Wes Streeting has called for the UK to rejoin the EU as he laid out his bid to No 10 in a much anticipated speech this weekend.
The former health secretary said he will be running for Labour leader after dramatically quitting his role as a Cabinet minister earlier this week.
He said leaving the EU was a “catastrophic mistake” as he stressed it was time for the UK to build a new “special relationship” with the Union.
Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, accused Mr Streeting of “re-opening the Brexit wars” in a move she found “a bit odd”.
It comes as Andy Burnham said he is standing in the Makerfield by-election to "save" Labour, warning that the party has "not been good enough".
Mr Burnham is expected to drop his call to reverse Brexit, as allies of the mayor are reported to have been told he is not going to be “going big on Europe” in his pitch to voters and the country.
Ms Nandy said the Makerfield by-election will be a "tough fight" for the Greater Manchester mayor.
Read MoreWes Streeting accused of restarting ‘Brexit wars’ in Labour leadership row
Which MPs are backing Burnham and Streeting in race to be Labour’s next prime minister?
To weary voters, Labour risks looking more muddled than ever
Key Points
- Streeting calls for return to EU as he makes leadership bid
- Burnham allies speak out on Wes Streeting’s calls to undo Brexit
- Speculation leadership contest has been 'froth and nonsense', says Cabinet minister
- Kemi Badenoch claims Burnham is popular because he 'hasn’t had to do anything'
- Angela Rayner rejects health secretary role
Starmer’s government returns to Westminster amid leadership rivals’ Brexit row
07:24 , Holly EvansSir Keir Starmer’s government will return to Westminster after a battle over reversing Brexit was ignited among the rivals vying to oust him as Prime Minister.
Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last week, signalled he wanted to see Britain return to the EU as he announced on Saturday he would stand in any Labour leadership contest.
Supporters of Andy Burnham are reportedly furious with Mr Streeting, according to the Times, as they believe it is a deliberate attempt to raise the salience of Brexit in the leave-voting constituency of Makerfield, where the Greater Manchester Mayor hopes to stand as a parliamentary candidate.
Mr Burnham sought to play down his own support for rejoining the trade bloc as he took part in a media blitz across the weekend.
He insisted there was a “long-term case” for advocating to join the EU, but insisted he was not campaigning on that issue in the by-election.
Reform UK, which is the second placed party in Makerfield, plans to make hay out of Mr Burnham’s previous support for rejoining the EU as it knocks doors in the constituency.
Starmer’s government returns to Westminster amid leadership rivals’ Brexit row
07:24 , Holly EvansSir Keir Starmer’s government will return to Westminster after a battle over reversing Brexit was ignited among the rivals vying to oust him as Prime Minister.
Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last week, signalled he wanted to see Britain return to the EU as he announced on Saturday he would stand in any Labour leadership contest.
Supporters of Andy Burnham are reportedly furious with Mr Streeting, according to the Times, as they believe it is a deliberate attempt to raise the salience of Brexit in the leave-voting constituency of Makerfield, where the Greater Manchester Mayor hopes to stand as a parliamentary candidate.
Mr Burnham sought to play down his own support for rejoining the trade bloc as he took part in a media blitz across the weekend.
He insisted there was a “long-term case” for advocating to join the EU, but insisted he was not campaigning on that issue in the by-election.
Reform UK, which is the second placed party in Makerfield, plans to make hay out of Mr Burnham’s previous support for rejoining the EU as it knocks doors in the constituency.
Watch: In The Room: Why Labour’s anti-Burnham argument doesn’t work
07:00 , Rebecca WhittakerSpeculation leadership contest has been 'froth and nonsense', says Cabinet minister
06:00 , Rebecca WhittakerSpeculation about a Labour leadership contest has been “froth and nonsense”, a senior Cabinet minister has said.
Lisa Nandy was asked on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips whether she believed Sir Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister by the summer holidays.
The Culture Secretary replied: “No, I don’t.
“I have spoken to the Prime Minister several times over the last week and he was very clear with the Cabinet on Tuesday that if people want to challenge him there is a process for doing that, there is a way to trigger a leadership contest, to be leader of the Labour Party and to succeed him as Prime Minister.
“Nobody has done that yet, despite the absolute feverish speculation.
“Every hour on the hour for the last week I’ve read that Wes Streeting was about to launch a challenge; that Andy Burnham was about to contest every seat in Greater Manchester, including my own; that Angela Rayner was written off, that Angela Rayner was now challenging; and most of it has turned out to be just froth and nonsense.
“We’ve got to get on with the job.”
