Wes Streeting, Performer or Reformer

An OVID Health article by David Talbot

In Labour’s 126-year history, there has 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. Labour, unlike the Conservatives, does not take to regicide easily. With the resignation of Wes Streeting this afternoon, it has been plunged into the very chaos it spent years telling the nation it would avoid.

The Prime Minister’s predecessor but two, Boris Johnson, famously said that “when the herd moves, it moves” and Labour’s tectonic plates have certainly been moving in recent weeks.

What 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 for UK’s health & life sciences sector?

Firstly, the Kremlinology. Under the Labour Party’s rulebook, to borrow a phrase from an exasperated Theresa May in 2017, “𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱”. Despite Streeting and his allies claiming he “has the numbers” a formal leadership contest is not triggered until 20 per cent of Labour MPs formally nominate a candidate. Given Streeting’s resignation letter 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳, it is unclear as to when – or if – such a threshold may be achieved.

Secondly, amidst all the Westminster drama, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗛𝗦 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵 on Tuesday. Whilst it is predominantly the formal vehicle to scrap NHS England, it contained a series of measures which are of fundamental importance to the next Secretary of State.

Streeting’s resignation letter was, in part, a long list of (self-marked) achievements. The true is more nuanced. Yes, the NHS met its target of treating 65 per cent of patients within 18 weeks – but 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

Lastly, what does this mean for UK life sciences? The honest answer is, as identified in OVID Health’s well-timed panel event this morning, that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆. Since 2024, there have been 5 major policy announcements for UK life sciences sector.

The new Health and Social Care Secretary, whoever they may be, will 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗛𝗦𝗖 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.

To return to Boris Johnson’s valedictory speech in 2023: “No one is remotely indispensable, and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times”.

Which 𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘇 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀.

Article originally published on LinkedIn on 14th May