- Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigns, citing no confidence in leadership.
- He defends his record on NHS waiting lists and staffing.
- Resignation follows Labour’s recent election setbacks and public dissatisfaction.
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has resigned from the British government, saying he no longer has confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership. In a sharply worded resignation letter, Streeting said remaining in office after losing faith in the Prime Minister would have been “dishonourable and unprincipled”. His departure comes amid growing political pressure on the Labour government following recent election setbacks across England, Scotland and Wales. Despite defending his record at the Department of Health and Social Care, Streeting warned that the government lacked direction and vision at a crucial moment for Britain.
— Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) May 14, 2026
Sharp Criticism
In his resignation letter, Streeting said Labour’s recent election losses reflected wider public dissatisfaction with the government. He argued that voters no longer understood what the party stood for, pointing to controversial policy decisions and political messaging.
Streeting praised Starmer’s role in securing Labour’s 2024 election victory and acknowledged his handling of international affairs, including efforts to keep Britain out of conflict with Iran. However, he said the Prime Minister had failed to provide clear leadership for the future.
“Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift,” Streeting wrote.
He also criticised what he described as a heavy-handed response towards dissenting voices within the party and called for a broader debate about Labour’s future leadership.
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NHS Record Defended
Despite stepping down, Streeting strongly defended his tenure as Health Secretary. He highlighted falling NHS waiting lists, improved ambulance response times and the recruitment of thousands of additional GPs and mental health staff.
According to the resignation letter, waiting lists fell by 110,000 in March-the biggest monthly drop outside the Covid pandemic since 2008. Streeting also claimed the government had exceeded NHS productivity targets while balancing departmental finances for the first time in nine years.
Streeting said serving as Health Secretary had been “the greatest joy” of his life, but added that the scale of political and economic challenges facing Britain required stronger leadership and a clearer long-term vision from the government.
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