What Streeting as PM could mean for your taxes, welfare and immigration
Wes Streeting is widely seen as one of the most likely candidates to succeed Sir Keir Starmer if the Prime Minister stands down from the top job in the coming weeks.
The i Paper understands that Streeting is unlikely to trigger a leadership challenge himself, but there have been reports that he is preparing a case – should a contest begin anyway.
After a historically bad set of local election results for Labour, that scenario looks increasingly plausible.
Shorts – Quick stories
Are lifts still safe? Warning over UK’s obesity rates
Trump’s fatal flaw is about to be exposed on world stage
Four key takeaways from the King’s Speech
How children’s taste for vegetables ‘begins before birth’
Why weight-loss pill after jabs may help keep pounds off
Which members of Government have gone so far?
Greggs to open first overseas shop in Tenerife – what to know
How would Andy Burnham become prime minister?
Are lifts still safe? Warning over UK’s obesity rates
The obesity epidemic means that many lifts are no longer big enough to transport people between floors, according to British researchers.A study found that the maximum capacity of lifts in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has failed to keep pace with the increase in weight of the average person, raising concerns about safety and discrimination.
What you need to know
Lifts stuck in the past
The UK-based study found that despite weight growth and the obesity epidemic, the limit for elevators has not increased since about 2004.
In the 1970s, the average British man and woman weighed 75kg and 65kg, respectively. These figures now stand at 86kg and 73kg.
Because lifts assume an average weight of 75kg, this means the amount of room is becoming limited and loads are getting heavier.
Researchers said their findings suggested lift designs are now based on “flawed calculations” and could lead to issues like elevators cutting out if passengers exceed total weight limits. People with obesity may also feel stigmatised when entering lifts.
Lead researcher Professor Nick Finer warned of a need to “super-size” many aspects of daily life, including lifts, to make the workplace and other environments safe and suitable for people living with obesity. By 2040, as many as seven in 10 Britons are projected to be overweight or obese.
Trump’s fatal flaw is about to be exposed on the world stage
Co-founder Council on Geostrategy
When the US President arrives in Beijing this week, he will be visiting a China which has spent years making itself more resilient to American influence and pressure.Consequently, Donald Trump will be attempting to secure a series of rapid but transactional victories with a weakened hand.
Critical question for the US: who is hurting more?
The White House faces a situation of diminishing economic leverage. Trump’s tariff barrage on Beijing was supposed to force co-operation. But China has shown willingness to deploy its own economic arsenal. While Beijing is feeling the effects of US microchip curbs, Washington is being hit by China’s squeeze on critical minerals.
Trump has just handed China a major win. It shows the UK what to do next
Beijing patient as Iran strife drags on
The most visible challenge constraining the White House is its ongoing conflict with Iran. While Trump struggles with rising fuel prices and a dropping approval rating, Xi Jinping is advancing Beijing’s interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Trump’s controversial moves, including the snatching of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and threats to annex Greenland, have created a space for China to make overtures to European leaders. Consequently, American structural power is diminished.
Four key takeaways from the King’s Speech
The monarch has outlined changes to health, education and the justice system on behalf of an embattled Sir Keir Starmer looking to prove he can enact the speed of change being demanded by his MPs.In his speech at the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles unveiled a legislative programme including the introduction of digital ID, limits on trial by jury, measures curbing settled status for migrants and an overhaul of special educational needs teaching.
Four big Labour changes
1Digital ID will be introduced as a way of checking immigration status when people start a job, but will not be mandatory.
2Special educational needs teaching will be overhauled to give schools more responsibility for deciding how pupils are taught.
3A courts modernisation bill will restrict trial by jury to the most serious cases.
4Gaining settled status in the UK will be made harder for migrants under plans which could provoke a backlash from Labour MPs.
Few surprises as PM battles to stay
The King’s Speech is the set piece opportunity for the government of the day to lay out its legislative programme. But the ceremonial pomp was at risk of being overshadowed by the battle within the Labour Party over whether Starmer should remain in Number 10.
While the bills outlined were largely expected, allies of Starmer said the programme would allow Labour to say it had fixed Britain’s emaciated public services. But rumours abound that Health Secretary Wes Streeting will launch a leadership challenge as early as Thursday.
How children’s taste for vegetables ‘begins before birth’
Young children react more favourably to the smell of vegetables if they were regularly exposed to them while developing in the womb, researchers have found.A study at Durham University found evidence that three-year-olds develop a memory of the flavour and odour of foods they were exposed to in late pregnancy.
Everything you need to know
The reactions of toddlers to the smell of carrots or kale was examined to see whether taste can be established in utero.
Children were tested for their response to the smell of the vegetables after their mothers took capsules of carrot or kale while pregnant.
Researchers found children reacted less negatively if their mothers were exposed to the vegetables while pregnant.
