Health Secretary Wes Streeting has put his cards on the table. While the focus for much of the 2025 Labour Party Conference has been on Andy Burnham, it was Mr Streeting who won over the Exhibition Room with a standing ovation.
But the ambitious 42-year-old was putting forward his own message for the Labour leadership, refusing to back down against health unions and calling for Angela Rayner to return to the Cabinet.
While other Cabinet Ministers have been pushing out No10 instructed lines, Mr Streeting’s attacks on Reform UK appeared even more pointed.
He told delegates: “If that’s the fight Farage wants, I say bring it on. So, today I’m not here simply to defend a service, but to uphold our values, a publicly-funded public service free at the point of use.
“Back on its feet and fit for the future. Those are Labour’s values, those are Britain’s values and this is a fight we will win.”
He added: “Friends, we must win another fight too. One against the poison of post-truth politics.
“At Reform’s conference, a discredited doctor claimed the Covid vaccine gave the Royal family cancer. And this man wasn’t just a fringe figure, he’s Reform’s health adviser.”
But Mr Streeting’s snipes also went well beyond his health and social care brief.
Wes Streeting speech at the Labour party Conference in Liverpool went well beyond his health and social care brief
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PA
“It is a battle of progressives against reactionaries, patriotism versus nationalism, hope not hate,” the Health Secretary warned.
However, Mr Streeting’s suggestion that Ms Rayner could return to Cabinet, smells very much like an ambition for his leadership, just like when Robert Jenrick vowed to open up space for Boris Johnson.
“There’s someone else who’s made a real difference, who understands the struggle care workers face because she was one,” Mr Streeting crowed.
“She brought that experience to the Cabinet table as the care worker who became our country’s Deputy Prime Minister. Angela Rayner, this achievement is yours.”
A Labour insider has lalso told GB News about Mr Streeting’s often-overlooked leadership ambitions.
“Everyone’s focused on Andy Burnham, but Wes has been making a lot of subtle moves in recent weeks,” the insider said.
“He’s a killer,” a loyal supporter of the Health Secretary added.
Guarded by his top aides, Mr Streeting was grabbed by endless journalists as he made his way out of the conference hall.
With less than an hour to go before the Prime Minister’s keynote speech, the Health Secretary has put out his pitch to “pull the country together” and it is up to Sir Keir Starmer to match it.
Wes Streeting received a standing ovation from Labour Party members
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PA
Mr Streeting’s broad church message, having positioned himself firmly on the centre-left, is one of tackling the challenges head on, whether than be in the NHS, from the health unions or indeed Reform UK.
Labour members also gathered around the hand-shaking, hug-giving Health Secretary, hoping to grab a chat with the man who might be Prime Minister-in-waiting.
However, that didn’t stop one security guard asking to see Mr Streeting’s pass one more time as he headed to the front of the conference centre to look over the River Mersey.
Mr Streeting has been on the charm offensive in recent weeks, notably taking a much firmer line on Gaza.
The Health Secretary was just last night invited to schmooze at the Equi Reception, directly discussing the role of Muslims in Britain.
It might just be that Mr Streeting is feeling the heat in Ilford North, given he clung onto the diverse seat with just 528 more votes than pro-Gaza candidate Leanne Mohamad.
However, the truth is that Mr Streeting has never really relinquished his ambitions of taking the top job.
The Labour stalwart was forced to deny plotting against Sir Keir Starmer as far back as 2022.
Mr Streeting is also seen as the favourite among the Labour Right, potentially a tough sell for a more left-leaning membership base.
Nigel Farage has been a key problem for Labour Ministers to address at the Labour Party Conference
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GETTYBut the recent charm offensive has been seen as laying the groundwork for a potential leadership contest.
Mr Streeting is third in the runners and riders to replace Sir Keir in No10, with just seven per cent of Labour members backing his potential bid.
However, the frontrunner, Andy Burnham, has openly admitted that the challenge he faces is not one standing in Mr Streeting’s way.
Meanwhile, Ms Rayner’s comeback might not come as a surprise to many, but she would face one hell of a fight against an emboldened Mr Streeting.