Don't Vote Labour (Part 12)

Wes Streeting (again)

Wes Streeting (again)

Not content with cackling about the NatCon event being unlawfully closed down by a rogue leftist mayor, Streeting has continued to court controversy. Next in his sights was Susan Hall, who it was rumoured was faring better against Sadiq Khan than expected, helped by a potential low turnout. Two days before the election, and obviously responding to panicked instructions from head office, Streeting went full smear merchant. "A win for Susan Hall", he Tweeted, "is a win for racists, white supremacists and Islamophobes the world over." To add irony to insult he added  "Susan Hall's campaign has been fought from the gutter with dangerous and divisive politics".

Now, he didn't directly say Susan Hall was a racist or white supremacist. He didn't explicitly say her supporters or voters were. He gave himself that get-out for when the backlash hit, which it surely would. However, the Tweet definitely implied these things, not least because many other Labour figures had claimed Hall was a racist and Islamophobe, or at least shared common ground with such bigots (there was no conclusive evidence of this).

Any reasonable observer would recognise that saying racists support a person is almost the same as saying a person is a racist themselves. Even if Streeting wasn't implying Hall herself was a white supremacist, it is still a very insulting thing to say. The same goes for voters. If someone is planning to vote Conservative for valid reasons, it is a cheap trick to try and shame them out of it using guilt by association. The Clinton campaign did the same with Trump and the Remain side did it with Brexit. Both attempts backfired spectacularly, and if it wasn't done in a London election (with demographics and voting trends firmly in Khan's favour), it would have backfired in this case.

Streeting well knew what he was doing. It was a cynical and quite desperate tactic - a grenade lobbed in to the campaign. If he didn't know it shows a careless side to him we don't want in a potential minister of the Crown.

In the hours and days afterwards there was widespread condemnation, even from some Khan supporters. Some on the right (and Paul Embery) who see Streeting as a sort of credible Labour voice  'thought he was better than this', which a lot of us were keen to rebuff. There were rumours Labour higher-ups including Starmer were angry he had gone so far, and for a brief while it seemed as if the Tweet could even swing the result for Hall. Had that happened, the fallout would have been spectacular, but it was not to be. After the election, Labour's campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden said he “would not describe the electorate in that way”. Clearly it goes against the 'we will accept Conservative MPs and chase Tory votes' narrative that has culminated in the shock defection of Natalie Elphicke. Of course, many of the people celebrating the defection would make the same slurs against Elphicke if it suited them. They probably have done in the past.

Streeting was quizzed on the Tweet on GB News and other outlets, and he was keen to stress he didn't mean Conservative voters were white supremacists or racists. He then tried to justify it by saying Khan has had a lot of racist abuse and vitriol concerning him being a Muslim. When pressed what this had to do with Hall, Streeting came up with the tenuous link that when Lee Anderson had talked about how Khan's 'Islamist mates' were controlling the capital, Hall hadn't explicitly condemned this.

Firstly Hall wasn't alone - many prominent Tories have either said nothing or claimed the remarks were not Islamaphobic. Not commenting on controversial remarks does not mean you agree with them. Secondly, two days after Anderson was suspended for his comments, Hall had written an article condemning racist or anti-Muslim attacks on Khan. On the issue she wrote: "I... see the monstrous abuse he gets as one of the country’s most prominent Muslim politicians. No one should have to put up with that, and I wholly condemn anyone who does it, or fuels it. His faith is one of his positive characteristics, not something to be suspicious of”. You could say a couple of things she 'liked' on Twitter might contradict that sentiment, but even so these are not the words of an anti-Muslim.

Even if Streeting's parallels with the Lee Anderson comments were apt, and you agree that Anderson's remarks were anti-Muslim, racist or just plain offensive and libellous, that does not justify a Labour politician doing a similar thing. Is not saying Khan has 'Islamist mates' just as bad as saying Susan Hall has white supremacist and racist supporters? Two wrongs do not make a right, and saying 'what about the Tories?' does not justify pursuing the same tactics as them.

