Wes Streeting Announces Bid for Labour Leadership
Calls for Rejoining the EU as a Key General Election Pledge
Stirs Sensitive Response Within Party… Reform UK Seeks to Capitalize
As the leadership race for the ruling Labour Party in the UK becomes more visible, former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has announced his intention to run, has stirred up controversy within the party by raising the idea of rejoining the European Union (EU).
Former UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has expressed his intention to run in the ruling Labour Party leadership election, has raised the issue of rejoining the European Union (EU). Reuters Yonhap News
According to Yonhap News, on the 16th (local time), Streeting stated in a keynote speech at a conference, “Leaving the EU was a catastrophic mistake,” adding, “Because of that, we have become weaker and poorer than at any time since the Industrial Revolution and have lost control.” He further argued, “Britain’s future lies with Europe, and since we will eventually return to the EU, we must have a special relationship with the EU.” He went on to say, “The Labour Party should pledge to rejoin the EU in the next general election and seek the public’s approval for that direction.”
The Labour Party has been in turmoil since its crushing defeat in the local elections on the 7th. In the elections for 136 local councils in England, the party lost 1,496 seats, ending up with only 1,068 seats. In contrast, the Reform UK party surged from just 2 seats to 1,453, becoming the biggest winner. In the by-election for the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary seat, which was held alongside the local elections, the Reform UK party also defeated Labour by a margin of 6 votes.
Public discontent toward Prime Minister Keir Starmer is clear. According to a poll by Opinium, 56% of the public want the Prime Minister to resign, and since the election defeat, about 90 Labour MPs have called for his resignation. Four junior ministers have also resigned, urging him to step down. However, Prime Minister Starmer has stated that he refuses to resign, saying, “If the Labour Party falls into chaos with a leadership contest, the public will never forgive us.”
Although many in the UK regret Brexit (Britain’s exit from the EU) decided by the 2016 referendum, pushing for rejoining has been considered taboo in politics, as it could plunge the country into turmoil. In the general election in July 2024, the Labour Party also pledged to strengthen relations with the EU but made it clear that it would not seek to rejoin the European single market or customs union.
The British flag fluttering. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency
Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and a supporter of Prime Minister Starmer, said in a BBC interview that day, “I also campaigned to remain in the EU and I think Brexit was a mistake, but I really don’t understand why (former Secretary Streeting) is suddenly focusing on Europe—it’s strange.” Nandy emphasized, “The government is working to repair the unnecessary harm to people’s quality of life caused by a poor Brexit deal in a practical way,” adding, “We are not reopening the cycle of controversy that Britain went through.”
Some interpret Streeting’s comments about rejoining the EU as targeting his main rival in the leadership race, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester. Burnham is running in the Makerfield parliamentary by-election as part of his leadership bid, but during the Brexit referendum, 65% of voters in that constituency voted to leave. In the recent local elections, the Reform UK party won about 50% of the vote there, while Labour managed only 27%. In an interview with local media on the 16th, Burnham said, “Even if it makes sense in the long term, I will not address that issue in this by-election,” adding, “Britain needs to focus on domestic issues affecting people right now.”
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Meanwhile, the Reform UK party is capitalizing on the internal Labour Party debate. A Reform UK spokesperson stated, “Mayor Burnham may not want voters to be reminded of the talk about rejoining the EU, but we will make sure they are.”
This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.
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