Mothers advised to eat varied diet
The scientists found an enduring favourable response in toddlers to the vegetable flavours they were exposed to in the later weeks of pregnancy.The study recorded the facial expressions of 12 children when they were given wet cotton swabs dipped in the carrot or kale powder their mothers had taken.
Our three adult children live in our three-bed with us – and only pay £100 in rent
My son had a mental health crisis at university – here's what I wish I'd known
What the researchers said
The researchers said the study suggested mothers-to-be should eat a varied diet rich in vegetables and fruits of different colours, with the added possibility it could influence the eating habits of their unborn child.
The hidden health risk from eating too much 'fake meat'
Why weight-loss pill after jabs may help keep pounds off
People using anti-obesity jabs can maintain weight loss by moving to a daily pill at the end of their treatment, a study suggests.Researchers found that using orforglipron – an anti-obesity pill developed by US pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly – could be an “effective approach” for avoiding regaining pounds after injections have stopped.
What you need to know
While anti-obesity jabs are effective at promoting weight loss, patients have been found to regain the pounds after treatment stops.
Researchers in the US found that switching to orforglipron allowed patients using jabs to retain about 75 to 80 per cent of their weight loss.
Orforglipron is also a GLP-1 agonist, the same type of compound used in anti-obesity injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.
You didn't really think weight-loss jabs would fix everything, surely?
Weight-loss pill ‘cheaper’ than jabs
The US findings add to evidence that anti-obesity pills hold promise as a new method of promoting or maintaining weight loss, not least because they are significantly cheaper to manufacture than injections and easier to use.
Orforglipron, which is Eli Lilly’s hope for its next blockbuster drug, is taken as a once-a-day pill and was tested with 376 patients who had previously used jabs. The pill has been licensed in America but is still awaiting approval in the UK.
Which members of Government have gone so far?
Sir Keir Starmer has briefly met with presumed leadership rival Wes Streeting in No 10 as the Prime Minister continues to resist calls from within Labour for him to stand down.The crisis at the top of Government has so far seen the resignations of 10 MPs from their frontline roles, including four junior ministers. Among the most prominent has been the departure of Home Office minister Jess Phillips.
What you need to know
Six parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) – the eyes and ears of a minister in the House of Commons – have stepped down.
They include Joe Morris, PPS to Streeting, and Melanie Ward, PPS to Justice Secretary David Lammy, a key ally of Starmer.
The three ministers who have quit alongside Jess Phillips are Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed.
In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised Starmer for his record on online protections.
Inside the deep Labour split as Starmer hangs on by his fingernails
Crisis in Downing Street
While the Prime Minister has suffered the loss of 10 members of his Government, to date the departures have been restricted to its junior ranks. Starmer is widely seen as having laid down the gauntlet to his Cabinet colleagues to either formally challenge him, or allow him to stay in office.
Some 11 Labour-supporting unions are expected to state publicly that Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. Ministers are being watched minute-by-minute for signs of a formal split.
Greggs to open international shop at Tenerife South airport
The British chain will bring its beloved range of baked goods to the Canary Islands.Greggs last operated shops abroad in Belgium in 2008, but said Tenerife was “the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting”.
What you need to know
Greggs will open a branch in Tenerife South airport later this month.
The usual range of sausage rolls, pasties and sweet treats will be on offer.
A ‘Spanish omelette roll’ will also be on the menu.
Around half of Tenerife’s 13 million visitors go to and from the UK each year.
Greggs has made me ashamed to be British
What Greggs is saying
It’s an exciting milestone for Greggs as we bring a slice of home to the Canaries, and we’re confident our great-value offering will resonate just as well under the Spanish sun as it does on the UK high street. Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie
It’s an exciting milestone for Greggs as we bring a slice of home to the Canaries, and we’re confident our great-value offering will resonate just as well under the Spanish sun as it does on the UK high street.
GO DEEPER ON THIS TOPIC
Greggs has made me ashamed to be British
Spain – a land of excellent food, rich cultural identity and a beautiful language. Of course, if you’re a British tourist there, odds are you won’t have noticed.Why do the British insist on exporting their culture when they travel?Read more here.
How would Andy Burnham become prime minister?
Andy Burnham is one of the frontrunners to replace Sir Keir Starmer if he resigns as Prime Minister. The Manchester Mayor has previously indicated he would be willing to overthrow the current Labour leader.
First step – find a vacant seat
A vacant parliamentary seat would need to be available and finding one may not be easy.
There are two by-elections coming up in Scotland, but Burnham is unlikely to stand in these.
MPs have indicated in the past they would step aside for Burnham, including Clive Lewis, but these suggestions have since been quashed.
Step two – Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee
If a seat were to become vacant, Burnham would need to win over the National Executive Committee (NEC), who is responsible for choosing Labour’s candidates. In January, the NEC blocked Burnham from running in Gorton and Denton. A 10-strong group, including the PM, voted to deny Burnham permission.
'Farage will throw everything at us': Burnham risks losing a by-election, insiders fear
Step three – a leadership ballot
If Burnham were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid. According to the Labour Party rule book, candidates seeking to enter the ballot must be an MP.
