Wes Streeting’s recent advocacy for Britain to rejoin the European Union has stirred the political waters, particularly complicating matters for Andy Burnham. As the mayor of Manchester gears up to face Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in the Makerfield election on June 18, he finds himself in a constituency where 66% of voters chose Brexit during the 2016 referendum.
Burnham, hoping to defend a slender majority of just 5,300 votes inherited from outgoing Labour MP Josh Simons, is likely uneasy with renewed attention on his anti-Brexit stance. This spotlight could prove detrimental in a region where Brexit support runs strong.
For Streeting, a future leadership bid requires appealing to southern voters who supported Remain and are increasingly leaning towards the Green Party and Liberal Democrats. He appears to have acknowledged a strategic shift, viewing the pro-Brexit, Red Wall constituencies in the North and Midlands as a significant challenge, if not an insurmountable one.
In contrast, Andy Burnham cannot afford to dismiss these northern seats as he aims to win Makerfield, secure a seat in the Commons, and potentially seek the prime minister’s office. His political fortunes are closely tied to navigating the complex sentiments surrounding Brexit in these areas.
Streeting’s remarks have not gone unnoticed in government circles. Sources unaffiliated with any leadership faction have expressed outrage, with one critic accusing him of pursuing personal ambition under the guise of unity. This reaction underscores the contentious nature of the Brexit debate and its enduring impact on British politics.
Last night, government sources – not affiliated to any leadership camp – expressed their fury at Mr Streeting’s intervention, with one saying: ‘Wes claims to be a unifying force, but he has done this for his pure, selfish ambition.’
As Mr Streeting confirmed he will stand in any contest to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader, the former Health Secretary said: ‘Leaving the European Union was a catastrophic mistake. 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, one day back in the European Union.’
After Mr Streeting’s announcement, Mr Farage said: ‘The North will be lost to Labour for ever.’
Nigel Farage said the North would be lost to Labour forever after Wes Streeting said Brexit was a ‘catastrophic mistake’
One Whitehall source said: ‘In the local election, voters sent a clear message: they are frustrated with a political system they no longer feel serves them.
‘Wes’s response? To attempt to reopen the most divisive debate in modern British politics and say that he would turn the next general election into a de facto second referendum.
‘That is not leadership, and it isn’t uniting our country. It is desperate self-interest – and a total betrayal of Labour values.’
Another source said: ‘This is the one policy that uniquely serves to divide Britain and Wes has reached for it straight away.
‘It looks like he seeks to impose five years of misery on the country. He claims to be a uniting leader but his first impactful thing has been to choose something to divide the country.’
The source added: ‘This is a desperate attempt to shore up support based on identity politics and a culture war which frankly most people gave up on many years ago. Student politics.’
Mr Streeting told supporters at a fringe Labour event yesterday that any move towards rejoining the EU would require a fresh mandate from the public. He said: ‘We do have to respect the fact that we left the European Union through a democratic choice, so we will need to, in future manifestos, seek a new mandate.
Mr Streeting said on Saturday he would be a candidate if a Labour leadership race were to be triggered
‘I’m not proposing that we break a manifesto that we’ve stood on at the last general election, because frankly, trust in politics and politicians is in even shorter supply than money in our country.’
He added he would be ‘proud to campaign for Andy Burnham’ in the by-election, saying: ‘We’ve got to make sure we deliver the change people wanted to see, that we go into the next election with an equally bold and ambitious plan.’
He also attempted to frame his campaign as a contest of ideas rather than personalities, stating: ‘We need a proper contest where all candidates can put their best foot forward.
‘It’s got to be a battle of ideas, so that whoever wins comes out strong before it.’ Acknowledging the threat posed by Mr Farage, he said: ‘For the first time in Labour’s history, our biggest opponents aren’t the Conservatives, but Nigel Farage and Reform.
‘Scottish and Welsh nationalism represents an existential threat to the future integrity of our entire country, but the English nationalism represented by Farage and Reform is a threat to the values and ideals that have made this country great.
‘Progressives understand this threat, and they want us to confront it, but they are increasingly losing faith the Labour Party is capable of rising to the challenge.’
