Wes Streeting, who resigned as Britain’s health secretary last week and is expected to run in any contest to replace Keir Starmer as Labour leader, has described Brexit as a “catastrophic mistake” and said the UK should rejoin the European Union.
Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, who will fight an upcoming byelection on a promise to challenge Starmer, has also said he saw a “long-term case” for rejoining, though not immediately.
The comments by two key figures manoeuvring to be Britain’s next prime minister have thrust the UK-EU relationship back into the centre of political debate. However, any bid to rejoin the bloc would face significant hurdles, including the requirement to adopt the euro as a condition of EU membership.
An EU official has indicated that the UK would need to commit to joining the single currency, a move that remains politically toxic in Britain. The official said, “If the UK wants to rejoin, it must accept all the obligations of membership, including the euro.”
The demand underscores the challenges ahead for any future Labour government seeking to reverse Brexit, as public opinion on the single currency remains deeply divided.
