Wes Streeting, a former Health Secretary and Labour leadership hopeful, said Brexit was a "catastrophic mistake" on Sunday [1].
Streeting's challenge to the current leadership signals a potential shift in the Labour Party's approach to the European Union. His call to reverse the UK's exit from the bloc marks a significant departure from the cautious stance maintained by the current administration.
Streeting said he will stand in any leadership race to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer [5]. This ambition comes amid a period of internal party discussion regarding the future of the UK's governance and its international relations.
Addressing the consequences of the 2016 referendum, Streeting said the leave campaign was "deluded" [4]. He argued that the decision to leave the EU has harmed the United Kingdom both economically and politically [1].
To correct these issues, Streeting is advocating for the UK to re-join the EU [1]. He believes that returning to the bloc is the necessary path to stabilizing the nation's political and financial standing.
Not all within the party agree with this strategy. Lisa Nandy said Streeting's call to re-join the EU was "odd" [3]. This friction highlights a divide within the Labour Party between those favoring a return to the EU, and those wary of reopening the Brexit debate with the electorate.
Streeting continues to position himself as a viable alternative to Sir Keir Starmer, linking the need for new leadership directly to the resolution of the UK's relationship with Europe [5].
“"Brexit was a catastrophic mistake."”
Streeting's public bid for leadership and his demand to re-join the EU create a formal internal opposition to Keir Starmer's strategy of avoiding a full Brexit reversal. By framing the exit as a catastrophic error, Streeting is attempting to pivot the Labour Party toward a pro-EU platform, which could either energize the party's liberal wing or alienate voters in 'Red Wall' seats who supported the leave campaign.
