerial role on Thursday and is now widely expected to mount a leadership challenge.
His allies say he will run in any potential Labour leadership contest despite his glowing endorsement that Andy Burnham is Labour’s “best chance of winning” the Makerfield by-election.
Mr Burnham will be allowed to stand in Labour’s candidate selection process for the Makerfield by-election, taking him a step closer to challenging Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the party.
The Greater Manchester mayor announced on Thursday he was seeking to return to Westminster, after Labour MP Josh Simons agreed to step down.
Education secretary Bridget Philipson told BBC Radio 4’s The Week in Westminster programme that Mr Burnham would be a “strong candidate” but said Sir Keir had her “full support”.
Wes Streeting said the Makerfield by-election, expected to be a battle against Reform UK, “will be tough” as he touted Mr Burnham as one of Labour’s “best players.”
Read MoreThere’s one good reason Starmer still thinks he has what it takes
Manchester is booming – but not because of Andy Burnham
Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data shows
Key Points
- Andy Burnham approved to stand in by-election
- Bridget Philipson says Andy Burnham is 'strong candidate' but Starmer has her 'full support'
- Analysis: Why Makerfield will be a tough battleground for Labour in a by-election
- Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data shows
- Analysis: Streeting resignation deepens Starmer's leadership crisis
Wes Streeting went on: “We’ve seen mosques set on fire and vandalised, Muslim women harassed because of what they wear. Diminishing our country and forgetting our history: that the fight for Britain’s liberty was also a fight against fascism, waged by people from these islands alongside the largest volunteer army in the history of the world - made up of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs from India and troops from across the modern Commonwealth.
“There are no second-class citizens in this country. Black, white, rich, poor, gay, straight, religious, atheist, man, woman: that flag belongs to all of us, not just some of us.”
'Labour must confront racism, not just explain it'- Streeting
15:19 , Maryam Zakir-HussainOn the far-right march through London today, Streeting said Labour must confront racism, not explain it.
He said: “Today, Tommy Robinson and his followers are marching through the streets of our capital city. The last time he did, ministers were sent out by Number 10 with a media script to explain the march, rather than condemn it.
“What we’ve experienced in our country in recent months is a type of racism we haven’t seen on our streets since the 1970s and 80s. Our country’s flags flown from lampposts and flyovers, not as a symbol of national pride, but as a symbol of division: a message that those flags belongs to people who look like me and not people who look like our Mayor of London.”
'We need a proper contest where all candidates put their best foot forward'
15:16 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe former health secretary went on: “As a result, we arrived in government underprepared in too many areas and lacking clarity of vision and direction.
“Questions which had gone unanswered in opposition couldn’t be ignored in office, leading to the early catastrophe of the winter fuel cut.
“We’ve carried this culture into government, with a heavy-handed approach that has seen backbenchers scolded for interesting private members bills which weren't the government's policy – like banning smartphones in schools.
“That's why we need a proper contest where all candidates can put their best foot forward. It's got to be a battle of ideas so that whoever wins comes out stronger for it.”
Labour risks being the 'handmaiden of Nigel Farage'- Streeting
15:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainLabour risks being “the handmaiden of Nigel Farage” unless the party changes course, Wes Streeting has said.
Speaking in London this afternoon, he said: “Labour has been in existence for 126 years and in power for only 35. Our time in government is precious. We must not waste it.
“Change begins with an argument. You don’t make progress without one. That’s why this week, I called for a battle of ideas, not personalities.
“We haven't had a debate in the Labour Party about who and what we're for in more than a decade. Corbyn's leadership was marred by factionalism.
“The moral emergency of antisemitism in our party left little room for intellectual renewal or policy debate on the centre left.
“We then had a dishonest leadership contest, followed by an overcautiousness in opposition. Interesting policy ideas couldn't be floated because we were too afraid of what the Tories might say, so we said nothing.
Instead of a willingness to challenge ideas and kick the tyres, debate was viewed as division and shut down.”
15:12 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWatch Wes Streeting’s speech live here:
Wes Streeting begins speech at Progress conference in London
15:10 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWes Streeting is delivering his speech at the Progress conference in London.
He said: “Last week’s election results were unprecedented.
“The first time in our country’s history, nationalists are in power in every corner of the United Kingdom.”
