Streeting urges Starmer to go further on Brexit as leadership chatter grows

Wes Streeting has urged Sir Keir Starmer to go further in undoing Brexit, saying the Labour leader should consider closer ties with Europe even as he stops short of promising a path back to freedom of movement. In an interview with The Observer published on Saturday, the health secretary indicated that the UK could rejoin the EU customs union and signaled that Labour must push for deeper economic integration with Europe while maintaining limits on movement. Streeting also refused to rule out the possibility of a future leadership challenge, a stance that underscores the wider ferment within the party over Brexit and Britain's economic trajectory.

Streeting’s comments come as the government maintains its position outside the EU’s single market and customs union, despite a fresh deal struck with the bloc in May that the party says offered some easing of bureaucratic red tape and fishing access. Keir Starmer has moved closer to the bloc, describing the May agreement as a stepping stone while insisting the country’s post-Brexit economic model must be recalibrated to maximize growth and productivity. Streeting described the revised deal as “a good start,” but argued that more steps would be needed to restore the economic benefits Britain enjoyed as a member of the customs union and the single market.

The Observer interview, conducted amid ongoing party debates, follows years of tension inside Labour over Brexit policy. Streeting said the departure from the EU has imposed a substantial economic hit on Britain and that Labour should pursue a “closer trading relationship with Europe” while seeking to avoid a return to full freedom of movement. He stressed that the country must tailor any economic partnership with the EU to protect jobs and public services, adding that Labour’s aim is a practical alignment that supports growth without accepting a return to EU-wide labor mobility.

Streeting’s remarks come as leadership speculation continues to swirl within Labour. He has previously denied suggestions that he or other figures within the party are plotting to replace Starmer, telling Sky News last year that such reports were untrue and unhelpful to the prime minister. Nevertheless, insiders and media reports have kept a spotlight on potential successors, particularly after Starmer’s recent moves to secure a broader coalition of backbench support and to court prominent figures within the party.

The discussions surrounding leadership have been intertwined with broader internal debates about Brexit. The Times reported that Starmer has begun actively engaging backbench MPs in a bid to shore up his leadership and steady the party’s direction ahead of any contest. In parallel, The Mail on Sunday cited sources claiming Angela Rayner had been offered a pathway to run with Andy Burnham, Manchester’s mayor, if he were to launch a leadership bid. The report suggested that Rayner would return to a deputy prime minister role and receive a senior cabinet post in exchange for backing Burnham.

Burnham has reportedly been seeking a seat in Parliament this year, with Liverpool Walton and other safe constituencies discussed as potential options. Dan Carden, the Liverpool Walton MP, was cited by sources as someone Burnham’s allies had approached, though those talks did not progress, according to the same outlets. The reports also described renewed interest in North England seats and the possibility that Burnham could leverage a regional foothold to mount a challenge to Starmer.

Analysts note that the intertwining of Brexit policy and leadership calculations underscores the fragility of Labour’s current stance. While Starmer has sought to position Labour as pragmatic and pro-European in economic terms, the party faces pressure from members who want a more explicit commitment to rejoining the customs union and the single market. Streeting’s comments signal that even as Labour positions behind-the-scenes in the wake of contested leadership rumors, there remains significant appetite within the party for exploring a closer relationship with Europe—an approach that could redefine Labour’s platform in Britain’s broader political landscape and potentially influence markets and trade discussions beyond the country’s shores.

As the year ends, the party’s internal dynamics suggest a prolonged period of jockeying and recalibration. Observers say the exact path Starmer will take on Brexit remains uncertain, with the prime minister reiterating that the UK’s future lies in a flexible, rules-based relationship with the bloc rather than a wholesale return to past arrangements. Yet Streeting’s statements indicate that some Labour policymakers want more assertive steps toward alignment with the EU—an approach that could reshape the party’s policy roadmap and its appeal to voters who continue to weigh the tangible costs and benefits of Brexit on households, businesses, and public services across the country.