UK Prime Minister Meets Health Secretary Streeting Amid Leadership Speculation

Two men sharing coffee have sparked more headlines than the King's arrival at parliament for the year's key ceremonial event. Both unfolded Wednesday morning.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met privately with Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Starmer offered the meeting to cabinet ministers after Tuesday's cabinet session, and Streeting accepted. The encounter at Number 10 lasted under 20 minutes. Details may not emerge right away.

Soon after, the King heads to Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament. There, he will read the government's agenda of planned laws for the coming year.

Officials scheduled the event this week to counter expected poor election results and ensuing political unrest. They aimed to let the prime minister relaunch his leadership and keep MPs from Westminster, complicating any plotting since the Commons is not sitting before the King's Speech.

The prime minister holds an awkward position. His authority has taken repeated hits, yet no rival has rallied the 81 MPs required for a leadership bid. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham lacks a parliamentary seat to contest.

"Wes doesn't have the numbers and Andy doesn't have a seat, for all this noise," one of the prime minister's supporters said.

Streeting's backers call such talk spin. They note that MPs demanding the prime minister's resignation often support other contenders, including Burnham.

Public politicking while the King is present counts as poor form. Still, many view the situation as untenable; something must change.

Some expect Streeting to launch a challenge once the State Opening ends, possibly Thursday. His supporters have openly declared the prime minister finished.

The Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation stated Wednesday that "it's clear the prime minister will not lead Labour into the next election." Unions now differ on next steps.