Wes Streeting: ‘I don’t feel sorry for myself – it’s brilliant to finally be able to do something’

The Health Secretary says he relishes the challenges ahead of the Labour Government – and says Keir Starmer is making decisions the public will “thank him for later”

Wes Streeting says he’s ready to get stuck into the stack of challenges facing Labour as they mark a rocky first six months in power.

“There hasn’t been a single day in the last six months where I’ve gone to work feeling sorry for myself about how big the challenge is,” the bullish Health Secretary told the Sunday Mirror.

“Quite the opposite, I relish the challenge and I relish the opportunity the British people have given us to actually make a difference.

“I spent nearly a decade in opposition moaning about the state of the country. It’s bloody brilliant to be able to go to work and do something about it.”

It comes as Mr Streeting and Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepared to unveil a raft of reforms for the Health Service on Monday – which it’s hoped could cut waiting lists in half.

On waiting lists in particular, Mr Streeting said the plan was to deliver “improvement at a faster pace and a greater scale than even the last Labour government achieved.”

“It’s a hard task the Prime Minister and the public have set for me,” he said.

“I am having to be relentlessly focused right down to individual hospitals and different parts of the NHS and making sure that the plan is being delivered.

“You know, it requires constant focus and vigilance. You can never take your eye off the ball.”

He added: “In 2025, people will see a lot more coming out of the government on how we’re going to cut NHS waiting lists, how we’re going to improve urgent emergency care, how we’re going to start rebuilding the NHS.

“So raring to go for the year ahead.”

Mr Streeting was the first minister out of the traps after the holiday period, kickstarting Labour’s plan fix Britain’s broken social care system,

But details of how Labour’s National Care Service will work – and how it will be funded – could take until 2028 to be set out fully.

He said a willingness to take decisions that are unpopular in the short term, but are in the long-term good of the country is at the core of Keir Starmer’s plan to fix Britain.

“I think it says a lot about Keir as Prime Minister, that he’s willing to take those tough decisions now that people will thank him for later, even if they’re not thanking him right now.,” he said.

“I remember when he was first became Labour leader, we were about a year in and people writing him off and saying Labour’s never going to win a general election with this guy.

“They couldn’t understand some of the unpopular decisions he was making to change the Labour Party and why he was focused on changing the Labour Party. But ultimately he took the tough decisions then so that people could have trust and faith in Labour again at the general election.

“Now, as our Prime Minister, he’s willing to take the country by the scruff of its neck, tackle the big issues and make some tough choices now that people will ultimately thank him for later. When they see the economy improving our public services, improving and ultimately faith in government as a force for good increasing.”

And being Health Secretary at this time of year means tackling some big issues of his own.

“I have a New Year’s resolution to do more exercise and eat more healthily because I have I have quite a cushion around my waistline at the moment,” he accepted.

“I definitely had one or two too many mince pies this Christmas. I think I need to start practicing what I preach as the country’s health secretary.”