Wes Streeting facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Wes Streeting MP
Official portrait, 2024
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Victoria Atkins
Shadow cabinet positions 2021–2024 Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care In office 29 November 2021 – 5 July 2024 Leader Keir Starmer Preceded by Jonathan Ashworth Succeeded by Victoria Atkins Shadow Secretary of State for Child Poverty In office 9 May 2021 – 29 November 2021 Leader Keir Starmer Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Office abolished
Junior shadow portfolios 2020–2021 Shadow Minister for Schools In office 16 October 2020 – 9 May 2021 Leader Keir Starmer Preceded by Margaret Greenwood Succeeded by Peter Kyle Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury In office 9 April 2020 – 16 October 2020 Leader Keir Starmer Preceded by Lyn Brown Succeeded by Abena Oppong-Asare
Member of Parliament for Ilford North
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 May 2015
Preceded by	Lee Scott
Majority	528 (1.1%)
Member of Redbridge London Borough Council for Aldborough Chadwell (2010–2014)
In office 8 July 2010 – 3 May 2018
53rd President of the National Union of Students
In office 1 July 2008 – 10 June 2010
Preceded by	Gemma Tumelty
Succeeded by	Aaron Porter
Personal details
Born	Wesley Paul William Streeting (1983-01-21) 21 January 1983 (age 42) Stepney, London, England
Political party	Labour
Domestic partner	Joe Dancey
Residence	London Borough of Redbridge
Alma mater	Selwyn College, Cambridge
Signature

Wesley Paul William Streeting (born 21 January 1983) is a British politician. He has been the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care since July 2024. As a member of the Labour Party, he has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ilford North since 2015.

Wes Streeting grew up in Stepney, London. He went to Westminster City School and later studied history at the University of Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he was the President of the Cambridge Students' Union from 2004 to 2005. He also led the National Union of Students (NUS) from 2008 to 2010.

Before becoming an MP, he worked for a Labour Party-related group called Progress. He also worked in the public sector. In 2010, he was elected to the Redbridge London Borough Council for the Labour Party. He became the Deputy Leader of the council in May 2014.

Streeting was elected as an MP for Ilford North in the 2015 general election. He was re-elected in 2017 and 2019. After Keir Starmer became the Labour Party leader in 2020, Streeting took on important roles in the Shadow Cabinet. He became the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in November 2021. After Labour won the general election in July 2024, Streeting was appointed the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. He has stated that the NHS needs fixing and has worked to end junior doctor strikes and reduce waiting times.

Early Life and Education

Wesley Streeting was born on 21 January 1983 in Stepney, London. His parents were teenagers when he was born. He has five brothers, a sister, and a stepsister. He grew up living in a council flat.

His grandfathers, both named Bill, were important figures in his childhood. One grandfather was very well-read and enjoyed discussing religion and politics with him. His other grandfather served in the Second World War in the Royal Navy. He later worked as a civil engineer.

Streeting attended Westminster City School, a state school in Victoria, London. He then studied history at Selwyn College, Cambridge, graduating in 2004. He briefly left the Labour Party because he disagreed with the decision to enter the Iraq War. While at university, he was elected President of the Cambridge Students' Union for the 2004–05 school year. He worked to prevent the closure of Cambridge University's architecture department.

Career Journey

Early Roles (2008–2010)

As President of the NUS, Streeting supported changes to how the union was run. These changes aimed to make the union more modern. He was also a director for NUS's business arm, NUS Services Ltd, and for Endsleigh Insurance.

He also served as a director for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). This service helps students apply to universities and colleges. He was also a member of the government's Youth Citizenship Commission. This group looked at how young people could be more involved in society. Streeting supported university tuition fees during his time as NUS President.

After his time at NUS, Streeting became the Chief Executive of the Helena Kennedy Foundation. This charity helps students from further education colleges go to university. He then worked as head of education at Stonewall. This charity works for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. He led their "Education for All" campaign to fight against prejudice in schools.

He later worked as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). He left this job when he was elected as a councillor because his new role created a conflict of interest. In 2010, he also worked on Oona King's campaign for the 2012 London Mayoral election.

Council Work (2010–2018)

Streeting with an RMT union banner at a protest in March 2015

In July 2010, Streeting was elected as a Labour councillor for the Chadwell ward in Redbridge London Borough Council. He had tried to win a seat in the Roding ward earlier that year but was not successful. He won the Chadwell seat by 220 votes. In October 2011, he became the Deputy Leader of the Labour Group on the council.

In 2014, Streeting was re-elected to represent the Aldborough ward. In May 2014, the Labour Party took control of Redbridge Council for the first time. Streeting was appointed Deputy Leader of the council, with Jas Athwal as Leader.

Streeting resigned as Deputy Leader in May 2015, shortly after becoming an MP for Ilford North. He remained a councillor but chose not to claim his councillor allowance. He did not seek re-election in 2018 and stopped being a councillor on 3 May 2018.

Parliamentary Career

Early Years in Parliament (2015–2020)

At the 2015 general election, Streeting was elected as the MP for Ilford North. He won with 43.9% of the votes. After being elected, he became the Honorary President of the British Youth Council. In April 2016, Streeting criticized the Labour Party for not accepting a donation from McDonald's. The party said this was because of the company's record on workers' rights.

Streeting supported the United Kingdom staying in the European Union before the 2016 EU membership referendum. He later supported a "People's Vote," which called for another public vote on the final Brexit deal.

