Labour leadership contender Wes Streeting said the United Kingdom should rejoin the European Union, calling the 2016 Brexit vote a "catastrophic mistake" [1].

The statement brings a divisive issue back to the forefront of the party's internal struggle for leadership. As candidates vie for power, their positions on Europe signal how the party intends to balance its urban, pro-EU base with voters in former industrial heartlands.

Streeting's call for re-entry comes as the party navigates a complex political landscape. The debate is particularly acute in the Makerfield constituency, where rival contender Andy Burnham is currently fighting a by-election [1, 2]. Makerfield is a leave-voting area, making the issue of European integration a potential electoral liability.

Burnham has previously advocated for the possibility of returning to the bloc. He said there is a long-term case for re-joining the EU [3]. However, Streeting's more urgent rhetoric puts pressure on Burnham to clarify his current stance while campaigning in a constituency that rejected EU membership.

Not all Labour figures view the proposal as a viable policy. David Lammy dismissed the call for re-entry, saying it is a "sixth-form debating position" [2]. This friction suggests a deep divide within the party over whether re-joining is a serious legislative goal, or a theoretical exercise.

The debate arrives as the UK marks a significant milestone in its departure from the bloc. Ten years have passed since the Brexit referendum [4]. Despite the time elapsed, the mechanism for re-entry remains unclear, and it is uncertain if the EU would agree to accept the UK back into the fold [1, 2].

Streeting said his position is based on the belief that the decision to leave was disastrous. He said that correcting this mistake is necessary for the country's future stability [1, 2].

“"Brexit was a catastrophic mistake."”

The resurgence of the rejoin debate indicates that the Labour Party has not reached a consensus on its European policy despite a decade of separation. By framing Brexit as a catastrophic error, Streeting is attempting to shift the party's trajectory toward a more explicit pro-EU stance, potentially alienating leave-voting constituencies like Makerfield while appealing to the party's progressive wing.