The Labour leadership contest has intensified as the question of rejoining the European Union takes centre stage. Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces challenges from Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting, both vying to lead the party and the country.
Lisa Nandy Rebukes Wes Streeting Over Brexit
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has criticised her Labour colleague Wes Streeting for revisiting the Brexit debate, comparing it to saying 'life was fine in 2015, we just need to go back there.' Streeting, the former Health Secretary, entered the leadership race yesterday and raised the possibility of the UK rejoining the EU 'one day,' calling for a 'new special relationship' with Brussels. He described Brexit as a 'catastrophic mistake,' but Nandy pushed back during an appearance on Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.
'The Government that he was part of until recently has been trying to take a far more pragmatic approach to bringing us closer to Europe and repairing some of the damage that was done from a poor Brexit deal to people's living standards in parts of the country like mine, rather than reopening the Brexit wars,' Nandy said. She added that if rejoining the EU is the answer, it implies that life was fine in 2015 and we just need to return to that point, which she argued is not the case for many people.
Andy Burnham's Vision for Britain
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and another key contender, has set out his vision for a 'new path for Britain.' His plans include reindustrialisation, stronger public control of essentials like energy and water, and a post-war level of council house building. Burnham, who intends to stand for parliament in the Makerfield by-election, said: 'Do you want to just carry on as we are, or do you want a new path for Britain? And that path I've laid out is a very clear and a different one. I think it needs to be something of a circuit breaker for politics in this country.'
Labour MP Backs Burnham
Labour MP Josh Simons, who announced he would step down to allow Burnham to return to Parliament, said the party should 'come together' to back Burnham. When asked if this would mean the end of Keir Starmer, Simons responded: 'By implication, yeah.' Burnham is considered a frontrunner in the leadership race.
Nandy also praised Burnham, saying he is 'squarely focused' on issues like the cost of living and transport, which she described as 'exactly where we need to be.'
