Labour has been hit by an internal row over European Union membership after former health secretary Wes Streeting said the UK should eventually seek to rejoin the bloc. Streeting, who resigned from the government on Thursday in protest at Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, argued on Saturday that Britain’s future lies back in the EU.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy dismissed the remarks as “a bit odd” during an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg. While she said she shared Streeting’s view that Brexit was a mistake, she criticised the sudden focus on Europe, arguing the government was already trying to repair damage from the Brexit deal “without reopening the circular arguments”.
Streeting’s allies hit back, claiming Nandy’s unwillingness to discuss EU membership reflected a wider reluctance to take political risks, which they said was partly behind the government’s unpopularity. “There is no point in trying not to upset anybody,” one ally said. “Sometimes you have to be willing to upset people to get things done.”
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who is expected to challenge Starmer for the leadership if he wins the Makerfield by-election, said he saw a “long-term case” for rejoining the EU but added he was not advocating that in the by-election. His allies argued that regions outside London and the south-east would benefit most from single market membership, but acknowledged the issue was not a priority for most voters.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the row was a “sign of a Labour party that does not have a plan for the country” and that they wanted to “refight wars which were settled a long time ago”. The dispute highlights deepening divisions within Labour as the party prepares for the Makerfield contest, which could determine the fate of Starmer’s premiership.
Burnham has been given permission to stand in Makerfield by Labour’s national executive committee and is expected to be confirmed as the candidate next week, setting up a month-long campaign that may decide the next prime minister.