Tory leader claims Burnham is popular because he 'hasn’t had to do anything'
05:00 , Rebecca WhittakerConservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is only popular because he “hasn’t had to do anything”.
Responding to questions on whether Mr Burnham might be a “real threat” if he becomes Labour leader, Mrs Badenoch told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “He’s only popular because he hasn’t had to do anything.
“Politics is about making difficult decisions. As soon as he comes in and realises there’s no money to throw about, he’s going to become unpopular.
“Andy Burnham is talking about increasing borrowing. That’s going to hit everybody’s mortgages, that’s going to hit borrowing costs for this country.
“It’s going to put billions on debt interest – you’ll be paying a Burnham premium. I do not think that that’s going to make it popular at all.”
Watch: Wes Streeting announces Labour leadership bid
04:00 , Rebecca WhittakerWhich MPs are backing Burnham and Streeting in race to be Labour’s next prime minister?
03:00 , Rebecca WhittakerNow that Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham have both effectively thrown their hats into the ring for a possible Labour leadership contest, their allies have been making the case for their man to replace Keir Starmer.
Here we take a look at who they are – and why they are supporting their candidate.
Which MPs are backing Burnham and Streeting in race to be Labour’s next PM?
Streeting's post gets fact-checked as he lists NHS wins under Labour
02:00 , Rebecca WhittakerWes Streeting’s online post about supposed improvements in the NHS under Labour was fact-checked by Community Notes on X.
The former health secretary, who launched his bid to Labour leadership on Saturday, wrote: “NHS waiting lists are falling, ambulances are arriving faster, there are more GPs, and higher patient satisfaction. Lots done, lots to do.”
This was fact-checked as users added context in response to the post, pointing out that: "While the waiting list has started to go down, unreported removals have gone up (Figure 3). In fact, they have repeatedly outnumbered the additional incomplete referrals that join the waiting list every month."
Under Labour, NHS waiting lists are falling, ambulances are arriving faster, there are more GPs, and higher patient satisfaction.
— Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) May 13, 2026
Lots done, lots to do.
The Health Bill will boost the impact of our investment and modernisation: cutting bureaucracy to invest in patient care.
Watch: Lisa Nandy backs Burnham's return to parliament
01:00 , Rebecca WhittakerJess Phillips says former health secretary showed 'bravery' in government
Monday 18 May 2026 00:00 , Rebecca WhittakerJess Phillips said former health secretary and potential Labour leadership contender Wes Streeting showed “bravery and boldness” in government.
She told the BBC: “He once said to me that the process of me writing the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy felt a little bit like me hanging him upside down by his ankles and shaking out his pockets, but the reality is, he stepped up and he got the right people to do the right thing.
“So there’s one example of where I found him very forthcoming.
“Now, the Prime Minister does definitely care about violence against women and girls, don’t get me wrong, but what I see from Wes is bravery and boldness.”
Burnham allies speak out on Wes Streeting’s calls to undo Brexit
Sunday 17 May 2026 23:43 , Rebecca WhittakerAllies of Andy Burnham have supported him not joining Wes Streeting’s calls for Britain to rejoin the European Union.
Burnham ally, Lisa Nandy, said Labour should avoid “reopening the Brexit wars”, likening it to saying “life was fine in 2015, we just need to go back there”.
Connor Naismith, the Labour MP for Crewe & Nantwich, also is supportive of Burnham making domestic issues the priority for Britain and “not restarting a debate about Europe”.
Burnham's allies claim Streeting is attempting to derail him campaign to No10
Sunday 17 May 2026 23:22 , Rebecca WhittakerAfter resigning as health secretary last week, Wes Streeting called for Britain to rejoin the European Union and called Brexit a “catastrophic mistake”.
But Andy Burnham’s allies have said Streeting is trying to derail his campaign to win the Makerfield by-election and to get to No10, The Times reported.
The Manchester Mayor’s allies accused Streeting of playing into Nigel Farage’s hands and for trying to elevate Brexit as an issue in the Leave-voting seat of Makerfield.
One said: “Wes’s only hope at becoming the next leader is for Andy to lose the by-election. [Streeting’s] comments … are counterproductive to Labour winning this by-election. It’s very transparent.”
Burnham ally, Lisa Nandy, said Labour should avoid “reopening the Brexit wars”, likening it to saying “life was fine in 2015, we just need to go back there”.
Angela Rayner rejects health secretary role
Sunday 17 May 2026 23:08 , Rebecca WhittakerAngela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, has been sounded out by No 10 about replacing Wes Streeting as health secretary. But she turned down the role, the Times has reported.
