Wes Streeting has stated that he would have faced accusations of “trying to pull a fast one” if he initiated a Labour leadership contest before giving Andy Burnham the chance to return to Parliament through the Makerfield by-election.
Leadership Pledges and Timing
In a pitch for the leadership, the Ilford North MP outlined his “first campaign pledges,” which include fully restoring Sure Start funded by a wealth tax. However, he informed the Mirror that he was not ready to formally launch a bid to oust Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, allowing Burnham to first contest the by-election.
Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and former MP for Leigh, launched his by-election campaign on Friday, stating: “A vote for me in this by-election is a vote to change Labour.” Allies suggest he may not immediately pursue the leadership if he wins the June 18 contest.
Streeting told the Mirror: “We need all of our best players on the pitch. We’ve obviously got the Makerfield by-election underway, where Andy Burnham has my full support, and I suspect Andy Burnham would want to be a candidate in a leadership race. And I felt that if I’d rushed ahead and triggered a leadership contest before Andy Burnham had the chance to come back, people would have just said I was trying to pull a fast one, trying to get ahead of the competition.”
Sure Start Restoration and Wealth Tax
Streeting acknowledged the Labour Government’s “good start” in funding Best Start Family Hubs but argued that more is needed. “Sure Start, when we left it (in 2010), had £2.7 billion worth of investment behind it. We’ve got a billion in. Now, that’s a good start, but it basically says to a whole load of kids growing up in Britain today, ‘sorry, but we haven’t – we’re not going to get around to you this time’.”
He pledged: “One of my first campaign pledges is to fund the full restoration of Sure Start and to make sure that we’re rolling that programme out to the families, to the kids, to the communities who need that best start in life.” To fund this, he proposed a wealth tax equalising capital gains tax with income tax, arguing that “a cleaner pays a higher rate of marginal tax than a landlord whose property is increasing value.” He also mentioned retaining allowances for entrepreneurs and investments to encourage growth.
Housing, Asylum, and Benefits Reform
Speaking to the Guardian, Streeting suggested involving the independent Planning Inspectorate more in approving housing proposals. He expressed concern about “kids in temporary accommodation” and proposed easing environmental assessment thresholds for developers.
On asylum policy, he called for a “more thoughtful approach,” and regarding benefits, he advocated for reducing the welfare bill by improving access to employment.
Streeting insisted he had sufficient support, including from ministers, to launch a leadership bid but chose to delay.
Burnham’s Stance
Earlier on Friday, Burnham appeared to rule out breaking Labour’s 2024 manifesto promises, saying: “I think you’ve got to honour manifestos.” He expressed support for proportional representation in the next manifesto and council tax reform, calling the current system “highly regressive.” He also suggested replacing inheritance tax with a care levy, stating: “It’s not about asking people to pay more, it’s just people paying in the most unfair way possible at this moment in time.”
