Streeting says he is 'full of rebellious hope' as he delivers resignation speech

Streeting says he is 'full of rebellious hope' as he delivers resignation speech14 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleJennifer McKiernanPolitical reporterUK ParliamentWes Streeting giving his resignation speechFormer health secretary Wes Streeting has delivered his resignation speech in the Commons, telling MPs he was "full of rebellious hope".Streeting resigned from the cabinet last Thursday, saying he had lost confidence in Sir Keir Starmer's leadership.In a letter to the prime minister, he criticised Sir Keir's leadership as the reason for the party's dire election results a few days earlier, saying Labour needed a vision but instead "we have a vacuum".The 43-year-old also told MPs about the challenges faced by young people, saying that "the greatest tragedy of Britain today is that the next generation, for the first time in our modern history, face worse prospects than the last."In his speech, the Ilford North MP listed his achievements as health secretary before summing up his vision using the quote from cancer awareness campaigner Deborah Jones, known as Bowel Babe.Streeting was surrounded by supporters on the green benches as he gave the 20 minute speech, flanked by Jess Phillips, who quit as safeguarding minister last week, and Rosie Wrighting, who also resigned her role as a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) for health.He told MPs the Labour Party was "in the fight of its life" against Reform UK and against Nigel Farage's aim of "dismantling the NHS", before attacking the "nationalist" parties now in control in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, saying Labour was in a fight "for the soul of the country".He said that young people stepped up during Covid, praising how "the generation least at risk gave up the most to help the rest of us keep safe".But Streeting said they had been repaid by the government "shortchanging them on t...