Sir Keir Starmer has been issued a stark warning that any attempt to reverse Brexit would trigger a 'civil war' within the Labour Party, as senior figures clash over the UK's future relationship with the European Union.
Internal Clash Over EU Relations
The simmering tension erupted into open conflict after Health Secretary Wes Streeting advocated for a 'deeper trading relationship with the EU'. This statement was widely interpreted as a push to rejoin the Customs Union and a tactical move to court pro-European Labour MPs, amid speculation of a future leadership challenge.
Adding fuel to the fire, Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, seen as a potential rival to Mr Streeting in any contest, has also agitated against Brexit, stating his hope to see the UK rejoin the EU within his lifetime. The friction intensified when it was revealed Mr Burnham had reportedly targeted the Liverpool Walton seat of MP Dan Carden, hoping for a by-election route back to Parliament to mount a leadership bid.
Red Wall MPs Fear Electoral Backlash
The prospect of softening Brexit has caused deep alarm among Labour MPs representing pro-Brexit 'Red Wall' constituencies in the Midlands and North. They fear any perceived backsliding would be exploited by Nigel Farage's Reform UK, costing them their seats.
Labour MP Dan Carden delivered a blunt warning to Sir Keir and any would-be successors, arguing that rejoining a Customs Union would mean scrapping post-Brexit trade deals with growth economies like the US and India, and surrendering national freedoms to Brussels. He emphasised the EU is a "low-growth bloc with a declining share of global GDP."
Veteran MP Graham Stringer was even more direct, predicting the Prime Minister would face 'a rebellion of scores of Labour MPs' and that such a move would "lead to civil war inside Labour." He stressed MPs stood on a manifesto pledge not to rejoin a Customs Union, and supporting such a breach would be "electoral suicide" for those with Reform UK "breathing down their necks."
Tory Warning and Policy Divisions
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch seized on the Labour divisions, accusing the government of a desperate ploy to boost flagging poll ratings by 're-opening old Brexit wounds'. She warned that rejoining a Customs Union would force Britain to abandon its independent trade deals and open the door to further concessions to Brussels.
The internal Labour row follows recent government announcements, such as the decision to rejoin the Erasmus student exchange scheme in 2027 at a cost of £570 million per year, which critics claim is watering down Brexit. While Sir Keir Starmer has previously ruled out Customs Union membership as a 'red line', the public calls from senior ministers like Wes Streeting and Deputy PM David Lammy suggest significant pressure is building from within to shift policy.
One senior Labour MP privately cautioned that while "Remainiacs around Starmer may be pushing this," it would "cause mayhem" by subjecting British businesses to EU rules without the UK having a say.
