Health Secretary Wes Streeting faces a significant challenge in winning over Labour Party members, as his soft-right credentials put him at a disadvantage even with a reduced membership under Keir Starmer. A recent Compass survey of over 1,000 Labour members found that if given a free choice, 42% would choose Andy Burnham to succeed Starmer, compared to just 11% for Streeting. While Burnham enjoyed a 44% favourability rating, only 18% felt similarly about the health secretary.
Streeting's Position Among Potential Candidates
The survey placed Streeting roughly on par with Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband, but both are firmly to his left, suggesting the majority of the party prefers a candidate from the left of the ideological spectrum. Miliband and Rayner were viewed favourably by significantly more members than Streeting. This presents a serious challenge for Streeting as he considers a future leadership bid.
Streeting is considered one of the most ready candidates for a leadership contest, but his alignment with the right wing of the party—formerly close to Peter Mandelson and the Blairite Progress wing—makes him less appealing to the grassroots. In recent months, he has sought to position himself further to the left, possibly to secure more support from members who will ultimately choose the winner from a list nominated by MPs.
Labour Membership Shifts
Research from Queen Mary University of London indicates that about 48% of current Labour members describe themselves as "fairly leftwing." The close result of the deputy leadership election and low turnout suggest members remain largely on the soft left. Many members are cautious of successors who appear more leftwing than their record suggests, given Starmer's perceived betrayal of his 2020 leadership pledges after winning the job.
Since Starmer succeeded Jeremy Corbyn in April 2020, Labour has lost over 200,000 members, dropping from a peak of 532,046 at the end of 2019 to 333,235 by the end of 2024. Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, noted that many grassroots members have left Labour to join the Greens or other parties, or have become disengaged. "Starmer, inasmuch as he has any strong values, is pretty much like your average Labour member, and the fact that he seems to have betrayed them is partly responsible for their disillusionment," Bale said. "But anyone on the right hoping that remaining members are on their side is probably fooling themselves."
Potential for Streeting
Despite these challenges, Bale suggests there may be hope for Streeting. "Even those who've stuck around are highly likely to be leftwing and very socially liberal. But one thing we know about members—and Starmer getting elected in 2020 rather than Corbyn's anointed successor, Rebecca Long-Bailey, is proof—is that they also want to win elections," he said. "So if Streeting can show them he's the guy to do that, he still has a chance, even if he's not their ideological ideal."
