Wes Streeting Resigns as Health Secretary and Outlines Policy Ideas

Wes Streeting resigned from Sir Keir Starmer’s government earlier this month to prepare for a Labour leadership bid. The former health secretary gave an interview to The Sunday Times in which he set out several policy positions. Streeting said the party should consider cutting national insurance and issuing new oil drilling licences for the North Sea.

He argued the licences would provide additional tax revenue rather than reduce bills. He reiterated support for the UK’s eventual return to the EU but said the party should stick to its manifesto commitments on Europe in the short term. Streeting also backed Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s support for more devolution and greater state intervention in the market.

Streeting suggested he would be open to reversing the increase in employers’ national insurance contributions introduced by Rachel Reeves in her first Budget. He said the party should think actively about how to incentivise employment, particularly among young people, whether through targeted reduction in employers’ national insurance or other recruitment and retention incentives.

Streeting said Britain should go aggressively towards more renewable energy while taking climate change globally much more seriously.

He warned against Britain cutting off its own nose to spite its face without contributing to the greater whole. The Makerfield by-election is scheduled for 18 June. Andy Burnham is standing for Labour in that contest.

Streeting’s positions echoed those taken by Sir Tony Blair in a 5,600-word essay criticising some of Labour’s policies. Blair accused the government of lacking a coherent plan. Streeting said he would give Sir Tony Blair a flea in his ear over some of his suggestions, particularly on artificial intelligence.

He said Blair had proposed a prescription that was absent of any values and that the Tony Blair of 1997 or 2007 would have applied traditional values in a modern setting. @Independent reported the interview and the surrounding statements.