Say one thing for Wes Streeting, the man has more front than Brighton. He sat in the House of Commons chamber, only slightly self-conscious, chuckling along to the warm cross-party badinage that constitutes the Humble Address following the King’s opening of Parliament. Sir Keir Starmer was only a few yards away.
Elsewhere in Westminster his team had steam coming off their mobile phones as a frantic ring-round was under way to gauge how much support Streeting had. He needs above 81 MPs to challenge the Prime Minister after relations between the pair reached an all-time low.
Earlier a No 10 showdown concluded after just 16 minutes, with Streeting leaving the black front door stony-faced for the second time in 24 hours.
For Streeting, it’s now or never. Despite a letter from 100 or so supportive backbenchers, Starmer is at his most vulnerable. Some estimate the number of his MPs against may be twice as high.
And his opponents are not ready. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is not yet in Parliament – although he could find a seat within days – and Angela Rayner, former deputy prime minister, is still under the cloud of an HM Revenue and Customs investigation.
Despite early promises there would be no distraction from the constitutional significance of Parliament’s opening, Labour squabbles overshadowed the pomp. MPs gathered in knots to discuss the latest developments and discuss who the other candidates would be. Most expect Starmer to fight on if Streeting challenges him.
Streeting is very much what-it-says-on-the-tin. He’s made no secret of his ambitions, obsessed with Labour politics from an early age, spending a book token on a collection of Tony Blair’s speeches, which he read on the school coach. As a student campaigner he was often seen locked in political arguments at parties.
He is the son of teenage parents and his grandfather was an armed robber who did time in prison and knew East End gangsters, the Kray twins. His grandmother also served at HM’s pleasure and there met the woman at the centre of the Profumo affair, Christine Keeler.
But, what’s not to be underestimated is how much the Labour left loathes Streeting. As Health Secretary, he’s promised to fire under-performing NHS managers and did not hesitate to describe the health service as “broken”. His willingness to talk up the role of private providers in the NHS did not go down well either. His vigorous opposition to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his acolytes are also running sores.
He’s often seen as a shiny neo-Blairite. However, at university Streeting briefly left the Labour Party because he opposed Blair’s Iraq war. More pertinently, his critics will tie his friendship to Peter Mandelson in what could be a highly inflammatory leadership contest.
Streeting is also one of the most high-profile pro-Europeans in Cabinet. He has suggested Labour should consider taking the UK back into a customs union, claiming it would boost growth. In the wake of local elections where vast swathes of Leave voters backed Reform UK, that’s another internal Labour fight coming down the track.
In Parliament on Wednesday the soft-left was anxious not to be left out of a conversation about Labour’s future direction, with ongoing discussion about who could slot in as their candidate. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband was the name on everyone’s lips. “He has the numbers,” to get on to the ballot, one Labour MP declared. A Cabinet minister told The i Paper Labour’s former leader is a likely candidate in any speedy contest.
Other pro-Burnham MPs said they would push Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee to allow sufficient time in a lengthy leadership contest for their man to return. Burnham’s allies say momentum behind him has been building with the support of the 100-strong Tribune Group swinging behind him, not Rayner. Some in the Blue Labour movement are also understood to be lending their support.
That may come as a blow to the little-known outsider Al Carns, the veterans minister, who has made no secret he will throw his hat into the ring, but is relying on the Blue Labour faction promoting blue-collar and culturally conservative values.
Back in the House of Commons chamber, Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch broke with the convention which demands speeches during the Humble Address debate are light-hearted. She attacked Starmer then had a pop at Streeting. “There’s no point him giving me dirty looks, we all know what he’s been up to,” Badenoch told him. On Labour’s front bench, Starmer loyalist Pat McFadden allowed himself one of his rare smiles.
Starmer stood up to pay tribute to Labour MP Naz Shah who had made a witty and moving speech about her difficult childhood. Shah’s recently released autobiography, Honoured, has over 100 endorsements, Starmer noted. “At last, Mr Speaker, a list we can all get behind,” the Prime Minister joked. Even Streeting laughed, his shoulders shaking.
But the jolly faces and bonhomie belied what was going on behind the scenes. Supporters of Streeting were bitter about Starmer. “He can’t control his party, he hasn’t even got the authority to sack Wes,” one Labour MP remarked.
All the bitching off-stage allowed Streeting to present a swan-like indifference so close to Starmer on the front bench.
The Health Secretary is an irrepressible extrovert and one of life’s optimists. At parties he is usually first up with karaoke microphone in hand and has been known to sing Robbie Williams’ hit Angels, jokingly subbing in: “I’m loving Starmer instead.”
After the last few days, it’s unlikely he’ll sing that lyric again soon.