This week in Westminster: Streeting is in the spotlight, Starmer faces a balancing act and Reeves is hit with a reality check.
Read all about it in Who's Top, Who's Not
Top – Wes Streeting
Wes Streeting emerged as one of the few Labour ministers with something to smile about this week, and notably, he did just that. Accompanied by Starmer and Reeves at the launch of Labour’s long-awaited 10-year NHS plan, Streeting found himself front and centre in a rare (recently – more on that later) moment of unity and optimism for the party.
After months of speculation, the document was finally unveiled, promising a bold new era for the NHS, one powered by technology and driven by a mission to deliver faster, more patient-friendly, efficient care.
For Streeting, it's not just a policy pitch but a cornerstone of Labour’s mission, designed to breathe life into the economy and give public services the reboot they desperately need.
The long-term vision is now on paper; but that’s also the catch. Long-term plans in Westminster have a poor track record. Shiny announcements regarding the NHS often age poorly, and patients - supposedly the heart of reform - are too often left behind. So, while Streeting may be enjoying a moment in the limelight, the real test will be turning ambitions into tangible outcomes. The proof will be in the 168-page pudding!
Middle – Sir Keir Starmer
In what ought to have been a triumphant build-up to his one-year anniversary as Prime Minister, the mood in Downing Street is less celebratory and more survivalist. This week, Keir Starmer found his grip of the PLP at its weakest yet with the welfare bill U-turn exposing a government that is unable to pass key legislation without triggering rebellion from within. The divide between No.10 and the backbenches runs deeper than just ideology. It shows a failure of political management that will have long-lasting consequences in Westminster.
The party has tried to brush this off as part of the inevitable growing pains of government, the latest chapter in what some are calling "the year of unintended consequences." But there are only so many times that excuse can be used before it starts sounding like a punchline. Starmer's government has squandered the precious first impression that new administrations get, and even sympathetic MPs are starting to question whether it can hold.
Yet amid the chaos, all is not lost. The rollout of the 10-year plan, the industrial strategy, and detailed sector plans suggests that serious policy thinking is still taking place. Increases to the minimum wage and free school meals are also tangible wins.
Looking ahead, Starmer faces an urgent need for improved political planning, parliamentary engagement and crisis management. Repairing the relationship between No.10 and the backbenches must now be a priority – the government’s survival depends on it. With local elections coming in May, the party is about to find out whether these problems are just bumps in the road or early signs of a deeper problem.
Not – Rachel Reeves
It was a rough week in Westminster for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and not just metaphorically. Photos of Reeves in tears on the frontbench were splashed across the headlines; a literal image of a government now visibly feeling the strain.
But the real pain lies in the numbers. Not only did the welfare U-turn expose party fractures, but it also blew a £4.5bn hole in the Treasury’s plans. And like it or not, Reeves will now have to sweep up the fiscal mess left behind.
With the autumn budget looming, she faces a harsh reality: no realistic political room for spending cuts, no fiscal headroom, and nowhere to turn but tax rises. The ball is firmly in her court and whilst she is paying the political price of the party’s mismanagement, it’s British taxpayers that could be hit by continued high borrowing costs.
Reeves may find herself forced into deeply unpopular decisions simply because the government has boxed itself in. Starmer’s insistence that he and Reeves “think together” may be a show of unity and a bid to shield his Chancellor’s pride after a bruising week. But it also comes with a political price: he’s tying his fate to hers. And if the tears in the chamber are anything to go by, that partnership might cost them both.