A UK minister had harsh words for Wes Streeting after he officially announced a leadership bid challenging Keir Starmer and called for the UK to rejoin the EU.

On Saturday, the ex-health secretary set out his desire to become prime minister as well as for a “new special relationship” with the EU, and to eventually rejoin the trade bloc.

“We need a new special relationship with the EU, because Britain’s future lies with Europe – and one day back in the European Union,” he said at the Progress think tank’s conference in central London.

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The policy offer could also be read as a direct challenge to his leadership rival Andy Burnham, who has previously expressed support for rejoining the EU, but may wish to avoid directly speaking about the issue as he bids to become Labour’s candidate in the upcoming Makerfield by-election.

The constituency on the edge of Greater Manchester was a Brexit-voting area in the referendum held nearly 10 years ago on June 23 2016.

Reform UK, whose leader Nigel Farage was among the most prominent supporters of leaving the EU, won every council ward in the Makerfield constituency in last week’s local elections, securing around half the vote, while Labour won only a little more than a quarter.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy insisted she backed Sir Keir Starmer (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Burnham told ITV News there was a “long-term case” for advocating to rejoin the EU, but insisted he was not campaigning on that issue in the upcoming Makerfield by-election, his potential route back to Parliament.

But a feud has started off the back of the comments, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy criticising what she described as “froth and nonsense” around talk of a challenge to Starmer.

The senior Labour minister, on the topic of Streeting’s call to rejoin the EU, then told Sky News: “If rejoining the EU is the answer, then essentially what we’re saying to people is ‘life was fine in 2015, we just need to go back there’.

“I know Wes is coming up to campaign in the by-election quite soon. He will hear loud and clear from people in places like Wigan, Ashton, Winstanley, across Makerfield, that that is absolutely not the case. And the answer has to be bigger.”

While Nandy insisted she backed Starmer, she also suggested an affinity for Burnham over Streeting, telling Sky News the Greater Manchester mayor is “squarely focused” on issues such as the cost of living and transport, adding this is “exactly where we need to be”.