Streeting arrived for the meeting at Downing Street at 8.24am. He was out again 16 minutes later.<\/a><\/p>\n Streeting allies have indicated that they don\u2019t intend to brief on what happened until the king\u2019s speech is over, out of respect for Charles. But it does not seem likely that a meeting that swift was cordial. According to one report<\/a>, Streeting was going to ask Starmer how he planned to \u201cget us out of this mess\u201d. Starmer clearly was not minded to give him a long, considered, collegiate answer. What we don\u2019t know is whether or not Streeting said he would launch a leadership challenge.<\/p>\n Here is the agenda for the day.<\/p>\n 11.15am: The king arrives at Westminster for the state opening. He delivers his speech at around 11.30am.<\/p>\n 2.30pm: MPs started their debate on the speech. After speeches from two government backbenchers proposing and seconding the speech, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, and Starmer deliver speeches.<\/p>\n If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (between 10am and 3pm), or message me on social media. I can\u2019t read all the messages BTL, but if you put \u201cAndrew\u201d in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.<\/p>\n If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X<\/a>, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.<\/p>\n I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can\u2019t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.<\/p>\n UPDATE: Joe Pike from the BBC has checked the timings, and says Wes Streeting was in No 10 for 17 minutes, and so I have gone with his timings, not Sky\u2019s, and amended the headline. See 9.20am<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.22 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Here are pictures of Wes Streeting leaving No 10. Ali Fortescue from Sky News says <\/a>he \u201clooked pretty stony-faced\u201d.<\/p>\n Wes Streeting leaving No 10. Photograph: Sean Smith\/The GuardianWes Streeting leaving No 10. Photograph: Sean Smith\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n From<\/a> Kitty Donaldson at the i<\/p>\n double quotation markIf No 10 hoped not to overshadow the King\u2019s Speech, a sub-20 minute meeting between Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting ain\u2019t gonna cut it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here is some comment from journalists on the Starmer\/Streeting meeting.<\/p>\n From <\/a>Anne McElvoy at Politico<\/p>\n double quotation markStarmer rigorously follow a bureaucratic control playbook in the handling of the Streeting encounter<\/p>\n – set meetings only on your terms<\/p>\n – put the meeting on a day when there is something bigger going (King\u2019s speech) on to diminish the significance of the meeting<\/p>\n – keep meeting markedly short, thus being seem to be open to having \u201cheard\u201d what the irked colleague has to say : but not long enough to engage<\/p>\n – expect more of this because Prime Minister has the way he is going to handle the challenge<\/p>\n From <\/a>Tom Harwood from GB News<\/p>\n double quotation markWes Streeting was in and out of Downing Street this morning in 20 minutes flat. Not a word to the media, but a long confident walk up and down the street before and after. Projecting determination.<\/p>\n From<\/a> the BBC\u2019s Joe Pike<\/p>\n double quotation markStreeting went through the door of Number 10 at 08:24 and left at 08:41. So that is actually 17 minutes.<\/p>\n Brief.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office minister, was on the morning broadcast round this morning. He had to give interviews before the meeting between Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting<\/a> took place, or before he knew its outcome. He sought to play down the significance of it.<\/p>\n On the Today programme he said the two were \u201chaving a coffee\u201d and dismissed claims it was a showdown. He said:<\/p>\n double quotation markAnyone would think we were talking about the final scene at a Casino Royale or something, looking at some of the coverage that we\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n And, on BBC Breakfast, he stressed that a leadership contest was not taking place.<\/p>\n double quotation markThere is no contest for the leadership of the Labour party.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a very clear way to do that under our rules of 81 people nominating an alternative candidate. That hasn\u2019t happened.<\/p>\n The contest hasn\u2019t been triggered. We are moving on. I\u2019m not saying yesterday wasn\u2019t turbulent. It evidently was, but we are moving, getting on with delivery.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Labour-supporting unions predict Starmer will not lead party into next election<\/p>\n Keir Starmer will not lead his party into the next general election, Labour-supporting unions have predicted, in an intervention that threatens to further destabilise the prime minister after a damaging few days, Pippa Crerar reports.<\/p>\n Here is the joint statement issued by the 11 Labour-affiliated unions.