Wes Streeting, a former UK health minister and Labour Party leadership candidate, said Brexit was a disastrous mistake that weakened the United Kingdom [1].
Streeting's call for the Labour Party to adopt a policy of re-joining the EU signals a potential shift in the party's strategic approach to European relations. By suggesting that re-membership could become a campaign pledge, he is challenging the cautious stance maintained by other party leaders regarding the 2016 referendum.
Speaking during a keynote address at a conference on the 16th [1], Streeting said the decision to leave the European Union has severely damaged the nation's standing and economy. He said that because of Brexit, the UK has become the weakest and poorest it has been since the Industrial Revolution, noting that the country has lost control in the process [1].
Streeting said the future of the United Kingdom is tied to Europe. He said the country must establish a new special relationship with the EU because the UK will eventually return to the bloc [1].
This push for a reversal of Brexit follows a period of political volatility for the party. Streeting said a local election defeat occurred on the 7th [1], suggesting that current trajectories are not serving the public interest.
His proposal to make EU re-entry a formal campaign pledge would represent a significant pivot in Labour's platform. While the party has previously sought to improve trade terms with the EU, Streeting's position advocates for full membership to restore economic stability, and international influence [1].
“EU 탈퇴는 재앙적인 실수였다”
Streeting's comments reflect a growing divide within the Labour Party over how to handle the legacy of the Brexit vote. By linking the UK's economic decline directly to EU departure and citing recent election losses, he is attempting to frame re-joining the EU not as a reversal of democratic will, but as an economic necessity for national recovery.
