Brexit back on the agenda as Burnham prepares to take on Reformpublished at 06:33 BST
06:33 BST
Joe Pike
Political correspondent
Image source, PA MediaImage caption,
To win in Makerfield – an area that supported Brexit in 2016 – Andy Burnham would have to beat Reform. The by-election date is not confirmed, although could take place on 18 June
Allies of the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, have criticised his Labour leadership rival – Wes Streeting – for saying that “Britain’s future lies with Europe – and one day, back in the European Union”.
They tell the BBC the former health secretary’s intervention was unhelpful because highlighting the issue of Brexit could make it more difficult for Burnham to beat Reform in the forthcoming by-election in Makerfield in Greater Manchester.
Winning the seat would allow Burnham to challenge Keir Starmer and become prime minister.
In 2024, Labour’s general election manifesto promised that there would be
no return to the EU single market, the customs union, or freedom of
movement.
If either Andy Burnham or Wes Streeting were to succeed Sir Keir
Starmer, the UK would have a prime minister who supported rejoining
the EU at some point in the future. Over the weekend both men reaffirmed that position, but Streeting
did it far more whole-heartedly.
He said in a speech that Brexit was a catastrophic mistake and that one
day the UK should rejoin the EU.
Allies of Burnham believe that intervention was unhelpful, since it
highlights an issue the Greater Manchester mayor wants to avoid in the
by-election. He faces a battle to beat Reform in a leave-supporting area.
Yet Burnham said in an ITV interview on Saturday that “in the long-term
there was a case” for rejoining the EU, although he wasn’t advocating
that during this campaign.
A spokesperson for Streeting told the BBC that he had always been a
pro-European, and the party shouldn’t fear debate or ideas.