British politics has been thrown into full-blown crisis on Thursday, May 14, 2026, as Wes Streeting resigned from Keir Starmer's Cabinet — the first senior minister to quit since Labour's devastating UK election results last week handed Nigel Farage and Reform UK their biggest victory in British political history.
UK Election Results Deliver Historic Blow to Labour and Keir Starmer
Labour lost 1,496 councillors and lost control of 38 councils in the UK elections, triggering an internal crisis as Labour MPs began calling for Keir Starmer to resign as Prime Minister.
Starmer's first year in office saw his team attempt to head off Reform UK's surge by appealing to right-wing voters with tougher rhetoric on immigration — a strategy that backfired badly, as Reform continued to rise in the polls while Labour alienated its progressive voter base.
Labour lost control of major councils including Southampton, Westminster, Tameside, Hartlepool, Exeter, Oxford, and Wandsworth in results widely described as a catastrophic night for the governing party.
Reform UK and Nigel Farage Declare Historic Shift in British Politics
Reform UK gained over 1,244 councillors and took control of at least 114 councils, including Newcastle-under-Lyme, Essex, Havering, Suffolk, and Sunderland — with Havering becoming Reform UK's first London borough.
Nigel Farage declared the UK election results a "historic shift in British politics" and a "complete reshaping of British politics in every way," as Reform UK captured 26% to 27% of the national vote — more than any other party.
Reform also seized Sunderland from Labour, a council covering the parliamentary seat of Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, and became the second largest party in Tameside — ending Labour's uninterrupted 47-year run in the Greater Manchester council.
Keir Starmer Refuses to Resign Despite Labour Mutiny
Starmer accepted responsibility for the UK election results, telling reporters the outcome was "tough, very tough" and that there was "no sugarcoating it," but insisted he would not walk away or plunge the country into chaos.
More than 100 Labour MPs signed a letter of support for Starmer, while an almost equal number called for him to go as rumours of a formal leadership challenge intensified throughout the week.
By May 11, six Labour MPs had quit or been replaced as ministerial aides, and 72 MPs had publicly urged Starmer to either resign immediately or set a clear timetable for his departure.
Wes Streeting Resigns as Health Secretary, Eyes Labour Leadership
Wes Streeting resigned as Britain's Health Secretary on Thursday, stating he had "lost confidence" in Keir Starmer's leadership and that it would be "dishonourable and unprincipled" to remain in government.
In his resignation letter, Streeting wrote: "Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift," adding that it was "now clear" Starmer would not lead Labour into the next general election.
Streeting did not formally announce a leadership challenge in his letter, but to trigger a contest he would need the backing of 81 Labour MPs — one fifth of the parliamentary party.
Wes Streeting's NHS Record and Leadership Credentials
Streeting's resignation coincided with the publication of government data showing NHS waiting lists fell by 110,000 in March — the largest monthly drop outside of the Covid-19 pandemic since 2008 — with Streeting claiming the government was on track for the fastest improvement in NHS waiting times in history.
To his supporters, Streeting is one of the best communicators in British politics, bringing clarity to a government that has struggled to tell a compelling story. To critics, he is nakedly ambitious and lacks appeal beyond Westminster. He won his East London seat at the 2024 general election by just 528 votes.
Angela Rayner Cleared, Reform UK's Fragmentation Begins
Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced Thursday that UK tax authorities had cleared her of deliberate wrongdoing in a property tax scandal, opening the door to her potential participation in a Labour leadership race. Rayner said she would not trigger a contest herself but would play "whatever role I can."
Reform UK was not without its own turbulence. A newly elected Reform councillor in Essex resigned and was expelled from the party after racist and Islamophobic posts on social media were uncovered. Polling expert John Curtice noted the UK elections confirmed the deep fragmentation of British politics, with no single party commanding strong public backing nationwide.