<\/p>\n double quotation markLabour\u2019s affiliated unions have been clear that Labour cannot continue on its current path.<\/p>\n Whilst we recognise progress has been made, such as aspects of the Employment Rights Act and the increase in the minimum wage, the results at the election last week were devastating.<\/p>\n Labour is not doing enough to deliver the change that working people voted for at the general election.<\/p>\n Our focus is on the fundamental change of direction on economic policy and political strategy that unions have been clear is needed, and not on the personalities and unfolding political drama in Westminster.<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that the prime minister will not lead Labour into the next election, and at some stage a plan will have to be put in place for the election of a new leader.<\/p>\n This is a point where the future of the party we founded will be debated and determined \u2013 and we are working closely as unions to shape a shared vision on policy, political strategy and economic policy that will re-orient Labour back to working people, so Labour do what it was elected to do: govern in the interests of workers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n As Wes Streeting left No 10, reporters shouted questions at him, asking if he had resigned. He did not reply.<\/p>\n It is possible that he did, or that he was sacked. But on the BBC Henry Zeffman, the BBC\u2019s chief political correspondent, says Streeting left in a ministerial car \u2013 implying he is still health secretary.<\/p>\n Zeffman says Streeting was in there for 17 minutes. Beth Rigby from Sky says it was 16 minutes. <\/a><\/p>\n Either way, that implies Starmer\u2019s message to Streeting was simple and blunt.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Wes Streeting leaves No 10 after planned talks with Keir Starmer last just 17 minutes<\/p>\n Good morning. There are two main events in the diary today. At this point, it is not entirely clear which will turn out to be more consequential.<\/p>\n At 11.15am the king will arrive at parliament for the state opening. The king\u2019s speech sets out the legislative programme for the next year. Kiran Stacey has a preview here.<\/p>\n In normal circumstances, this is one of the big events in the annual political calender \u2013 although most of what is in the speech has been well trailed, so it is more a day for ceremony than surprise. We will get plenty of information; alongside the speech, the government publishes a 100-page briefing pack, with outline details of all the bills coming up over the next 12 months.<\/p>\n But Keir Starmer had another appointment first. We learned last night that he would be meeting Wes Streeting<\/a>, the health secretary who wants to replace him. Yesterday Starmer in effect challenged Streeting to \u2018put up or shut up\u2019 and, although some of Streeting\u2019s allies have resigned from ministerial jobs, and others have joined the long list of Labour MPs publicly calling for Starmer\u2019s resignation, by last night Streeting had still not launched a formal leadership challenge. In Downing Street they are starting to believe that Streeting has blinked because he does not have the support he needs to win a contest.<\/p>\n Streeting arrived for the meeting at Downing Street at 8.24am. He was out again 16 minutes later.<\/a><\/p>\n Streeting allies have indicated that they don\u2019t intend to brief on what happened until the king\u2019s speech is over, out of respect for Charles. But it does not seem likely that a meeting that swift was cordial. According to one report<\/a>, Streeting was going to ask Starmer how he planned to \u201cget us out of this mess\u201d. Starmer clearly was not minded to give him a long, considered, collegiate answer. What we don\u2019t know is whether or not Streeting said he would launch a leadership challenge.<\/p>\n Here is the agenda for the day.<\/p>\n 11.15am: The king arrives at Westminster for the state opening. He delivers his speech at around 11.30am.<\/p>\n 2.30pm: MPs started their debate on the speech. After speeches from two government backbenchers proposing and seconding the speech, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, and Starmer deliver speeches.<\/p>\n If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (between 10am and 3pm), or message me on social media. I can\u2019t read all the messages BTL, but if you put \u201cAndrew\u201d in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.<\/p>\n If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X<\/a>, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.<\/p>\n I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can\u2019t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.<\/p>\n Wes Streeting arriving in No 10 this morning. Photograph: James Manning\/PA<\/p>\n UPDATE: Joe Pike from the BBC has checked the timings, and says Wes Streeting was in No 10 for 17 minutes, and so I have gone with his timings, not Sky\u2019s, and amended the headline. See 9.20am<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Wes](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4496.jpg\")
Wes Streeting arriving in No 10 this morning. Photograph: James Manning\/PA<\/p>\n