Wes Streeting, the former British health secretary who resigned from the government this week, has declared he will run to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer when the contest is triggered. Streeting made the announcement at a think tank event in London on Saturday.

Starmer's government has been teetering on the edge after his ruling Labour party suffered disastrous local elections. Although Starmer has brushed aside growing criticism, a Labour contest to replace him looks all but inevitable in London.

Speaking at a Progress group gathering, Streeting took a dig at the prime minister, saying Labour “arrived in government underprepared in too many areas and lacking clarity of vision and direction.” He also threw his weight behind Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, seen as a top contender to replace Starmer.

Starmer's tenure has been dogged by controversy over the appointment of Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington, as well as frustrations with slow-moving domestic policy changes. More than 80 MPs have urged him to quit, while four junior ministers have stepped down.

Labour MP Josh Simons resigned from his seat in Makerfield to make way for Burnham to seek election to parliament. If Burnham is elected, he would need support from 81 Labour MPs to launch a challenge against Starmer. Another potential challenger, Angela Rayner, has been cleared by tax authorities following an investigation.

Source: www.aljazeera.com