Kmflett's Blog

While Wes Streeting looks to be the standard bearer of the Labour right in a leadership election, as my Guardian Fletter below points out he faces a battle to hold his Ilford North seat.

While the Guardian reported from the Constituency that he is known and liked in the area (by some no doubt, particularly due to his high profile perhaps) it did not engage with the community based Redbridge Independents who have particularly focused on Labour’s record on Gaza.

At the May 7th local elections they won some seats on Redbridge Council in the areas covered by Streeting’s Constituency but Labour held the majority. In the context of the London wide elections on that day, that probably wasnt a bad result. Streeting currently free of Ministerial responsibility may be happy that he now actually has time to campaign in his local area….

Aditya Chakrabortty is right to draw attention to the cocoon of Westminster politics, oblivious to the pressures of life in communities and workplaces (As Westminster rages, and Labour sinks into civil war: what about the people?, 13 May). Looking outside, Wes Streeting won Ilford North in 2024 by 528 votes over the independent candidate Leanne Mohamad, who campaigned on Labour’s position on genocide in Gaza. Is there any reason to think, on present trends, that Streeting will still be an MP after the next election (Wes Streeting prepares to launch leadership challenge against Keir Starmer, 13 May)?
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London

Guardian Fletter, 15th May 2026