Wes Streeting told his boss Keir Starmer it was clear he wouldn't lead Labour to the next election. -AP
British health minister Wes Streeting resigned from government on Thursday, saying he had lost confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership.
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Streeting is the first cabinet member to resign as Starmer faces pressure to step down after the Labour Party's disastrous results in local and regional elections, and his move is expected to be a precursor to challenging his leadership.
"It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour Unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism," Streeting said in a letter published on X on Thursday.
"It needs to be broad, and it needs the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope that you will facilitate this."
Starmer, 63, had hoped to end the calls for him to resign, which began when the scale of the losses in elections to councils in England and the parliaments in Scotland and Wales hit home.
He has adopted a "business as usual" approach and has received support from the majority of his cabinet team of top ministers.
Sources close to him say he is determined to run if a leadership contest is triggered.
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