All posts tagged: Wes Streeting

Brexit book reveals explosive secrets behind UK decision to leave the EU

Brexit book reveals explosive secrets behind UK decision to leave the EU

Published by Sam Flores

Explosive behind-the-scenes rows in the events that led to Britain’s fateful decision to leave the EU 10 years ago will be revealed for the first time by The Independent. Boris Johnson’s foul-mouthed comments about Theresa May, Barack Obama’s horrified reaction to the referendum result and bitter recriminations among Brexiteers are among hundreds of dramatic disclosures in a blockbuster book being serialised from today. Sir Anthony Seldon’s The Brexit Effect features essays by 41 prominent figures involved in the referendum, several of whom have never commented publicly before. They come from the highest levels of every part of public life, from the worlds of politics, diplomacy, academia, the church and beyond. Crucially, they represent both sides of the argument, Leavers and Remainers alike. Their candid accounts of the often chaotic way Brexit came about and who is responsible for what has gone wrong since will spark an intense new debate over whether Brexit should – or could – be reversed. To read the first extract in full click here Publication of the book comes ahead of …

8 Eyebrow-Raising Takeaways From The Peter Mandelson Files

8 Eyebrow-Raising Takeaways From The Peter Mandelson Files

Published by Sam Flores

The government has released the highly-anticipated second tranche of internal files on Peter Mandelson and his brief appointment as ambassador to the US. The ex-Labour peer fell from grace last September after the depth of his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was revealed. But questions remain around why he was appointed in the first place and what kind of influence he had with ministers. The Conservatives forced the Cabinet Office to release all documents related to the controversial hire earlier this year via a parliamentary procedure called a “Humble Address”. The first tranche of documents showed that Mandelson had got the top job against recommendations from security officials. Most ministers and civil servants have handed over their private exchanges with the former Washington attache for the second batch of documents. Some of the files have been redacted amid concerns about international security and the ongoing Metropolitan Police probe into Mandelson’s conduct in public office. The ex-Labour peer has not been charged and insists he is not guilty of any wrongdoing. Deciding to appoint Mandelson …

Streeting Slams Blair For Failing To Acknowledge Inequality

Streeting Slams Blair For Failing To Acknowledge Inequality

Published by Sam Flores

Wes Streeting has joined Andy Burnham in accusing Tony Blair of not acknowledging the inequality in the UK. The ex-prime minister tore into Labour in a 5,600 word essay this week, saying the current shadow leadership contest is futile until the party reassesses its policies. His warning came as Greater Manchester mayor Burnham is contesting the Makerfield by-election in the hope he can get a seat in parliament, where he is expected to challenge Keir Starmer’s premiership. Streeting, who quit as health secretary earlier this month, has made it clear he intends to join any leadership challenge. But Blair urged the party to resist drifting further leftward, and called out both politicians. He wrote: “Wes Streeting is a huge political talent and Andy Burnham was an outstanding member of my government. “But this leadership debate has an extraordinarily retro 20th-century feel to it. Like most politicians, they’re anxious to distance themselves from the ‘Westminster bubble’.” Speaking after Labour’s thrashing in the May elections, Blair said Labour’s declining popularity stems from a lack of “worked-out, coherent …

How Elon Musk galvanized the UK’s online safety regime  – POLITICO

How Elon Musk galvanized the UK’s online safety regime  – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

A poster featuring Elon Musk, calling for users of his X social media platform to delete their accounts due to the AI chatbot Grok’s image-creation feature. | Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images It urged ministers to pass new legislation explicitly covering generative AI services – a recommendation the government rejected a month later, on the basis that amending the Act before it was fully in force risked ”complicat[ing] and undermin[ing]” implementation. “The vibe has very much been one of ‘trust the process,’” Owen Bennett, who led international online safety at Ofcom until December 2025 and now works as an independent digital policy consultant, said. Various parts of the OSA took time to come into force, but now key duties are in force, that “grace period” is passed, Bennett said. Pre-Grok, the U.K. government was also clearly signaling that it didn’t intend to follow Australia’s lead in banning social media for children, with a spokesperson for No.10 Downing Street saying in December there were no plans to implement a ban and “it’s important we protect children …

