Top of Labour in row over EU as Nandy challenges Streeting’s remarks

Ex-health secretary’s allies rally to defend him after culture secretary calls his comments about rejoining bloc ‘odd’ A row has broken out at the top of the Labour party over whether Britain should try to rejoin the EU after Wes Streeting said the country should eventually seek to regain membership. Streeting, who resigned as health secretary on Thursday in protest at Keir Starmer’s leadership, kicked off a war of words after he argued on Saturday that Britain’s future lay back in the EU. After the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, dismissed his comments as odd, Streeting’s allies hit back, saying the government’s lack of willingness to discuss the issue was symptomatic of why it is so unpopular. On Saturday, Andy Burnham – who is expected to seek to replace Starmer as prime minister if he wins the Makerfield byelection – said he thought there was a “long-term case” for rejoining the EU, but added: “I’m not advocating that in this byelection.” The row is an indication of the divisions within Labour as the party heads into the Makerfield contest that could determine the fate of the entire government. It began when Streeting said: “In 2026, the British peo