Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to “clip Wes Streeting’s wings” after the Health Secretary was accused of “taking his eye off the ball” over his record running the National Health Service.
In an explosive intervention, top Tory MPs today warned that Mr Streeting’s grip on the NHS is slipping as pressure mounts on No10 to rein in the Prime Minister’s ambitious Health Secretary.
Shadow Health Secretary Stuart Andrew told GB News that Mr Streeting’s record is one of failure, pointing to looming doctors’ strikes, waiting lists rising and a bungled reorganisation of the NHS.
“Wes has taken his eye off the ball. I imagine No10 has grown tired of the showboating and are looking to clip his wings,” Mr Andrew said.
“Eighteen months into the job and Wes is failing. Doctors striking despite proclaiming he had solved the issue with inflation-busting pay rises without a single reform or condition waiting lists that actually went up over three months, and a reorganisation that has left a workforce in limbo.”
In a swipe at the Health Secretary over his rumoured leadership ambitions, Mr Andrew added: “Wes seems to be more embroiled in a leadership psychodrama than showing NHS leadership and delivering on voters’ health priorities.”
The Health Secretary was accused of plotting to challenge Sir Keir for the Labour leadership.
Mr Streeting was identified alongside Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as Sir Keir’s potential challengers, with ex-Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner also being named as a future contender.
Wes Streeting was identified alongside Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as Sir Keir’s potential challengers
|
PA
However, Mr Streeting has denied plotting against the Prime Minister, instead accusing No10 insiders of briefing out “self-defeating nonsense”.
He added: “Someone has definitely been watching too much Celebrity Traitors. They should swap to Countryfile.”
But Mr Streeting first suggested he could become Prime Minister in 2018, last week refusing to rule out his ambition to enter No10.
Speculation about the Ilford North MP’s leadership ambitions came just days before resident doctors walked out following a long-running dispute over pay.
Junior doctors have been involved in a long-running dispute about pay
|
PAResident doctors, who will end their 13th round of industrial action tomorrow, were accused by Mr Streeting of “inflicting pain and misery on patients” and holding them to ransom by going on strike.
Meanwhile, resident doctors suggested the Health Secretary sounded like his Conservative predecessors by offering a 2.5 per cent uplift for 2026/27.
There is also a chance GPs could go on strike next, with more than a third of family doctors polled backing a walk-out over new online bookings and consultation systems.
However, a rising star within the Tory Party also slammed Mr Streeting over the Tobacco & Vapes Bill, warning the Health Secretary’s problems are of his own making.
“It’s no surprise that Starmer is gunning for Wes,” the 33-year-old Windsor MP told GB News.
Shadow Health Secretary Stuart Andrew took aim at Wes Streeting over his record
|
PA
“Junior doctors are striking, waiting lists are still too high and his one piece of legislation – the Tobacco and Vapes Bill – is in trouble, not least because Streeting’s failure to recognise the Bill was incompatible with the Prime Minister’s move towards Europe.
“His nonsensical generation ban will create major problems in Northern Ireland.”
Despite Conservative concerns about NHS waiting lists, Mr Streeting has overseen a fall of 230,000 since the 2024 General Election.
The overall waiting list for NHS England in September stood at 7.39 million, down by 15,845 compared to the previous month.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has overseen a drop of 230,000 in waiting lists since entering office last July
|
PAFollowing the release of the new data, Mr Streeting said: “The past year is the first time in 15 years that waiting lists have fallen. There’s a long way to go, but the NHS is now on the road to recovery”.
Ahead of entering the Department for Health & Social Care, Mr Streeting stood on a manifesto promising to cut NHS waiting times by an additional 40,000 appointments every week.
Waiting lists rose to a record-shattering 7.7 million in September 2023, following a rapid rise under the Tories following the outbreak of Covid-19.
GB News has approached the Department for Health & Social Care for comment.