Wes Streeting is preparing to resign and trigger a leadership contest in just hours, allies of the Health Secretary have claimed.
Mr Streeting is due to mount his leadership bid after holding a crunch meeting with Sir Keir Starmer in No10 this morning.
The Health Secretary confronted the Prime Minister about his future, with Mr Streeting leaving No10 just 15 minutes later.
"He is going for it," an ally of the Health Secretary told The Times. "He's going tomorrow."
Another source said: “If they [Starmer’s supporters] think this is over, they’re going to be disappointed. I’m expecting a move before the end of the week.”
It had been suggested that Mr Streeting had "bottled" his leadership ambitions after a number of allies resigned from the Labour frontbench and called on Sir Keir to step down as Prime Minister.
Mr Streeting is also expected to face a showdown with his Labour rivals if he throws his hat into the ring, including Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and ex-Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
However, discussions about his potentially imminent resignation sparked a furious response from Sir Keir's allies.
The Health Secretary confronted the Prime Minister about his future, with Mr Streeting leaving No10 just 15 minutes later
|PA
A senior Labour source told GB News: "Has Wes considered how this would be seen by the Palace?
"Has he ever spoken to the King's PPS? Does he really think his relationship would get off to a good start?"
Mr Streeting was not expected to discuss the details of his meeting with Sir Keir amid fears about overshadowing the King's Speech.
However, the Health Secretary's allies revealed his plan to mount a leadership challenge just moments before the monarch rose in the House of Lords.
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Wes Streeting and Sir Keir Starmer have become increasingly distant amid the Health Secretary's leadership ambitions
| PAFollowing the King's Speech, Mr Streeting took to social media to hail the inclusion of the Health Bill.
He said: "Under Labour, NHS waiting lists are falling, ambulances are arriving faster, there are more GPs, and higher patient satisfaction.
"Lots done, lots to do. The Health Bill will boost the impact of our investment and modernisation: cutting bureaucracy to invest in patient care."
Critics have also warned that the Health Secretary's friendship with Lord Mandelson could deal a hammer blow to his leadership ambitions.
The revelations emerged just moments before the King's Speech
| GETTYThe Health Secretary rushed to publish his texts with the UK's former Ambassador to the US ahead of the release of a bombshell Cabinet Office dossier in February.
The messages revealed Mr Streeting thinks he is "toast" at the next election.
The Health Secretary also accused Sir Keir's Government of having "no [economic] growth strategy".
Mr Streeting needs the backing of 81 Labour MPs to trigger a leadership challenge.
Almost 100 Labour MPs have already called for Sir Keir's resignation following a torrid set of results at the 2026 Local Elections.
Wes Streeting is setting his sights on No10
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The Health Secretary's closest allies have been among those to heap pressure on the Prime Minister.
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips became the highest-profile frontbench resignation yesterday.
Ilford South MP Jas Athwal, who is Mr Streeting's constituency neighbour, has also called on the Prime Minister to step down.
A spokesman for Mr Streeting said: “Wes is the Health Secretary, he is proud of his record of falling waiting lists and a recovering NHS.
"He is not planning to say anything following his meeting with the Prime Minister that might distract from the King’s Speech.”