Wes Streeting attacks Starmer, Blair and Labour’s economic record

Wes Streeting has launched an extraordinary public broadside against Sir Keir Starmer, Tony Blair and the government’s handling of the economy, in remarks that have sent shockwaves through Westminster and reignited questions about Labour’s internal fault lines.

The Health Secretary, speaking with unusual candour in comments reported by The Times, didn’t hold back. He questioned the direction of economic policy, took aim at the Blair legacy that many in Labour still treat as sacred, and suggested Starmer’s leadership is failing to connect with the public in the way the party desperately needs.

A minister breaks ranks

It’s rare for a sitting Cabinet minister to speak this openly. Streeting’s remarks weren’t dressed up in careful parliamentary language or spun through a sympathetic briefing. They were blunt. And that, to many senior Labour figures, is precisely the problem.

Sources close to Number 10 were visibly rattled on Monday. One government official, speaking anonymously, said: “The Health Secretary is entitled to his views, but Cabinet collective responsibility exists for a reason. This kind of public commentary doesn’t help anyone.”

Still, Streeting has a point that many Labour MPs quietly acknowledge. The government’s economic story isn’t landing. Growth figures remain stubbornly weak, with the Office for Budget Responsibility projecting GDP growth of just 1.0 percent for 2025 — down from earlier forecasts. Household finances are stretched. And working-class voters who gave Labour their trust last July are already showing signs of disillusionment.

The Blair question

Streeting’s comments on Blair are arguably the most politically explosive. The former Prime Minister has increasingly positioned himself as an outside voice on everything from NHS reform to technology policy, and his influence over Starmer’s inner circle is an open secret in Westminster. But Streeting appears to believe that influence has become a liability.

Blair’s public interventions — most recently on AI and public services — have drawn criticism from both the left and the right. Some Labour MPs feel he’s crowding out the current government’s ability to define itself. Others simply don’t think his 1990s playbook applies to 2025 Britain.

What it means for Starmer

For Starmer, the timing couldn’t be worse. Labour is preparing for a brutal stretch of local elections, and internal divisions are the last thing campaign strategists wanted to manage heading into spring.

Streeting remains one of the most recognisable faces in the Cabinet — and one of the most ambitious. His willingness to speak out won’t be lost on those tracking the next Labour leadership race.

Whether this is a calculated move or a genuine moment of frustration, nobody in Westminster seems entirely sure. But the damage to the image of a united government is real, and it won’t be easily undone.

The next few weeks will reveal whether Starmer moves to contain Streeting — or whether he can’t afford to.