Inside Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham’s crunch talks as PM resigns – ‘no job deal’
Wes Streeting’s allies said he was reassured after a series of calls with Andy Burnham that he would take a ‘broad church’ approach to governing and would listen to ideas
Wes Streeting had insisted he would run in any contest for Labour leader(Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
Wes Streeting has never made any secret of his ambition to one day be Prime Minister.
Just last week he was setting out his economic vision for the country and calling for a “battle of ideas” leadership contest to replace Keir Starmer.
Despite a degree of scepticism among some MPs, the ex-Health Secretary’s team repeatedly insisted he had the numbers required to trigger a contest. He had “every intention” of standing in a battle to replace Starmer, he told journalists assembled at a press conference in central London.
Even as speculation swirled over the Prime Minister’s imminent resignation on Sunday evening, allies were bullish. A source told us: “Wes has always been very clear that his priority is change and that means a change in No10. At the moment he thinks the route to do that is to be a candidate in a leadership contest. He’s got the people, he’s ready to go.”
But in a statement today – shortly after Mr Starmer announced his resignation – Mr Streeting set aside his own ambitions to lead the country and paved the way for an Andy Burnham coronation as PM in July.
So what happened? Bluntly, his stock fell as Mr Burnham’s rose. There was a sense he would have struggled in a contest to win over a left-leaning Labour membership against runaway favourite Mr Burnham.
It is also understood the duo held a series of calls in the wake of the Makerfield by-election leading to feverish speculation of a job offer – possibly even Chancellor after Mr Streeting’s pitch on the economy.
“I wonder what negotiations are going on for the job that Wes will no doubt want and expect in Andy’s Cabinet,” one senior Labour MP mused.
The added: “I do hope it’s not going to be Chancellor. I think Andy’s economic policies are going to be key to his success and they don’t align with Wes’s agenda. Andy’s campaign was run on a change of politics campaign and Wes doesn’t represent the kind of change people are looking for.”
But an ally of Mr Streeting dismissed speculation that he had been offered a job in a Burnham Cabinet as the price for his support, saying: “There is no deal in place.” One source in Burnham’s camp backed up the account. “Categorically no deal has been done or job offer made,” they told The Mirror.
Instead, the ex-Health Secretary’s allies said he was reassured Mr Burnham would operate a “broad church” approach to governing – and was willing to listen to policy ideas.
They said that after conversations, Mr Streeting was convinced of the need to “unite behind a new culture – rather than a summer of fighting” over small differences between the duo.
There may be no deal but Mr Streeting – who had emerged as the only legitimate rival to present a possible roadblock to a Burnham coronation – will no doubt be expecting a senior role in the next Labour Cabinet.
