Wes Streeting has been accused of backing an unwinding of Brexit to boost his chances of ousting Keir Starmer.
The Health Secretary fuelled rumours about his intentions yesterday by suggesting the UK should rejoin the EU customs union.
The idea has been flatly ruled out by the PM – and would breach the party’s election manifesto.
However, YouGov polling has found that it would be supported by 80 per cent of Labour‘s voters from the election landslide last year.
Labour MP Graham Stringer said he believed Mr Streeting’s latest intervention – which has infuriated Sir Keir’s allies – was ‘opportunistic’.
‘I think it’s a very complicated issue and it’s just Wes being opportunistic knowing that, I think it’s nearly 30 percent, of the Labour Party membership is in London and most of those people seem to be in favour of rejoining the EU,’ he told Times Radio.
Wes Streetinghas been accused of backing an unwinding of Brexitto boost his chances of ousting Keir Starmer
‘So it’s an early shot in what might be a leadership election after the May local elections.’
In an interview with the Observer yesterday, Mr Streeting described Sir Keir’s ‘reset’ deal with Brussels, branded a surrender by the Tories and Reform, as a ‘good start’.
But, he added, the best way to boost the economy would be a ‘closer trading relationship’ with the EU – indicating his support for rejoining the customs union.
Despite rejoining the customs union being a breach of one of Sir Keir’s three political ‘red lines’, the MP for Ilford North said: ‘The best way for us to get more growth into our economy is a deeper trading relationship with the EU.
‘The reason why leaving the EU hit us so hard as a country is because of the enormous economic benefits that came with being in the single market and the customs union
‘The challenge is any economic partnership we have can’t lead to a return to freedom of movement.’
Mr Streeting was the target of an extraordinary botched ‘hit job’ by Sir Keir’s allies last month, which was seen as having backfired by actually boosting his standing with Labour MPs.
Alongside Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, the Cabinet minister is increasingly seen as on manoeuvres with the premier looking down the barrel of apocalyptic local elections in May.
Mr Streeting insisted Sir Keir has his ‘absolute support’. Asked if he wanted to be leader, he said: ‘The closer I see that job and the pressure on Keir and the demands of that job, the more I wonder why anyone would want it.’
Alongside Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, the Cabinet minister is increasingly seen as on manoeuvres with Sir Keir (pictured) looking down the barrel of apocalyptic local elections in May
But the Health Secretary refused to rule himself out, saying: ‘I’m diplomatically ducking the question to avoid any more of the silly soap opera we’ve had in the last few months.’
He agreed Britain would vote for a gay PM, but added: ‘I want to make it explicitly clear this is not a pitch or a job application. The Prime Minister’s got my absolute support.’
Mr Streeting also broke ranks with Sir Keir by suggesting he supports Australia’s ban on social media for under–16s.
Downing Street insisted said the government is ‘sticking to our red lines’ on EU ties.
‘We have been very open about the need to reset our relationship with the EU and strengthen that relationship while sticking to our red lines, and that position has been consistent,’ a spokesman said.
Challenged that the Cabinet does not seem to be aligned on this issue, the spokesman said: ‘I think what the Cabinet has been very clear on is that there is a need to reset our relationship with the EU, that is what Prime Minister and the Cabinet have been working on over the last 12 months.’
Asked if Sir Keir was happy with ministers speaking on issues outside of their brief, he said the Prime Minister was ‘very happy with his Cabinet’.
‘They’re getting on with the important work of driving down the cost of living, targeting growth and turning renewal into reality for the year ahead.’
Mr Stringer, a Labour veteran who backed Brexit at the 2016 referendum, suggested Sir Keir might well face a challenge in May if the elections are as bad as expected.
However, he pointed to the Tories as an example of where changing leaders repeatedly caused major damage to the party’s reputation.
‘I think it would require a really deep think by those people involved, mainly the Parliamentary Labour Party, about whether we would be making things better or making things worse,’ he said.
‘Certainly if we lose very badly, those discussions will have to be had because I think Keir will have had 18 months really to put the show on the road and that would be a clear indication that the show very definitely wasn’t on the road.’