Submission statement: after resigning from the government Wes Streeting has thrown the gauntlet for leadership and has been pretty bold in stating that the UK must start moving on a clear path to rejoin the EU. Starmer and the Labour party at large have been pretty recalcitrant about that, to the point that they have red lines even on the customs union and single market like the Tories because they are too afraid of upsetting Eurosceptic voters.
This puts Andy Burnham, the other main candidate for leadership, in a difficult position. He’s also a rejoiner at heart, but he’s going to fight for a Westminster seat in what’s essentially gammonland: Makerfield saw Reform triumph in the local elections, is 95% white and 65% voted to leave the EU in 2026. Burham is now saying that when it comes to rejoining the EU he sees a case for it but he is “not advocating that in this by-election”, which is hilarious because he was advocating for rejoining at the Labour Party Conference last year https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/sep/29/rachel-reeves-labour-party-conference-youth-guarantee-unemployment-uk-politics-live-latest-news
Basically knives are now out for the leadership of the Labour party and therefore premiership in the UK, and it seems that they are still struggling a lot navigating this weird limbo they put themselves in where they can’t please the progressive, pro-EU majority of their base because they are too afraid of a minority of Eurosceptic voters in some areas of the country. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy just reinforced this by saying that Streeting’s call was “odd” https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/17/culture-secretary-lisa-nandy-says-wes-streeting-rejoin-eu-call-odd
mostanonymousnick on
Makerfield, the constituency Burnham wants to run in to enter parliament and then run for leader, is a Brexit constituency, so it’s not surprising.
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Submission statement: after resigning from the government Wes Streeting has thrown the gauntlet for leadership and has been pretty bold in stating that the UK must start moving on a clear path to rejoin the EU. Starmer and the Labour party at large have been pretty recalcitrant about that, to the point that they have red lines even on the customs union and single market like the Tories because they are too afraid of upsetting Eurosceptic voters.
This puts Andy Burnham, the other main candidate for leadership, in a difficult position. He’s also a rejoiner at heart, but he’s going to fight for a Westminster seat in what’s essentially gammonland: Makerfield saw Reform triumph in the local elections, is 95% white and 65% voted to leave the EU in 2026. Burham is now saying that when it comes to rejoining the EU he sees a case for it but he is “not advocating that in this by-election”, which is hilarious because he was advocating for rejoining at the Labour Party Conference last year https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/sep/29/rachel-reeves-labour-party-conference-youth-guarantee-unemployment-uk-politics-live-latest-news
Basically knives are now out for the leadership of the Labour party and therefore premiership in the UK, and it seems that they are still struggling a lot navigating this weird limbo they put themselves in where they can’t please the progressive, pro-EU majority of their base because they are too afraid of a minority of Eurosceptic voters in some areas of the country. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy just reinforced this by saying that Streeting’s call was “odd” https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/17/culture-secretary-lisa-nandy-says-wes-streeting-rejoin-eu-call-odd
Makerfield, the constituency Burnham wants to run in to enter parliament and then run for leader, is a Brexit constituency, so it’s not surprising.