Wes Streeting was caught on camera really going for it during the Labour conference’s karaoke – and he even put his own twist on the lyrics.
A clip recorded by Byline Times’ political editor, Adam Bienkov, reveals that the shadow health secretary was belting out Robbie Williams’ classic 1997 number, Angels, when he decided to honour his boss.
You’ll know the words – “She offers me protection/ A lot of love and affection/ Whether I’m right or wrong” – and Streeting belted them out with...passion.
But, when the most famous line of all came, the Labour MP changed the lyrics from “I’m loving angels instead” to “I’m loving Starmer instead” to cheers from the crowd.
Although the annual party conference (held in Liverpool this year) has coincided with a big boost for Labour in the polls, it seems Streeting musical debut may not have exactly shored up any extra support.
Here’s just a few Twitter reactions...
Of course, some people couldn’t help noticing that the song itself was also released in 1997 – the very year New Labour swept to power under Tony Blair.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has – for the first time since Blair left office – purposefully drawn comparisons between his shadow cabinet and New Labour throughout the conference. He quoted the former prime minister by describing the party controversially as “the political wing of the British people”, and the party “of centre ground”.
Fellow frontbencher Lisa Nandy also said the party was “coming back to finish the job” of New Labour.
So, people of Twitter were quick to notice the link between Streeting’s song choice and Blair’s time in office...
