Wes Streeting declares 'public don't have any kind of emotional connection to Keir Starmer'

He also set out a series of policies ahead of a potential leadership contest, hoping to differentiate himself from fellow challenger Andy Burnham.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Streeting said of the Prime Minister: "I don't think people get him. I don't think they have any kind of emotional connection to him.

"And I don't think they understand who he is or why he wants to be Prime Minister and what his vision for the country is."

The MP for Ilford North said the level of "hostility" against Sir Keir felt "disproportionate, actually and unfair in some cases", but admitted it was ultimately "how the public feels".

"It’s not even a problem that can be reduced to a question of style and communication. There is a substance problem with the government," he added.

Reflecting on the current Labour Government, he said the party came into power "underprepared" and "lacking in any sort of intellectual curiosity".

He said the party was burdened by a "self-defeating and overbearing caution" - the cause of which he directly blamed on Sir Keir, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and Morgan McSweeney.

As for any potential leadership contest, Mr Streeting stressed he would be competing "with", not "against" the Greater Manchester Mayor.

Polling from YouGov and BMG has put Mr Burnham far ahead of the 43-year-old former Health Secretary, with the Greater Manchester Mayor leading 80 per cent to Mr Streeting's 10 per cent in a head-to-head.

Mr Streeting said he is in favour of granting licences for oil and gasfields in the North Sea.

Labour-affiliated Unite called for licences to be granted to Rosebank and Jackdaw in March, and union GMB said Labour's net zero policies were causing "arguably the most destructive industrial calamity" in Britain's history.

The former Health Secretary said: "We've also got to listen to what GMB is saying. Listen to what Unite is saying. Listen to what the workforce is saying. And listen to what the public are saying."

He also suggested he would be open to reversing the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions introduced by Ms Reeves in her first budget in order to boost employment.

Mr Streeting said: "I think we should be thinking actively about how to incentivise, whether that’s through targeted reduction in employers’ national insurance or other kinds of recruitment and retention incentives."

Some of his positions echoed those taken by Sir Tony Blair, who penned a lengthy essay criticising current Labour policies, arguing the Government lacked a "coherent plan".

But Mr Streeting said he plans to give Sir Tony a "flea in his ear" about the essay, accusing the former Prime Minister of being too "indifferent" about the downsides of AI.

"I feel the Tony Blair of 1997, or the Tony Blair of 2007 for that matter, would have been making an argument that said, okay, big revolution coming, how do we apply traditional values in a modern setting?" he said.

Sir Tony himself has written another article in The Observer, defending himself against criticisms from both Mr Burnham and Mr Streeting that he had inadequately addressed inequality.

The former Prime Minister warned Labour should be "cautious about treating populism as a consequence simply of economics", adding that Brexit and Donald Trump proved "cultural questions also matter".

He added: "Too often progressive positions on these issues seem to have been driven by noisy pressure groups, not common sense."