Burnham will ‘fight to highest level’ but says he is not focused on replacing PM
14:59 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAndy Burnham has claimed he is focused on winning a seat in Parliament, rather than ousting Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister.
But the Mayor of Greater Manchester also said he was prepared to “fight to the highest level” if he is successful in contesting and then winning the Makerfield by-election, which could allow him a path back to Westminster and to challenge Sir Keir’s authority.
Mr Burnham also said a “big change moment is needed” following a bruising set of elections for Labour in England, Scotland, and Wales.
The Greater Manchester Mayor’s path back to Parliament is far from straightforward, as Reform has promised to throw all of its resources into the campaign for the Makerfield by-election, where sitting Labour MP Josh Simons resigned to give Mr Burnham a chance to return to Westminster.
Speaking to Channel 4 News on Saturday, Mr Burnham was asked if he had made a deliberate tilt at the Reform-facing constituency to show he can beat Nigel Farage’s party.
He replied: “I was very deliberate in speaking to Josh (Simons) and both of us have got the same diagnosis.
“I was the MP for Leigh years ago, Josh the MP for Makerfield. We have both felt the frustration of facing a Westminster system that just does not have answers for these streets, these communities.
“And you know, we both feel a big change moment is needed. And I wouldn’t have just gone anywhere like a carpet bagger, you know, any old constituency.
“It matters to me that I have a connection. I live literally on the edge of this constituency.”
Business secretary describes Streeting as 'legendary'
14:18 , Maryam Zakir-HussainBusiness secretary Peter Kyle would not be drawn into saying whether he would support his ally Wes Streeting should the former health secretary make a bid for the Labour leadership.
Mr Kyle described his former Cabinet colleague as “legendary”, as he appeared at a think tank’s conference in central London.
The Business Secretary told the Progress conference: “As Emily says in The Devil Wears Prada, ‘You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls’.”
He added: “Well, Wes is legendary, and a good, solid, courageous friend who is a talent that is much-needed by this party.”
Asked by reporters if this meant he would back Mr Streeting should he stand in a Labour leadership contest, Mr Kyle replied: “Let’s just be really clear about the world we are in at the moment. The Labour Party is in Government, and we’ve just had a convulsive period.
“In fact, we’re still in that convulsive period, and we have to do two things, which the Tories failed to do: to govern in the interests of people and see our way through what is a challenging time, and I think people can see from the way that I’m acting that I’m trying to do both in a serious, sensible way that will show voters, show people, that I am never ever taken away from their priorities.”
UK government will ‘grind to a halt’ amid leadership race, say ministers
14:00 , Rebecca ThomasParts of the government will “grind to a halt” ministers have reportedly told the Financial Times.
Speaking to the FT, concerned ministers claimed initiatives such as the UK’s push for closer UK relations with the EU will be disrupted.
One minister reportedly said: “We will have months where the business of daily government will have to grind to a halt, and it will just look like limbo,” said one cabinet minister. “The public aren’t going to forget this.”
Another minister said: “Take something like the defence investment plan, which is already delayed. I can’t see us being able to get that sorted out any time soon.”
Minister urges Labour ‘battle of ideas’ amid talk of challenge to PM
13:30 , Rebecca ThomasLabour needs to have a “battle of ideas”, not of personalities, a minister has said amid ongoing talk of a leadership challenge to replace Sir Keir Starmer.
Speaking at the Progress conference on Saturday morning ahead of Mr Streeting’s appearance, communities minister Alison McGovern said Labour had been left “reeling” from its election defeats last week.
But she also added: “Too often I think we’ve been caught up in the wrong kind of battle. It’s a battle of ideas that’s needed, not a battle of personalities.
“I must be in the top per cent of people in the country most interested in politics, and if all the political news, half low-grade soap opera, half predictable horse race, makes me want to switch off, God knows what anyone just trying to get on with their life thinks.
“So we have to put forward our ideas in a way that’s new, not the old battles of left and right swinging it out, but practical progressive ideas that show our values.”
Makerfield voters pin their hopes on the ‘King of the North’
13:00 , Rebecca ThomasAndy Burnham intends to stand to be the next MP for Makerfield, but would its voters welcome the ‘King of the North’? The Independent’s Dan Haygarth finds out
The country’s in chaos, isn’t it? It’s just dreadful and Starmer is doing nothing,” says Joan Preston.
