Wes Streeting was first elected as the Labour MP for Ilford North in 2015, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 5,198.
Ilford North is found in north east London, at the end of the Central Line, along the border of Essex. It contains the areas of Ilford, Barkingside, Hainault, and Woodford Bridge. It is a highly ethnic diverse constituency which contains large Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish communities. Although this was a long standing marginal constituency that regularly changed hands in the post War period, in recent years, this area has become far safer Labour territory.
In November 2021, Streeting was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. He was first appointed to the Shadow Cabinet by Sir Keir Starmer as Shadow Child Poverty Secretary. He had previously served as the Shadow Minister for Schools, having served as Shadow Exchequer Secretary earlier in 2020.
An effective media performer, Streeting is seen as a rising figure on the centre right of the Labour party. Seen as politically ambitious, Streeting is often touted as a future labour leader.
Streeting was one of the Labour Party’s most vocal critics about the party’s approach to the antisemitism issue under Jeremy Corbyn.
Born in 1983, Streeting grew up in a council flat in Stepney, east London, before reading History at Selwyn College, Cambridge University. He funded his way through university by doing shifts in the customer service department at Comet.
Streeting later became President of Cambridge University Students’ Union, and then President of the National Union of Students. Before being elected to Parliament he worked as a public sector consultant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
