A cabinet minister and Andy Burnham ally has accused Wes Streeting of restarting “Brexit wars” with his call for Britain to rejoin the European Union as the issue threatens to engulf the unofficial Labour leadership contest.
Lisa Nandy condemned Mr Streeting’s proposal as “odd” – with Reform expected to seize on it at the looming by-election in Makerfield, which voted Leave in 2016.
As the row exploded, another Burnham ally warned that Labour faces an “existential” crisis if the Greater Manchester mayor fails in his bid to return to Westminster, which would end his hopes of formally challenging Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership.
Ms Nandy, who campaigned with Mr Burnham in Makerfield on Saturday, said Mr Streeting’s call to rejoin the EU was like saying “life was fine in 2015, we just need to go back there”.
And the culture secretary accused him of “reopening the Brexit wars and going round back again around that track”.
In his opening pitch to replace the prime minister – even though no formal contest has been declared – Mr Streeting urged Labour to admit Brexit had been a “catastrophic mistake”.
“We need a new special relationship with the EU, because Britain’s future lies with Europe – and one day back in the European Union,” he added.
It immediately put pressure on Mr Burnham, who told last year’s Labour Party conference he wanted the UK to rejoin the bloc, saying: “I hope it happens in my lifetime… That’s my belief, and I’ll say it clearly.”
But reports suggest he will soften his stance as he bids to win the Makerfield by-election. Asked by ITV News if he was still in favour of rejoining the EU, he replied: “I’ve said in the long-term there is a case for that, but I’m not advocating that in this by-election.”
Allies of Mr Burnham insist he is Labour’s best hope to beat Reform in Makerfield – and at the general election.
Josh Simon, who is giving up the Makerfield seat so the Mr Burnham can stand, said victory would mean the end for Sir Keir but defeat would create an “existential” crisis for the party.
Meanwhile, Ms Nandy said it was a “personal decision” for Sir Keir on whether he should defend his position in a leadership contest, a further sign of softening support for the prime minister in his own cabinet. She said it was up to Sir Keir whether he wants to take the “next fight forwards”.
Former minister Jess Phillips, one of a handful who quit this week urging the PM to go, said Sir Keir should not fight to stay as Labour leader if there is a contest.
Mr Farage seized on the row within Labour to attack Mr Burnham, calling him “open borders Burnham” and saying he “must be stopped”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch also accused Labour of rehashing the Brexit debate because it does not have a “plan for this country”.
Mr Farage is also expected to attack Mr Burnham over his record on tackling grooming gangs.
As mayor, he set up reviews that exposed evidence of institutional failings. But police whistleblower Maggie Oliver, who quit Greater Manchester Police over the force’s response to grooming gangs, told Times Radio he had failed at the final hurdle and allowed a “cover-up”.
He allowed police from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary to preside over a final review which, she said, led to the resignation of independent reviewers. “Andy Burnham did not grasp the nettle in relation to the final part of that review,” she said. “Unfortunately he turned away and we missed a huge opportunity to really bring changes that are needed,” she added.
Ms Nandy, the MP for Wigan, who stood for party leadership back in 2020, also said during an interview with Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme that she thinks “a woman leader is long overdue” in Labour.
“I think what is really winding me up, if I’m honest, is that people told us loud and clear … that things weren’t good enough, that they needed far more fundamental, far more urgent change in their lives. Somehow we seem to have just cut them out completely of the conversation over the last week, and Westminster has gone into introspection mode, where the debate is being led about personalities and about individuals.”
Sher added: “If people want to trigger a leadership contest, they can, but I just think that the idea that the rest of the country is obsessing about who is the leader of the Labour Party is just for the birds, to be honest.”