“I would go with Labour if Andy Burnham stood”, she tells The Independent in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester.
“We’d always voted Labour, all of our family. If he were still here, my Dad would be saying to me ‘what do you mean you’re not voting Labour? They’re for the people. They’re for the working people’. Well, Burnham’s for the working people.”
If Mr Burnham is the man to beat Reform at a general election, he will have to prove it here first.
Ms Preston believes the mayor, whose 2024 re-election saw him win in every ward but one in Greater Manchester, certainly is the man to do it.
How councils are forced to pick up the bill after another Reform candidate vetting failure
12:30 , Rebecca ThomasJust days after being elected, one of Reform UK’s 53 new councillors in Essex, Stuart Prior was already heading for the door having handed in his resignation.
Mr Prior was a major victory for Nigel Farage’s party, winning a majority in the authority to end 25 years of Conservative control.
Now these councils will be forced to hold by-elections to fill the vacant seats just months after the nationwide local contests, each at a cost that is set to run into the tens of thousands of pounds.
Of the 12 former Reform councillors, 11 are set to cost local taxpayers £287,000 in by-election costs, figures obtained by The Independent through Freedom of Information requests indicate, as the mounting cost of Reform’s inadequate or unprepared candidates is revealed.
The two by-elections triggered by Mr Prior’s resignation are set to cost a further £35,000, estimates provided by Rochford council show, pushing the total figure up to £322,000. Unlike at a general election, which is funded by central government, local election costs are paid for by the authority in which they are held.
Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform in Makerfield to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data shows
12:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAndy Burnham has been cleared to stand in the upcoming by-election for Makerfield, paving the way for him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.
Mr Burnham won approval of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to stand, having previously blocked him from running in February’s by-election in Gorton and Denton, on Friday. The decision comes a day after Josh Simons announced he would quit parliament to make way for the Manchester mayor to run in his seat.
But one hurdle remains in Mr Burnham’s path to Westminster – winning the by-election against Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Read more here:
Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data shows
Labour leadership race: Key moments in the challenge to take on Keir Starmer
11:40 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe starting gun has been fired on a Labour leadership election, with Andy Burnham approved to stand in the Makerfield by-election and Wes Streeting quitting the cabinet and indicating he will run in any contest.
Speculation that Sir Keir could face a challengehas been circling for months, but after days of mounting calls for him to resign following the disastrous Labour election results, candidates have finally begun to make their moves.
Mr Streeting, Mr Burnham and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner have all been widely touted as the most probable challengers to Sir Keir’s premiership, while Al Carns and Ed Miliband have also been named as potential candidates.
Read more here:
Labour leadership race: Key moments in the challenge to take on Keir Starmer
Another Reform candidate resigns after vetting failure – and councils are forced to pick up the bill
11:20 , Maryam Zakir-HussainJust days after being elected, one of Reform UK’s 53 new councillors in Essex, Stuart Prior was already heading for the door having handed in his resignation.
Six months earlier he allegedly authored social media posts in which he celebrated a Sikh woman being raped in the Midlands, described Muslim people as “rats” and wrote that white people were the “master race”.
Confronted by the Mirror over the posts ahead of the election, Mr Prior said he “did not recall” the tweets, despite the journalist pointing out that pictures of the candidate’s house and dog also featured in posts from the same account.
Another Reform candidate resigns after vetting failure as councils forced to pay
Watch: Streeting resignation deepens Starmer's leadership crisis
11:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTrump warns it will be ‘tough’ for Starmer to survive as prime minister
10:42 , Maryam Zakir-HussainDonald Trump has weighed in on Sir Keir Starmer’s political future, warning it will be “tough” for him to survive as prime minister after a disastrous few days for his premiership.
The US president claimed Sir Keir, who is facing immense pressure to resign following the fallout of Labour’s disastrous local election results, will struggle to remain in office unless he deals with immigration and energy policy.
Pressed over whether the prime minister can survive, Mr Trump said: “It’s a tough thing unless he can straighten out immigration, where he’s weak, and if he doesn’t start drilling, stop with the windmills all over the place that are causing havoc.”
