Source: YouGov tracker, May 2026. GB adults.
Background & Political Career
Wes Streeting was born in 1983 and grew up in Ilford, east London. He studied History at Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he was President of the Cambridge Union. After graduating he worked at the Higher Education Policy Institute and later for the Tony Blair Institute.
Streeting was first elected MP for Ilford North in the 2015 general election. He served on the Public Accounts Committee and became a vocal backbench critic of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. In 2021 he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and underwent surgery, an experience he has said fundamentally shaped his understanding of the NHS and his commitment to reforming it.
He was appointed Shadow Health Secretary in 2021 and built a reputation for frank language about the state of the health service, including his controversial view that the NHS is “broken” and cannot be fixed with money alone. Following the 2024 Labour landslide he became Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
| Date | Event | Approval Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2024 | Appointed Health Secretary; junior doctor strike deal within weeks | Positive — +12 net initially |
| Sep 2024 | 10 Year Health Plan commissioned; warm media reception | Stable at +8 |
| Nov 2024 | NHS broken comments widely covered; union backlash | -10 points swing |
| Jan 2025 | Private sector expansion announcement; BMA oppose | -8 points |
| Jun 2025 | Waiting list data shows modest improvement in elective backlog | +3 points recovery |
| Nov 2025 | 10 Year Health Plan published; mixed reception | Neutral |
| May 2026 | Net approval -18; best-performing major Cabinet member | Stable |
Approval Rating Trend: 2024–2026
▼ Declined from initial positive ratingNet approval = approve % minus disapprove %. Source: YouGov monthly tracker, GB adults.
Key Controversies
NHS Private Sector Expansion
Streeting argued from his first days in office that the NHS must use private sector capacity to cut waiting lists. He commissioned analysis of NHS Independent Sector Treatment Centres and announced in early 2025 that the government would significantly expand the use of private providers for elective procedures.
UNISON, the BMA and some Labour MPs accused him of paving the way for further privatisation. YouGov polling on the question showed voters split: 44% supported using private providers to reduce waits, 38% opposed it, with 18% unsure. The controversy dragged his overall approval from +8 in September 2024 to -8 by February 2025.
NHS Is Broken Comment
Streeting repeatedly described the NHS as “broken” during the 2024 election campaign and in his early months as Secretary of State. While this resonated with voters frustrated by waiting times, it alarmed NHS staff who felt it demoralised the workforce. The Royal College of Nursing issued a statement asking him to choose his language more carefully.
Policy Record as Health Secretary
Within six weeks of taking office, Streeting negotiated an end to the junior doctor strikes that had run since 2023, securing a pay uplift funded partly by NHS efficiency savings.
Commissioned and published a 10 Year Health Plan covering workforce expansion, technology investment, mental health provision and a shift from hospital to community care.
Introduced a new GP contract requiring practices to offer more same-day and next-day appointments, aiming to reduce pressure on A&E departments.
Launched a dedicated cancer waiting times taskforce targeting the two-week referral standard and the 62-day treatment target, both of which had been consistently missed since 2020.
Polling Outlook
Streeting occupies an unusual position in the Labour Cabinet: he is one of the few ministers whose name recognition and approval rating have been tested independently and consistently by YouGov. His -18 net approval is notably better than Starmer (-35), Reeves (-28) and Rayner (-25), positioning him as a potential future leadership contender.
The NHS remains the single most important issue for Labour voters in polling, and Streeting’s performance on it is central to the government’s electoral prospects. If waiting lists continue to fall, his approval is likely to recover. If the 10 Year Health Plan is seen as too slow or too market-oriented, further decline is possible.
Internal YouGov data shows his strongest support among 25 to 44 year olds (38% approve) and weakest among NHS workers and union-affiliated voters (only 22% approve in that sub-group).
| Month | Approve % | Disapprove % | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2024 | 44% | 32% | +12 |
| Sep 2024 | 42% | 34% | +8 |
| Nov 2024 | 37% | 41% | −4 |
| Jan 2025 | 34% | 50% | −16 |
| Mar 2025 | 33% | 53% | −20 |
| Jun 2025 | 34% | 51% | −17 |
| Sep 2025 | 34% | 51% | −17 |
| Jan 2026 | 33% | 51% | −18 |
| May 2026 | 33% | 51% | −18 |
Source: YouGov tracker, GB adults.