Why some in No 10 think Wes Streeting is plotting to become prime minister

Health secretary has always been open about his ambitions but recent actions hinted at reasons for potential coup plot

A clip from a 2018 comedy show has been circulating in Westminster – and it neatly explains why the spotlight landed on Wes Streeting when No 10 launched its preemptive strikes against potential leadership candidates.

It features a number of fresh-faced politicians – from Jess Phillips to Johnny Mercer – who are asked who will be prime minister in 10 years. Several Labour MPs dutifully say the then-leader Jeremy Corbyn. Tim Loughton, the former Tory MP, predicts Kemi Badenoch. The final clip is Wes Streeting who smiles and says: “I think it will probably be me.”

Streeting has been talked about as a future prime minister since he was leader of the National Union of Students. So in theory, it’s no suprise that the health secretary was the name who was first connected to briefings from No 10 about how fiercely Keir Starmer would fight a leadership battle.

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Source: www.theguardian.com

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