Trump warns it will be ‘tough’ for Starmer to survive as prime minister
Labour needs a 'battle of ideas, not personalities,' minister says
10:12 , Maryam Zakir-HussainLabour needs to have a “battle of ideas”, not of personalities, a minister has said amid ongoing talk of a leadership challenge to replace Sir Keir Starmer.
Communities minister Alison McGovern told the Progress think tank’s conference in London that Labour had been left “reeling” from its election defeats last week, adding: “Too often I think we’ve been caught up in the wrong kind of battle. It’s a battle of ideas that’s needed, not a battle of personalities.
“I must be in the top percent of people in the country most interested in politics, and if all the political news, half low-grade soap opera, half predictable horse race, makes me want to switch off, God knows what anyone just trying to get on with their life thinks.
“So we have to put forward our ideas in a way that’s new, not the old battles of left and right swinging it out, but practical progressive ideas that show our values.”
In a further hint at Labour’s ongoing internal ructions, Ms McGovern later said that leadership in progressive ideas is “never provided by just one man, but by each and every one of us in this room”.
“That will carry us towards the next election with hope in our hearts,” she added.
Analysis: Can Wes Streeting halt Burnham's momentum as he breaks his silence for the first time since quitting
10:01 , Maryam Zakir-HussainBy Kate Devlin, Whitehall Editor
Westminster waited with baited breath to see what the health secretary would do.
But within hours of his resignation, the attention turned to Andy Burnham and the fight he faces to beat Reform and enter Westminster and, possibly, No 10.
That has left some believing Mr Streeting should stand aside if Burnham returns.
So today, as he breaks his silence for the first time since he resigned, in a speech to the Progress conference at 3pm, Mr Streeting faces his own battle - to set out his stall his vision for Britain and, potentially, why he should be PM.
Voters split on whether Andy Burnham looks like a PM in waiting, new poll finds
09:31 , Maryam Zakir-HussainOur Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
A new poll, by YouGov, has found 31 per cent of people believe the Greater Manchester Mayor does currently look like a prime minster in waiting - but close to the same number, 27 per cent, think he does not.
And 42 per cent are unsure.When it comes to Labour voters the numbers are better, however.
46 per cent believe he looks like a PM in waiting vs 20 per cent who do not.
Things are also better in his political backyard of the North, where the figures are 38 vs 27 per cent.
‘Starmer is doing nothing, but Burnham is for the people’: Makerfield voters pin their hopes on the ‘King of the North’
09:03 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAndy Burnham intends to stand to be the next MP for Makerfield, but would its voters welcome the ‘King of the North’? Dan Haygarth finds out:
“The country's in chaos, isn't it? It’s just dreadful and Starmer is doing nothing”, says Joan Preston.
The 82-year-old had been a lifelong Labour voter until Sir Keir Starmer became its leader, when she abandoned it, believing it no longer to be the party of the working class. But a change could be about to win her back.
“I would go with Labour if Andy Burnham stood”, she tells The Independent in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester.
Read more here:
Does the ‘King of the North’ have what it takes to keep Makerfield red?
Bridget Philipson says Andy Burnham is 'strong candidate' but Starmer has her 'full support'
08:34 , Maryam Zakir-HussainEducation secretary Bridget Philipson told BBC Radio 4’s The Week in Westminster programme that Mr Burnham would be a “strong candidate” but said Sir Keir had her “full support”.
“He’s been a great mayor in Greater Manchester. I’ve worked with him really closely on everything from SEND reform to skills, further education, so I know he’ll be a strong candidate in putting himself forward.”
She added: “I’ll be campaigning for whoever the Labour candidate is in the by-election in Makerfield. That’s my responsibility.”
Pressure on Starmer ramps up as Burnham one step closer to challenge
08:05 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe prospect of a leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer is looming closer after Andy Burnham was cleared to run for selection in the Makerfield by-election.
The Greater Manchester mayor is seeking to replace Josh Simons, who is standing down as an MP to make way for Mr Burnham to return to Parliament.
Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), has granted Mr Burnham permission to stand in the selection process.
Applications close on Monday and the NEC will endorse a candidate on Thursday.
June 18 is thought to be the earliest date a by-election could take place.If he is successfully elected, Mr Burnham is widely expected to challenge Sir Keir for the party leadership.
While Makerfield is typically a safe seat for Labour, the party expects a stiff challenge from Reform UK this time around.