Streeting's final word on the matter was to triumphantly show the posts of four extremists, some not even from the UK, complaining about Khan's win. Two used the racial slur 'P*ki'. In Streeting's mind, this exonerated his comments fully. The Tweet was sarcastic to an adolescent degree: "Can’t believe I suggested that defeat for Sadiq would be celebrated by racists, white supremacists and Islamophobes the world over. What was I thinking?" With that, Wes considered the matter closed. It is our job to keep it open, for the next time he puts his foot in his mouth. And there will be a next time. All of this will become ever more relevant as it's quite likely he will run for Labour leader at some point, which of course could involve being Prime Minister.

Indeed Streeting has form on dubious social media posts. Having always been an online 'edgy boy' and a political attack dog, there is a whole page of violent jokes including discussing throwing people under trains and loading up rifles. This regularly does the rounds, especially emanating from the left of Labour who consider him a Blairite and 'red Tory'. Admittedly these Tweets were mostly from before he was even a councillor or MP, let alone within a stone's throw of the Health Secretary job. Nevertheless, he was still a prominent political activist, and the remarks give some insight into his character. One considers him tapping away on his phone with his shark-like eyes and gleeful rictus grin.

In 2010 his account posted that Tony Blair should be tried for war crimes because of Iraq. This was raised when he praised Tony Blair in 2021, having by his own admission once left the Labour Party in protest at the Iraq War. The 2010 Tweet, claimed Streeting, was down to the journalist Owen Jones, who had stolen Streeting's phone in a social situation. Readers can make of that what they will. There is a old Internet rumour that in his Cambridge University days, Streeting burned down a pet-shop as  part of an initiation rite. This is untrue, but Streeting likes to tease people by hinting that there might be something in it. 

Another insight into his character and hypocrisy is footage where he is recorded singing 'Oh Jeremy Corbyn' in someone's selfie video at a Pride event. Of course, in these days of Starmer's iron rule, Streeting has been one of the first to throw Corbyn under the train (as he would put it). Even under Corbyn's leadership he was routinely critical of Corbyn, and backed Owen Smith to replace him. But here is evidence of him trying to ingratiate himself with grass-roots Corbyn supporters on the ground. This Blairite clearly sucked up to the Corbyn  movement when it suited him, as indeed did his Blairite boss and most of the Shadow Cabinet.

Streeting claimed in 2022 he had received life-saving treatment for kidney cancer the day after the infamous Downing Street party had occurred on May 20th 2020. However, according to Wikipedia his surgery actually took place on May 21st 2021. This was confirmed by a Tweet from Streeting on May 27th 2021. Of course, I sympathise with his illness and wish him a long healthy life, but why was he misleading people about it to score political points? Perhaps he forgot the year, but I doubt it.

Streeting was one of the most prominent 'Peoples' Vote' supporters and never accepted the Brexit decision (although he did vote for Article 50). His elevation is certainly connected to this - indeed the majority of Starmer's front bench were Owen Smith and second referendum pushers (with the noted exception of Angela Rayner). Starmer is the King of Remain, despite his political manoeuvrings on the subject, and this is his loyal court. In his earlier days, Streeting also worked for Stonewall, which after their recent activities concerning the trans issue, is a questionable organisation.

The left chiefly attack Streeting for accepting donations from businessmen connected to private healthcare. Since 2023 he has received £83,487 from various firms controlled by Peter Hearn and £80,000 from the hedge-fund investor John Armitage. In his declaration of interests there are donations from both men going back to 2017.

He often makes comments about the NHS that are anathema to socialists (although often correct), and which conservatives lap up. These include believing in a role for the private sector within parts of the NHS - especially to alleviate the current strain on it. Incidentally Starmer now favours this despite rejecting private sector involvement during his leadership campaign.  Streeting dismissed those against such moves as 'middle-class lefties', in a display of his 'working class' self-made man credentials that he and his fans routinely cite.

These comments combined with the donations are seized on as proof he is in the pocket of private healthcare. Although the donations are currently within the rules, there is an argument that a conflict of interest has occurred. There  would certainly be one if he were to continue receiving such donations while Health Secretary.