Politics · 12 May 2026
McDonnell accuses Streeting of leadership coup attempt
Sophie Brown via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell accused Health Secretary Wes Streeting of attempting a coup against Keir Starmer in a social media post on Monday. McDonnell said Streeting was acting for fear of a democratic process and warned that handing leadership to a Peter Mandelson protege would be a gift to Reform UK. The intervention came as Streeting was reported to be quietly drafting a five-pillar leadership campaign.
Reported by Al Jazeera · How we write briefs