Bolton MP says ‘country first, party second’ as Wes Streeting resigns

Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester today, Labour MP for Bolton West Phil Brickell, discussed rumours of a leadership challenge to the Prime Minister.

“I am one of more than 110 Labour MPs who said now, shortly after the King’s Speech, is not the time to have a leadership contest,” Mr Brickell began.

“We were all elected to say country first, party second.

“We need to get on with the job of governing as the legislative programme set out.”

During the interview, Mr Brickell said he “doesn’t know if Wes Streeting is going to resign and trigger a leadership contest”.

It has since been officially confirmed that Mr Streeting has resigned from Sir Keir Starmer’s government, saying he has “lost confidence” in his leadership.

At the time of reporting, however, he has not triggered a leadership challenge.

“It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election,” says Wes Streeting (Image: PA)

Mr Brickell went on to say that he was also not privy to whether Andy Burnham had “found a seat”.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has been seeking a Commons seat and was blocked from standing as Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February.

If he were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid.

Mr Brickell said the country and his constituents are “looking at all of this psychodrama aghast”.

“They don’t want the instability that we have today,” he continued.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester is one of the frontrunners to replace the Prime Minister

Mr Brickell emphasised his preference for discussions about economic growth and the plans of the Labour government.

He then hit out at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, with the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner launching an inquiry into whether he broke Commons rules by accepting a £5 million gift and not declaring it.

Mr Brickell also pointed towards Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski, who may have failed to pay council tax on a houseboat he was living on in London until recently.

“We find ourselves in a difficult position,” said Mr Brickell.

“We all recognise that the local election results were not good enough for Labour, up and down the length of the North West, and the country as a whole.

“But now is not the time to do this.”

In Bolton’s local elections, Labour’s Nick Peel was the most high-profile leader to lose his seat to Reform UK’s Bolton chair Trevor Jones in Tonge with the Haulgh.

Mr Brickell said: “I want to make sure that we have a discussion amongst the party that recognises those differences, and learns from the lessons of last week’s election results.”

Despite calls for unity, in a parting shot at the Prime Minister, Mr Streeting warned that “where we need vision, we have a vacuum”.