At the 2017 general election, Streeting was re-elected as MP for Ilford North with more votes and a larger majority. He is a vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism. He also supports Labour Friends of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East. In July 2018, Streeting called for "targeted economic sanctions" against Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Before the 2019 general election, Streeting warned that the Labour Party might lose badly due to its handling of Brexit and issues with antisemitism. He was re-elected in 2019, but with a smaller majority. After Labour's defeat, Streeting supported Jess Phillips and Rosena Allin-Khan in the Labour Party leadership and deputy leadership elections.

Frontbench Roles (2020–2024)

After Keir Starmer became the Leader of the Labour Party, Streeting was appointed Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in April 2020. On 16 October 2020, he became Shadow Minister for Schools. In May 2021, Streeting was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Child Poverty. He was then promoted again in November 2021 to Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. He held this position until July 2024.

In February 2022, Streeting was chosen again as the Labour candidate for Ilford North for the 2024 general election. In May 2023, he was ranked sixth in the New Statesman's Left Power List. He was described as "one of the most prominent and confident members" of the shadow cabinet. In January 2024, he supported having single-sex wards in hospitals. He also welcomed the final report of the Cass Review in April 2024. This report looked at gender services for children and young people.

At the 2024 general election, Streeting kept his Ilford North seat. He won by a small margin of 528 votes. This was after a challenge from an independent candidate who ran because of Labour's stance on the Gaza war. His narrow victory attracted a lot of media attention.

Health Secretary (2024–Present)

Streeting (left) at a cabinet meeting with David Lammy and Rachel Reeves, 9 July 2024

In July 2024, Streeting was appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. He became a member of the Privy Council on 10 July 2024. He stated that the NHS was "broken" and promised to resolve junior doctor strikes and reduce waiting times. New talks with the Labour government ended the dispute with junior doctors on 17 September 2024.

In November 2024, Streeting warned NHS leaders that hospitals that consistently fail would be publicly named. Managers could face removal and restrictions on future employment in the health sector.

Political Views

Streeting has suggested working with British businesses to improve capitalism. In 2020, he said he wanted to tax capital gains like income. He also suggested replacing inheritance tax with a lifetime gifts tax. He supports increasing corporation tax. He has also promoted creating a "Good Work Commission" to discuss new employment rights.

Streeting is considered to be on the right side of the Labour Party. However, he said in 2022 that he doesn't like being called a "Blairite." He believes the Labour Party should not be stuck fighting over past ideas. After his election, Streeting was described as a "long-time critic" of Jeremy Corbyn, who was Labour Party leader from 2015 to 2020. Streeting was among the Labour MPs who supported Owen Smith in the 2016 party leadership election. In 2022, Streeting said he always thought Jeremy Corbyn was "unelectable."

Streeting supports devolution. This means giving local authorities more control over public policy.

European Union and Immigration

MP portrait, 2017

Streeting campaigned for the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union (EU) before the 2016 EU membership referendum. In 2018, he said that a "hard Brexit" would address concerns about sovereignty and migration. However, he warned it would also cause significant economic harm.

On immigration, Streeting said in 2018 that the UK needs better education and training for its own people. But he also stated that the country relies on attracting people from overseas. This is especially true with an aging population and a shrinking working-age population.

National Health Service (NHS)

On health, in December 2021, Streeting said that to reduce growing waiting times in the National Health Service (NHS), there should be better pay and conditions for staff. He also suggested keeping a check on the high salaries of managers and consultants. After visiting Israel in May 2022, Streeting suggested that the UK should use new technologies common in Israel to improve health outcomes.

In January 2022, Streeting supported using private healthcare providers in the NHS to cut waiting lists. In June 2023, Streeting said the NHS needs three big changes. These are moving from hospital care to community services, using technology more, and focusing on preventing illness. In January 2024, he also defended reforms that some call "nanny state" policies. He said Labour would not "stand by while children become fatter and unhealthier."

Personal Life

MP portrait, 2020

Streeting lives in Redbridge, London, with Joe Dancey. Joe Dancey is a communications and public affairs adviser. In October 2023, Dancey was chosen as Labour's candidate for Stockton West in the 2024 general election, but he was not successful. Streeting is a practicing Anglican. He has been engaged to Joe Dancey since 2013.

In May 2021, Streeting announced he had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. He stepped back from his political duties to receive treatment. The cancer was found early, and his outlook was good. He needed surgery to remove one of his kidneys. On 27 July 2021, Streeting announced that he was cancer-free after his operation.

Streeting published his memoir, One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry-Up, in June 2023. The book received mostly positive reviews. Rachel Cooke of The Observer called it "both a little bit boring and unexpectedly fascinating." Jason Cowley of The Sunday Times praised Streeting for telling "his story with emotional intelligence."

Streeting was sworn into the Privy Council on 10 July 2024.

Electoral History

2020s

General election 2024: Ilford North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Wes Streeting	15,647	33.4	20.7
	Independent	Leanne Mohamad	15,119	32.2	New
	Conservative	Kaz Rizvi	9,619	20.5	16.2
	Reform UK	Alex Wilson	3,621	7.7	5.8
	Green	Rachel Collinson	1,794	3.8	2.4
	Liberal Democrats	Fraser Coppin	1,088	2.3	1.7
Majority			528	1.2	9.2
Turnout			47,008	59.76	9.1
Registered electors			78,657
	Labour hold		Swing

2010s

Images for kids

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