Wes Streeting as prime minister would be devastating for trans rights
Wes Streeting as prime minister would be terrible for trans rights. (Getty)
Wes Streeting as prime minister would be terrible for trans rights. (Getty)
As Wes Streeting fends off claims he is trying to overthrow Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, here’s a reminder that a Streeting government would be terrible for trans rights.
The health secretary denied claims he is attempting to take the PM’s place as Labour Party leader after an anonymous briefing from senior political aides warned of a “reckless” attempt to oust Starmer.
Streeting, 42, branded the “self-defeating” accusations as completely false and proved that “there are people around the prime minister who do not follow his model and style of leadership.”
“I can tell you without having even spoken to the prime minister what he thinks of [the] briefing, what his reaction will be to the front pages and their broadcast bulletins overnight and the words I’m sure he would use are not suitable for a family show,” he said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday (12 November).
The briefing, uncovered by The Guardian, branded attempts to undermine Starmer’s leadership over tanking poll ratings as “dangerous,” warning they could destabilise markets and international relationships.
Starmer’s popularity has consistently fallen since his election in July 2024 and has only plummeted further ahead of this moth’s budget.
Sources claimed multiple attempts had been made to oust Starmer, whose cabinet they said has “gone into full bunker mode.”
Streeting said the “unhelpful” claims serve only to suggest the prime minister is “fighting for his job.”
“Whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors,” he told Sky News.
Wes Streeting in Number 10 would be devastating for trans people
This isn’t the first time Streeting’s Labour leadership potential has been discussed. The Ilford North MP first signalled his ambitions in 2023, saying he would “die happy” if he had the chance to become Labour leader.
In April this year, a report from former deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft claimed some cabinet ministers were backing Streeting over Starmer, with one anonymous source saying: “Wes is their guy, not Keir.”
A Streeting government would likely devastate a trans community already on the cusp of losing fundamental rights under Labour given the politician’s track record.
Not only has Streeting repeatedly said he does not believe trans women are women, nor that trans men are men, but he has regularly signalled support for policies that would decimate the community’s rights to healthcare and privacy in public life.
In September, just days after vowing to ensure the “dignity, safety, and inclusion” of trans people, he suggested implementing policies that would effectively segregate trans people from public bathrooms.
During a Mumsnet interview, he suggested creating a “third space” for trans people in public spaces such as hospitals or sporting venues, saying it would be “unpleasant for everyone concerned” if a trans man entered a woman’s bathroom in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling that sex is ‘biological’.
After an interviewer asked whether he was specifically talking about “third spaces,” Streeting continued: “I think for trans women, yes, I think that is where we’re looking.
“I know there will be lots of people, probabls some Mumsnet users, and there’ll be lots of people in the LGBT community and allies who would say that that’s outrageous, I can’t believe you’re even saying that, and you’re a gay health secretary, how could you countenance this.”
Despite insisting he remains an ally to the community, Streetings actions as health secretary, including his widely reviled ban on puberty blockers, have caused suffering among trans people, particularly trans youth.
A study into the effects of the government’s puberty blocker ban reported that a majority of trans youth, formerly “well-adjusted” children, have developed significant mental health issues, with many becoming suicidal.
In April, he apologised for the “fear and anxiety” caused by the policy, while simultaneously refusing to lift it. Less than a month later, his office reportedly proposed expanding the ban to include private hormone treatment.
