Overview
- Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary on Thursday, said he will run for Labour leader and urged colleagues to wait until Andy Burnham can enter the Commons before opening a contest.
- The party’s National Executive Committee approved Burnham to seek the Makerfield seat, creating a route back to Parliament that could let him mount a formal challenge to Keir Starmer.
- Labour rules require support from about 20% of MPs to trigger a contest, and no challenger yet appears to have the necessary backing, so Starmer remains prime minister for now.
- Starmer named James Murray as the new health secretary after Streeting’s exit, as Streeting’s claim of a record monthly drop in NHS waiting lists drew pushback from media citing NHS England data.
- Market reports noted pressure on the pound after Burnham signaled his run and fund managers flagged his more interventionist economic pitch as a potential risk, underscoring investor nerves about Labour’s direction.