Wes Streeting has thrown the Labour leadership race into turmoil by calling Brexit a catastrophic mistake and demanding that Britain rejoin the European Union. The Health Secretary, who resigned from government last week to mount his challenge against Keir Starmer, made the comments in a television interview on Sunday morning, immediately reigniting one of the most divisive issues in British politics.
The reaction within Labour was swift and hostile. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, a close ally of rival candidate Andy Burnham, described Streeting's intervention as odd and accused him of trying to reopen the Brexit wars at the worst possible moment. Nandy argued that the party should be focused on bread-and-butter issues that matter to working families rather than relitigating a debate that cost Labour millions of votes in its former heartlands.
The Daily Mail reported that Labour strategists in the north of England are alarmed by Streeting's remarks, warning that the party risks losing northern constituencies permanently if it is seen as the party of rejoin. One senior Labour figure told the paper that the North will be lost to Labour for ever if the party adopts Streeting's position, noting that Nigel Farage is ready to pounce on any shift towards Brussels.
Streeting defended his position by arguing that the economic evidence is now overwhelming. Six years after Brexit, the UK economy has consistently underperformed its European peers, trade barriers have increased costs for businesses and consumers, and the promised sovereignty dividend has failed to materialise. For Streeting, refusing to acknowledge that reality is an act of political cowardice.
The EU row adds another dimension to what is already the most chaotic Labour leadership contest in decades. Streeting and Burnham represent fundamentally different visions for the party's future, with Burnham advocating a more cautious approach that avoids reopening cultural wounds while Streeting pushes for a bolder, more confrontational style of politics.
Euronews reported that European officials are watching the Labour debate with interest but caution. While some in Brussels would welcome a British application to rejoin, there is widespread scepticism about whether any UK government could navigate the political obstacles involved. Rejoining would require accepting the euro, Schengen, and a host of regulations that Britain previously opted out of, conditions that would be politically toxic in much of England.
For Keir Starmer, who remains Prime Minister despite growing pressure to resign, the EU debate within his party is yet another headache. Starmer deliberately avoided the Brexit question during his time as leader, calculating that the issue was too divisive to address head-on. Streeting's intervention has now forced it back onto the agenda, potentially complicating any attempt by Starmer to rally the party behind him.
The leadership contest is expected to intensify in the coming weeks, with both Streeting and Burnham touring the country to win over Labour members. The Brexit question may prove to be the defining fault line of the race, splitting the party between those who believe Britain's future lies in closer European integration and those who insist that the referendum result must be respected regardless of its economic consequences.