Who would be in Wes Streeting’s corner if he ran for the Labour leadership?

The health secretary’s backers have different – not always ideological – reasons for supporting him

For all that Labour’s left denounce Wes Streeting as a reincarnated Blairite, he has friendships and alliances across various Labour factions, not all of which lean into each other.

As he considers a bid to challenge Keir Starmer, the MPs supporting him are not ideological clones. Some are personal allies, while others simply see him as one of the few senior Labour figures capable of communicating beyond Westminster.

Zubir Ahmed

The Glasgow South West MP is among the small group of Streeting-supporting junior ministers who resigned on Tuesday. Working in Streeting’s health department, the former surgeon collaborated closely with Streeting on NHS reform. Ahmed used his resignation to publicly criticise Starmer’s leadership.

Former health minister

Jess Phillips

One of the better-known ministers, despite her officially junior role covering safeguarding in the Home Office, Phillips also resigned on Tuesday as Streeting’s allies sought to pick up momentum to push Starmer out.

The Birmingham Yardley MP departed with a stinging letter of departure, saying the prime minister was too cautious and wedded to process to deliver bold action, even in her vital brief.

Former safeguarding minister

Joe Morris

The MP for Hexham since 2024 – the first Labour representative for the Northumberland seat since it was created – was Streeting’s own parliamentary private secretary (PPS), the lowest rung of frontbench work.

His resignation on Monday evening was seen as firing the starting gun on a possible Streeting bid. The two are close – Streeting travelled north to campaign for Morris to become an MP.

Former parliamentary private secretary to Streeting

Alex Davies-Jones

The Pontypridd MP, who was the well-regarded victims minister in the Home Office, is also viewed by colleagues as in Streeting’s orbit, and resigned on Tuesday.

She was also adamant that Starmer should step down, writing in her resignation letter to him: “I implore you to act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure.”

Former victims minister

Chris Curtis

Another 2024-intake MP, after taking Milton Keynes North from the Conservatives, Curtis is chair of the influential Labour Growth Group, which lobbies on economic and planning reform.

Speaking on Monday after a speech by Starmer in London, Curtis said it had not done enough to save the prime minister, and that he should set a timetable to leave.

Chair of Labour Growth Group

Alan Gemmell

Yet another member of the 2024 intake, the Central Ayrshire MP and former diplomat is close to Streeting, and like Curtis, on Monday called on Starmer to resign.

MP for Central Ayrshire

Melanie Ward

Also a 2024 arrival, and also a Scottish MP, representing Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, Ward was PPS to David Lammy, the justice secretary and deputy PM, before stepping down on Monday amid a wave of resignations by Streeting allies.

Former parliamentary private secretary to David Lammy

Peter Kyle

The business secretary has been publicly loyal to Starmer so far, and thus has not acted like an outrider, as those above have. But Kyle, who represents Hove and Portslade, is very close friends with Streeting, and shares a similar ideological viewpoint.

Sent out to represent the government on Monday’s early media round, Kyle dismissed the idea of Streeting mounting a challenge, saying that in the wake of last week’s local elections, rather than plotting the pair had gone out to dinner and to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2 at the cinema.

Business secretary