Badenoch says Streeting was told to ‘do his job, instead he did a hit job’ on Starmer
Kemi Badenoch has declared that “nobody is running the country” following the shock resignation of Wes Streeting, claiming the Labour Government has been plunged into a full-scale “civil war” that has left Sir Keir Starmer’s authority in tatters.
In a video message, the Conservative leader launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister, suggesting the Government is now incapable of governing effectively as internal divisions spill into the open.
“I told Wes Streeting to do his job. Instead, he did a hit job on the Prime Minister,” she said.
Her comments come amid mounting turmoil in Westminster after Mr Streeting’s resignation triggered fresh questions over Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership and the stability of his Cabinet.
Mrs Badenoch said Labour was now paralysed by infighting while the Conservatives were preparing to present themselves as the only party with a coherent plan for government.
The Labour Party is now in civil war.
Meanwhile no one is running the country. pic.twitter.com/O5HuozkCmV
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 14, 2026
“My team in Parliament is setting out our plans for a serious Government,” she said.
“They have a vacancy. We have a plan to get Britain working again.”
The intervention is the latest escalation in an increasingly bitter political row, with opposition figures seizing on Labour’s internal divisions to question whether Sir Keir can maintain control of his party, let alone the country.
Senior Conservatives have sought to portray the resignation as evidence of chaos at the heart of Government, while Labour figures insist the party remains focused on delivery and stability.
Downing Street has not yet commented on Mrs Badenoch’s remarks.
The extraordinary claims underline the increasingly febrile atmosphere in Westminster following Mr Streeting’s departure, with rival factions now openly positioning themselves for what some MPs believe could become a wider leadership struggle.
For Sir Keir, the immediate challenge is to contain the fallout and reassert authority over a party increasingly defined by competing ambitions, public disagreements and growing speculation about its future direction.