‘There’ll be civil war’: Inside Labour’s toxic Brexit gamble

‘There’ll be civil war’: Inside Labour’s toxic Brexit gamble

Published by Sam Flores

To Simran Cheema, the local election results felt like “someone had taken a knife to my heart”. “It was really sad,” says the 28-year-old, nursing a cup of tea over the hubbub of a busy Walsall cafe. Cheema is the only Labour councillor remaining on Walsall council after, one by one, a dozen of her colleagues were booted from office on May 7. Reform, which previously had just one seat on the council, now has 40. It is no coincidence that this is Brexit country – a working class, ex-industrial town in the West Midlands where, for many decades, Labour votes used to be weighed rather than counted, as the old saying goes. No longer. “I was distraught,” says Cheema. “I spent the whole morning crying at the count.” This picture was replicated across Labour’s traditional heartlands in the North, where many traditional supporters found themselves at odds with the party over the European Union, and cast a vote for Reform in this month’s council elections. So imagine Cheema’s shock when the Labour leadership reacted …

Reeves allies unleash on Miliband in battle for Britain’s Treasury – POLITICO

Reeves allies unleash on Miliband in battle for Britain’s Treasury – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The MP stressed that given both Burnham and the other main leadership contender, Wes Streeting, have signed up to Reeves’ fiscal rules it “doesn’t leave much margin for significant change anyway.” “The bond markets kind of make her bomb-proof,” another Labour MP argued, praising the incumbent chancellor’s record for steadying the economy in turbulent times. “The big clash between Rachel and Ed is over the North Sea,” this person added, referring to the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas fields whose licenses have been stymied by legal challenges. Reeves is seen as being in favor of their expansion, while Miliband puts more emphasis on the climate trade-offs. “So there’s a big fault line there. No wonder he wants her out of the way.” Another backbencher said they believed Miliband — who has made no public comment on whether he would want the job and remains in Starmer’s cabinet — would prevent “any meaningful welfare reform.” “Reverting back to a 2010-15 economic policy hymn-sheet” — the years when Miliband led the Labour Party to electoral defeat …

How to replace a Prime Minister and get away with it – POLITICO

How to replace a Prime Minister and get away with it – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

As Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and former health secretary Wes Streeting jostle for influence in the Labour party, host Sascha O’Sullivan looks at what it takes to turn around a party’s fortunes mid-term. Former John Major aide Daniel Finkelstein explains how the Conservative Prime Minister managed to win the 1992 elections against the odds and differentiate himself from his predecessor, Margaret Thatcher. Theo Bertram, former Tony Blair and Gordon Brown advisor turned think tank boss, talks Sascha through Brown’s fateful decision not to call a snap election after taking over from Blair, and the challenge he faced in gripping the No. 10 machine. The most recent history of mid-term Prime Ministers might prove most instructive for any new Labour Prime Minister, and Rishi Sunak ‘s former deputy director of policy James Nation takes Sascha inside the effort to reboot his premiership. He tells Sascha Sunak’s team found themselves hamstrung by the manifesto commitments promised in 2019, and struggled to keep the party from infighting after taking over from Liz Truss. Sascha discusses the lessons …

Even insiders don’t know what Burnham has planned for Britain – POLITICO

Even insiders don’t know what Burnham has planned for Britain – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

A fourth person who has worked with Burnham said that might be a plus when it comes to winning the next general election against the insurgent Reform Party. “I know it’s a banal thing, but we’ve not had a northern prime minister for a really long time, unless you count Rishi Sunak,” this person said. (Sunak represented a leafy Yorkshire constituency but is from the south of England.) “It does matter, because every weekend conversation … will be migration, housing, cost of living, dirty high streets, antisocial behaviour. Great — we win on those, we win the country.” The first person who has worked with Burnham said it is deeper than raw electoral politics. This person said Burnham sees many policy issues through two main lenses — rewiring the economy and bringing communities together. As such, he is not totally off the world stage. As mayor, he has carved out time in his diary to see diplomats — in part because Manchester has the most consulates of any English city apart from London. And he …

POLL: Should the UK reverse Brexit and rejoin the EU? | Politics | News

POLL: Should the UK reverse Brexit and rejoin the EU? | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

The UK made an historic decision in 2016 to leave the European Union, but the debate about Brexit has not ended. Some people never accepted the decision at the time. However, some senior politicians are now talking openly about rejoining the EU. Former health secretary Wes Streeting, who hopes to become Labour leader, says the UK should eventually rejoin. Andy Burnham, another possible candidate for No 10, previously said he hoped the UK would rejoin one day, but more recently said that is not a priority for now. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wants closer links with the EU as part of a “reset”. He has said he does not want to rejoin the EU. However, recently, he has declined to rule out changing this policy after a future general election. Earlier this week, Mr Burnham warned against getting stuck in a “permanent rut” of Brexit arguments. The Greater Manchester Mayor, who hopes to return to Westminster in the Makerfield by-election, said Brexit had been “damaging” but “the last thing we should do right now …