Streeting speaks about ‘daunting’ prospect of being next UK health secretary

Wes Streeting has spoken about the “absolutely daunting” prospect of becoming health secretary if Labour wins the next general election.

However, the shadow health and social care secretary insisted he would “relish” taking on the role, saying his experience of going through kidney cancer had shown him how “important the NHS is for all of us”.

The Ilford North MP revealed he had the disease in 2021, later announcing he was cancer free after undergoing surgery to remove one of his kidneys.

It is daunting, it is absolutely daunting. I feel the weight of responsibility that comes with what will inevitably be one of the most difficult jobs in government.

With a general election likely to take place at some point in 2024, and with polls suggesting Sir Keir Starmer will be the next prime minister, Mr Streeting said the leader had brought about “really serious, fundamental change” within Labour, so that the party could now win an election again.

“No-one is now saying seriously that the Labour Party is not a party that is capable of governing, and I do think that is a transformational difference from where we were before,” the MP said.

Interviewed by former Scottish Conservtive leader Baroness Ruth Davidson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Mr Streeting said that the prospect of running the health service now keeps him awake at night.

Mr Streeting stated: “It is daunting, it is absolutely daunting. I feel the weight of responsibility that comes with what will inevitably be one of the most difficult jobs in government.”

He added that if Labour was elected, being health secretary would “probably the most difficult job” after being prime minister or chancellor.

However he insisted the job “is one I would relish”.

The MP, who was first elected to the Commons in 2015, added: “I went through kidney cancer, I know how important the NHS is for all of us and for all the cynicism and pessimism I still believe that an NHS that is publicly funded, free at the point of use, is the best and fairest way to fund and organise the National Health Service.”

But he said there needed to be a change in “where the money goes”, with Mr Streeting suggesting: “We need to fix the front door of the NHS in primary care and community services, with much more support in people’s homes, relieve the pressure on hospitals, do early diagnosis, that will both be better for patients and save taxpayers money.”

He also stressed the importance of reforming social care, saying this had been “neglected by successive governments and parties”.

He said: “There is no answer to fixing the NHS crisis that doesn’t involve social care.”

He spoke of the need to try to “forge long-term consensus” about the future of the NHS, so any reforms last for more than one parliament.

Speaking about the prospect of taking charge of the health service, Mr Streeting stated: “It’s the thing that keeps me up at night and the thing I spend at the moment most of my time thinking about.

“What I am now really in the weeds of is what is the 10-year plan? What are my first white papers? What is the legislation for the first King’s speech? Who am I going to bring together round the table to deal with some of the thorny issues that haven’t been addressed?

“I’m at that level of planning.”