Wes Streeting has acknowledged his ongoing concern that his “sense of humor” might come back to haunt him, following the resurfacing of a clip where he jokingly predicted he would become Prime Minister during a live radio segment. This humorous prediction from 2018 gained attention this week amidst speculations of a potential leadership challenge against Keir Starmer.
During an LBC show, host Nick Ferrari lightheartedly played the clip to Streeting, who took it in good spirits, labeling the moment as a “drive-by” by the radio presenter. Streeting quipped, “If you don’t believe in yourself, who will? That’s the advice I give to the kids in my constituency. But there are times when jestful comments can unexpectedly resurface, like on a radio show trying to tackle serious issues.”
In the clip, Streeting, along with other MPs, was asked to predict who would be Prime Minister in a decade for a comedy series hosted by Matt Forde. While most guessed Jeremy Corbyn or Kemi Badenoch, Streeting humorously suggested himself.
The Government faced internal turmoil as Streeting denied any involvement in a supposed coup against Starmer, emphasizing the need to focus on substantive matters rather than internal strife. Streeting and Starmer expressed frustration over the leadership row, with the Prime Minister’s advisor facing calls for dismissal over alleged briefings regarding Streeting’s ambitions.
Streeting criticized the “self-defeating” nature of leadership challenge briefings and likened the situation to a reality TV show, affirming his support for the Prime Minister. Starmer clarified that no Downing Street briefings targeted Streeting, denouncing such actions as unacceptable and vowing to address them promptly.