Two of the leading contenders to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister have become embroiled in a debate over whether Labour should seek to take Britain back into the European Union.
Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, on Saturday articulated his vision for a 'new special relationship' with the EU, with the ultimate goal of rejoining the trade bloc. Meanwhile, Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, faced scrutiny over his own support for EU membership as he bids to stand in a constituency that voted for Brexit and now leans heavily towards Reform UK.
The internal jostling over Labour's European policy direction comes as the party contemplates how to recover from its electoral setbacks last week. Speaking at the Progress think tank conference in central London, Mr Streeting described Brexit as a 'catastrophic mistake', breaking a longstanding taboo within the party on the subject.
'The British people see that we must club together with our near neighbours on the continent to rebuild our economy and trade, and improve our defence against the shared threats from Russian aggression and America First,' he said. Concluding his proposal, Mr Streeting added: 'The biggest economic opportunity we have is on our doorstep. We need a new special relationship with the EU, because Britain’s future lies with Europe – and one day back in the European Union.'
This policy stance could also be interpreted as a direct challenge to Mr Burnham, who has previously voiced support for rejoining the EU but may be reluctant to emphasise the issue as he campaigns to become Labour's candidate in the upcoming Makerfield by-election. The constituency, on the edge of Greater Manchester, voted heavily for Brexit in the 2016 referendum nearly a decade ago. In last week's local elections, Reform UK, led by prominent Leave advocate Nigel Farage, won every council ward in the area, securing approximately half the vote, while Labour managed just over a quarter.
Asked by ITV News on Saturday whether he still favoured rejoining the EU, Mr Burnham responded: 'I’ve said in the long term there is a case for that, but I’m not advocating that in this by-election. In fact, what I am saying is focus now domestically, Britain has got to focus very much on the here and now and the issues that are affecting people.'
The Conservatives were quick to criticise Mr Streeting's proposals. Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake stated: 'Whilst Labour relitigate Brexit, Britain is not being governed. This is yet another distraction from the day job at a time when families and businesses want the Government focused on the cost of living, the economy, public services and Britain’s defence.'
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, meanwhile, argued that Mr Streeting must 'offer something more than the same failed red lines as Keir Starmer' if he is to succeed the Prime Minister, and called for negotiations on a customs union with the EU to be initiated. Sir Keir has indicated a desire for much closer ties with Europe, starting with a youth mobility deal expected to be finalised this summer. He has not ruled out including even closer ties in a future election manifesto.