This is because the Labour leader is the Prime Minister, therefore they would need to be a Member of Parliament. The current rules state a candidate must receive nominations from 20 per cent of their Labour colleagues in Parliament to be in the running.
A summary of necessary steps
What is standing in Burnham’s way?
Win election, become an MP
Win leadership competition, become Labour leader and prime minister
Streeting’s record in Government – and his willingness to break publicly with Downing Street on a number of key questions – gives a hint of what a Streeting premiership might look like.
Here is what Streeting in No 10 could mean for you…
Welfare and disability benefits
Streeting has frequently taken the view that the welfare system has become a barrier to work rather than a bridge. He told Sky News in March 2025 that the system should “do the two things it needs to do” – supporting those who cannot work, while acting as “a springboard back to work” for those who can.
The Health Secretary has also argued that there is an “overdiagnosis” of some mental health conditions. Speaking to the BBC in March of this year, he said: “I agree with that point about overdiagnosis… there’s too many people being written off.”
His department launched an independent review into the rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services last December, claiming that there were 13 times more people waiting for an autism assessment in September 2025 than in April 2019.
But Streeting has been careful to frame this as a clinical question rather than a cost-cutting exercise. “I know from personal experience how devastating it can be for people who face poor mental health, have ADHD or autism and can’t get a diagnosis,” he said when announcing the review.
The comments suggest that Streeting would likely follow the Government’s current approach to some degree should he enter No 10.
As Health Secretary, Wes Streeting has driven a “modernise or die” agenda focused on reforming and streamlining the health service.
One of his most eye-catching moves came in March 2025, when it was announced that NHS England would be abolished and its functions merged into the Department of Health and Social Care to cut bureaucracy and bring the service under direct democratic control.
In a major speech in March 2026, Streeting argued that “the NHS was broken” and required “a reformation, not more devotion”.
He outlined three key shifts for the future of healthcare: moving “from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, [and] from sickness to prevention”.
Streeting’s plans included expanding neighbourhood health centres, increasing the use of technology and AI, and improving access through the NHS app and online consultations.
He has not shied away from conflict with the medical establishment. He has taken a hard line against the British Medical Association over junior doctor strikes, and deferred plans to introduce 1,000 extra speciality training posts after junior doctors refused to call off a six-day strike earlier this year.
This attitude towards healthcare would likely carry on through a Streeting premiership.
Streeting has struck a notably different tone on taxation from the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, suggesting he is more concerned about the overall burden on individuals and businesses than about raising additional revenue.
Speaking to The Observer in December 2025, the minister said he was “really uncomfortable with the level of taxation in this country”, adding: “We’re asking a lot of individual taxpayers, we’re asking a lot of businesses. We’ve got a level of indebtedness that we need to take very seriously.”
He has, however, drawn a clear distinction between ordinary taxpayers and the very wealthy.
In June 2023, he called on high-net-worth individuals to stop using “clever wheezes and accounting tricks” to reduce their bills, and to instead do their “patriotic duty” and contribute to “real improvements in public services”.
His frustration with the current economic direction has also surfaced in private. In messages to Lord Mandelson, he said Labour had “no growth strategy” – a direct criticism of Starmer and Reeves.
He later said he had been “proved wrong” and that Reeves deserved credit, but the original remarks are a clearer window into his thinking on whether the Government is going far enough on growth.
The area where Streeting has gone furthest beyond the Government’s stated position is Britain’s relationship with the EU.
In his December 2025 Observer interview, he argued that “the best way for us to get more growth into our economy is a deeper trading relationship with the EU,” and said that leaving the bloc had cost the country “the enormous economic benefits that came with being in the single market and the customs union”.
Streeting was careful to add that any partnership “can’t lead to a return to freedom of movement,” but the overall thrust of his remarks went further than the current EU reset, which he described as “a good start”.
His comments appeared to leave open the possibility of a customs union – something the Government has previously ruled out.
Starmer did, however, hint in his reset speech on Monday that he would be willing to look again at rejoining the EU single market. That may be a sign that Streeting’s thinking could have broader support within the party that the Prime Minister wants to capitalise on.
Streeting’s position on immigration is more nuanced than that of the Government he serves in.
He has expressed personal discomfort with aspects of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s plans for forced deportations of families with children.
Asked directly on LBC whether he was comfortable with the policy, he said: “Honestly? Comfortable? No. But is it the right thing to do for the country? Yes.”
But, equally, he has defended the Government’s current hard-line approach, which includes raising skilled worker salary thresholds, making refugee status temporary with 30-month reviews and extending the wait for permanent settlement to 20 years.
Speaking to GB News last September, he said that the UK does need to “take a tougher line on this” and that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood had a “determination to grip this problem and to secure our borders”.
Overall, this suggests he could maintain much of the Government’s tough approach on borders and removals, though he may be open to softening its application in some areas like family reunion.