Streeting 'to resign today and kick off Labour civil war' with Miliband also preparing to oust Starmer
Wes Streeting is reportedly set to resign and trigger a leadership contest in a bid to oust Sir Keir Starmer from Downing Street
Wes Streeting is set to resign this morning and fire the starting gun on a Labour leadership challenge to the Prime Minister.
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The Health Secretary is reportedly preparing to quit his Cabinet post and then declare his challenge to the Prime Minister shortly after.
It is understood that he has amassed the support of a minimum of 81 Labour MPs needed to trigger the formal contest for the top job.
This anticipated resignation comes after Mr Streeting and Sir Keir held a bombshell 16-minute meeting on Wednesday about the direction in which the party is heading after their disastrous local election results last week.
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Labour lost a slew of councils and more than 1,400 councillors in an electoral wipeout.
The East London MP, who has a majority of just over 500 votes, is expected to trigger the contest - but soft-Left MPs such as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner are also vying to throw their hats in.
The soft-Left faction of Labour is likely to propose former Labour leader Mr Miliband as its candidate, because preferred figures such as Andy Burnham and Ms Rayner have issued blocking them from running.
Ms Rayner has unresolved tax issues, which forced her to stand down from Starmer's Cabinet last year - and Mr Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, cannot stand because he is not an MP.
The same tactic has previously been used to garner support by leadership contenders who hope to trigger an election without the backing of enough MPs.
Several journalists have reported that Mr Streeting's team have spent Wednesday night ringing colleagues to secure their support, telling them that they could change their vote after triggering the challenge.
After a stony-faced Mr Streeting left Downing Street on Wednesday, his allies told The Times that he is "going to go for it".
The coming challenge comes after more than 80 of his own MPs asked the Prime Minister to step down following the local elections.
Starmer was also hit with a slew of resignations, including four ministers who quit their roles on Tuesday.
Despite the rising discontent with his leadership, Sir Keir’s camp has suggested there is no consensus in Labour about having a leadership contest.
Earlier, cabinet office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told Breakfast with Nick Ferrari that the pair were simply getting a coffee and that they work "very well together".
Mr Thomas-Symonds told Ferrari: "I understand they're going in - he's going in for a coffee at Number 10.
"I have to tell you, Nick, when I was around last night, I didn't get a coffee, so I might have to raise that. Raise the way I've been treated last night.
"But look, that's obviously up to Wes. But I've seen the Prime Minister and Wes together many, many times. They work very well together, as it happens."