Well, well, well. After weeks of insisting he ‘has the numbers’ and ‘will stand in any leadership contest’, Wes Streeting has today done the exact opposite. The former Health Secretary confirmed in a letter posted on social media that he accepts the wishes of the PLP to stage a coronation for the new MP for Makerfield.
He said:
We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our party and our country needs. That is the choice that I am making and I hope that everyone else will back Andy, too.
Funny that, given that last week Streeting insisted the party must engage in a ‘battle of ideas’ rather than immediately hand the crown to the most left-wing voice in the room. The MP for Ilford North is obviously vying for the role of Chancellor. Last week he gave a speech in a glitzy City conference room setting out his vision for ‘progressive capitalism’, whatever the hell that means. At the same time, he was locked in intense talks with Team Burnham about securing a top Cabinet gig.
The chances of an ‘anyone but Burnham’ candidate emerging are shrinking by the minute. Equally, the prospect of a hike in income tax is looking increasingly likely, if Burnham’s economic promises are anything to go by. The main question now is whether the MP for Makerfield will seek a mandate from the public before pushing through his radical economics. We wait with bated breath…
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