LONDON (dpa-AFX) – British politician Wes Streeting, who recently resigned from his post as Health Minister, wants to become Prime Minister. The 43-year-old confirmed during an appearance in London that he would run against Prime Minister Keir Starmer in an election for the office of Labor Party leader.
With regard to Brexit, among other things, Streeting took a significantly different tone than his former boss: “Leaving the EU was a catastrophic mistake,” he said. The decision made the country less prosperous, less powerful and suffered a loss of control.
Starmer wanted to make Brexit work
Streeting added: “We need a new special relationship with the EU because Britain’s future lies in Europe and one day in the European Union again.”
Starmer had always emphasized that he was not seeking a return to the EU, the internal market or the customs union. Starmer’s mantra has always been to make Brexit work. The background is the fear of alienating parts of the traditional Labor electorate who voted for Brexit. However, he did not reach the majority of Brits who now want to reverse Brexit.
Burnham should also have a chance to apply
Streeting is positioning itself as a competitor to the mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, who wants to make it to parliament in the coming weeks. Streeting emphasized that he wanted to wait until Burnham had a chance to throw his hat into the ring before triggering the leadership election. In order to challenge the party leader, the support of at least 81 members of the parliamentary group is necessary.
The charismatic Burnham is considered the most promising challenger to the politically ailing Prime Minister. He has not yet confirmed that he also wants to challenge the head of government. But there is little doubt about that. Whether he will succeed in winning the by-election in the Makerfield district near Manchester is not yet clear./cmy/DP/mis