Mr Simons secured a majority of just 5,399 over Nigel Farage’s party at the 2024 general election.
Since then, Labour’s polling collapse and Reform’s surge have seen their positions reverse.
Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data shows
07:00 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham has been cleared to stand in the upcoming by-election for Makerfield, paving the way for him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.
Mr Burnham won approval of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to stand, having previously blocked him from running in February’s by-election in Gorton and Denton, on Friday. The decision comes a day after Josh Simons announced he would quit parliament to make way for the Manchester mayor to run in his seat.
But one hurdle remains in Mr Burnham’s path to Westminster – winning the by-election against Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Read more here:
Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data shows
Makerfield by-election is likely to be held in June
06:00 , Rebecca WhittakerIt has been reported that the Makerfield by-election will likely take place on Thursday 18 June, according to the BBC.
It comes as the Labour Party has confirmed Andy Burnham will be included in Labour’s candidate selection process for the Makerfield by-election, the party said.
Labour is set to select their by-election candidate following a local hustings on Thursday 21 May.
Union boss set to back Burnham's bid to be a Labour candidate in Makerfield
05:30 , Rebecca WhittakerThe general secretary of Usdaw said her union would back Andy Burnham’s bid to be Labour’s candidate at the Makerfield by-election.
Joanne Thomas, who also chairs the Tulo group of Labour-affiliated trade unions, said: “There is a consensus building that it would be wrong for members in Makerfield to not have the opportunity to select Andy Burnham as their candidate for the Makerfield by-election.
“Therefore, Usdaw’s NEC representatives have decided they will vote for the Greater Manchester Mayor to be allowed to seek selection as a parliamentary candidate.”
Usdaw has two representatives on Labour’s national executive committee (NEC), including one who sat on the smaller officers committee that blocked Mr Burnham from contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election earlier this year.
Watch: Voters react as Andy Burnham to stand in Makerfield by-election
04:30 , Rebecca WhittakerAnalysis: What would Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham do differently as prime minister?
03:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
What would Streeting, Rayner and Burnham do differently as PM?
A mayoral election in Greater Manchester and a by-election could cost £5 million
02:30 , Rebecca WhittakerThe combined costs of running a mayoral election in Greater Manchester and the by-election which could allow Andy Burnham a return to Westminster may reach £5 million.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority said that the cost of the previous mayoral election in 2024 was £4,719,754.
In the Makerfield ballot, the official responsible for overseeing the election has a budget of £226,208 to administrate it.
Some £3,738 of this will be available to pay the lead official, the returning officer, for their time.
The remaining £222,470 is available to pay for ballot papers, IT, staffing and other support to carry out the poll.
Further costs to the public purse would be incurred via the postage costs each candidate is entitled to, which allows them to write to all voting households.
Ministers revealed in 2016 that the average cost of running a by-election since 2010 was £228,964.
Watch: Streeting resignation deepens Starmer's leadership crisis
01:32 , Rebecca WhittakerTrump warns it will be ‘tough’ for Starmer to survive as prime minister
Saturday 16 May 2026 00:30 , Rebecca WhittakerDonald Trump has weighed in on Sir Keir Starmer’s political future warning it will be “tough” for him to survive as prime minister after a disastrous few days for his premiership.
The US president claimed Sir Keir, who is currently facing immense pressure to resign following the fallout of Labour’s disastrous local election results, will struggle to remain in office unless he deals with immigration and energy policy.
Read more here:
Trump warns it will be ‘tough’ for Starmer to survive as prime minister
MP backs NEC decision to allowing Andy Burnham to run
Friday 15 May 2026 19:15 , Rebecca WhittakerEaling Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq has said it was the “right decision” to not block Andy Burnham.
In a post on X she wrote: “Right decision of Labour NEC to not block @AndyBurnhamGM Internal @UKLabour party democracy must be allowed to thrive Our members who pay their subs deserve respect and final say. Looking forward to campaigning in Makerfield!”
Right decision of Labour NEC to not block @AndyBurnhamGM Internal @UKLabour party democracy must be allowed to thrive
— Rupa Huq MP (@RupaHuq) May 15, 2026
Our members who pay their subs deserve respect and final say. Looking forward to campaigning in Makerfield! https://t.co/MPIZc5cayg
