In his first speech since stepping down as health minister, Streeting made plain what he sees as the way forward. “We need a new special relationship with the EU, because Britain’s future lies with Europe, and one day, one day, back in the European Union,” he told an audience. He put it bluntly: Brexit has left us at our most vulnerable since before the Industrial Revolution, when the “biggest economic opportunity” is right on our doorstep. His aim is to change Labour’s tune from one of mopping up after Brexit to a plan for re-entry.
Economic and security case at the core
The case he makes is for Britain to “club together” with its neighbours in what he describes as a “dangerous world”. He wants to see the economy and trade put back on track and defence put in order, all while standing up to “shared threats from Russian aggression and America First”.
His case rests on a few core claims:
– Brexit was a catastrophic mistake
– Britain should one day rejoin the EU
– A new special relationship would strengthen economy, trade and defence
But this is not just about policy; it is about who leads. “We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I will be standing,” he said at a get-together of the Progress group. Still, he is in no hurry to have it out. A hasty race “would lack legitimacy”, he warned, until the rest of the contenders are “on the pitch”.
Then there is the question of numbers. To force a leadership election you have to win over 20 per cent of Labour MPs, and with his public declaration, Streeting has made those rules the next point of contention.
A contest, but not at any cost
Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, has let on he may well be in the running. He would have to run in an open seat to make it back to the Commons first, and Streeting says to go any quicker than that is to rob members of a real choice.
Burnham’s return changes the clock
There is a hard line of difference between the two men. Starmer was against leaving the EU, but he has put his foot down on rejoining and won’t budge on immigration – a sticking point for the EU if they are to have closer ties.
The wider backdrop and what comes next
The UK left the 28-nation club in 2020 after 47 years, and Streeting is asking people to look at 2026 and see why we should be in with Europe again. What comes down to is organisation and momentum. If a vote is called, he will be there. Whether the party is ready for his kind of reset will tell you a lot about where the UK is headed.
