Sir Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure from within his own Cabinet to dismiss his Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, according to a report published on Friday 16 January 2026.
Internal Briefing War Escalates
The Prime Minister is confronting growing calls from senior ministers to remove Mr Streeting from his post. The Times reports that these colleagues view his public pronouncements as overly outspoken and a breach of collective responsibility. The dispute appears to centre on perceptions of Mr Streeting's leadership ambitions, with some in Downing Street reportedly briefing against him over what they see as a desire to eventually succeed Sir Keir.
A spokesperson for the Health Secretary hit back fiercely, labelling the timing of the latest briefings as "incredibly stupid". They pointed out that it occurred while the opposition Reform party and the Conservatives were locked in a public struggle for dominance on the right of politics.
A Defence of Record and a Call for Focus
In a robust statement, Mr Streeting's spokesperson shifted focus to the government's health record. "It’s a real shame that Keir’s so-called allies are briefing against Wes yet again, when they should be talking about the second biggest fall in waiting lists in 15 years, and ambulances arriving 15 minutes faster with Labour," the spokesperson said.
They added, "Wes is delivering real change in the NHS, and is out there making the case for Keir and for Labour." A source from Number 10 also offered support to the embattled minister, telling The Times that Mr Streeting was doing a "great job as health secretary" and remained a "key player in the team".
Cabinet Colleagues Voice Their Concerns
However, the discontent within the top ranks of government seems significant. One Cabinet minister suggested Sir Keir should take a lesson from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who recently sacked her shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, just before his defection to Reform UK. This minister accused Mr Streeting of "undermining all of us" in government.
Two other ministers who spoke to the newspaper expressed a belief that Mr Streeting was actively manoeuvring to become Prime Minister. One was quoted as saying, "Wes is exactly the same as he was when he was 18 … If he doesn’t become Labour prime minister, he will tell himself his entire life has been a failure. Everything he’s doing now is in pursuit of that aim."
This is not the first time the Health Secretary has clashed with the centre of power. He previously criticised a "toxic culture" in Number 10 when similar briefings emerged in November. Just this week, at a conference on Tuesday, he appeared to voice fresh concerns, urging ministers to make a New Year's resolution to "get it right first time", in a clear reference to a series of recent government U-turns.