Editorial: The serious problems Labour’s would-be leaders will need to address
Sunday 17 May 2026 23:00 , Rebecca WhittakerWhat is so remarkable about the crisis of leadership convulsing the Labour government is that it is all about process and personality rather than policy. It was triggered by Catherine West, a backbench MP who wanted the cabinet to change the prime minister without a leadership election but who now says that, if there is a leadership election, she might vote to keep Sir Keir Starmer.
In her original interview, she barely gave a reason for ousting Sir Keir. She said: “We need to bring on the person who can really sell Labour values and sell our programme.” This implied that the party might not have done so badly in the English local elections last week if it simply had a better communicator at the helm.
Read more here:
The serious problems Labour’s would-be leaders will need to address
Watch: Nandy accuses Streeting of re-opening Brexit wars and dubs his rejoin call ‘odd’
Sunday 17 May 2026 22:00 , Rebecca WhittakerMP denies giving up seat for Andy Burnham
Sunday 17 May 2026 21:49 , Rebecca WhittakerJosh Simons MP has denied reports he decided to give his seat up for Andy Burnham a year ago.
He told the BBC: “That’s not quite what the report says. It says I had a pint with Andy Burnham and we talked about politics, which is absolutely true.”
Mr Simons said he made the decision “two days ago”, after discussing it with his wife.
He said: “It’s been incredibly fast for me… It wasn’t just me, it was my wife. We did this as a family, because it’s about the sacrifices on behalf of the family.
“For me, it wasn’t about… people always ask (about) cutting deals, are you going to run for mayor, are you going to be in the Lords? No, no, no.
“It was about, ‘what does Andy think that he’s going to do to the Labour Party and to the country if he wins this by-election?’, and that’s what matters.”
Lisa Nandy rules out standing in a Labour leadership contest
Sunday 17 May 2026 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainLisa Nandy has ruled out standing in any Labour leadership contest.
Asked if she would rule out standing in a future contest by the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the culture secretary, who ran in the last Labour leadership election, said: “Yeah, I would. I said at the time that never again. I mean, I can’t say it’s an enormously enjoyable experience.”
The senior Labour figure added: “I honestly think that Keir, I mean he won that contest fair and square in 2019, he won the election. We owe it to him to pull together as a team.
“But I make no apology for saying, and he agrees, that Andy Burnham and other people from other parts of the country are really important voices of all of that.
“I think now is the time to demonstrate to the country that we can reflect the whole country, that we can be bigger, more urgent, more fundamental, bolder in the change that we offer, and that we are the answer to the problems in people’s lives.”
Watch: Wes Streeting warns Labour risks ‘being handmaidens to Farage’ in first speech since resignation
Sunday 17 May 2026 17:45 , Maryam Zakir-HussainLabour leadership contest speculation ‘froth and nonsense’ – Lisa Nandy
Sunday 17 May 2026 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA senior Cabinet minister has criticised speculation about a Labour leadership contest as “froth and nonsense”.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also rebuked Wes Streeting, her former Cabinet colleague, for seeking to reopen the debate over Brexit in his pitch to oust Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Streeting, the ex-health secretary, on Saturday set out his desire for a “new special relationship” with the EU, and to eventually rejoin the trade bloc.
Read more here:
Labour leadership contest speculation ‘froth and nonsense’ – Lisa Nandy
Will Labour’s leadership hopefuls reverse Brexit? What Burnham and Streeting have said about rejoining the EU
Sunday 17 May 2026 17:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainJust days after it suffered a series of thumping defeats to Nigel Farage’s pro-Brexit Reform UK Party in elections across the UK, Labour is again at loggerheads over Brexit.
The party’s culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has hit out at would-be leadership contender Wes Streeting, accusing him of reopening the “Brexit wars within the party.
Here we look at where would-be successors to Sir Keir Starmer stand on the European Union and what they have said in the past.
Read more here:
Will Labour’s leadership hopefuls reverse Brexit?
Watch: How many prime ministers has Larry the cat seen?
Sunday 17 May 2026 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRevising Brexit debate is like saying 'life was fine in 2015'- Lisa Nandy
Sunday 17 May 2026 16:45 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRevisiting the Brexit debate is like saying “life was fine in 2015, we just need to go back there”, Lisa Nandy said in a rebuke of her Labour colleague Wes Streeting.
The culture secretary told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I like and respect Wes a lot, and I listened carefully to what he had to say yesterday, I think you know I have a different perspective on this, and we do as a government.
“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 and going round back again around that track.”
Ms Nandy added: “If rejoining the EU is the answer, then essentially what we’re saying to people is ‘life was fine in 2015, we just need to go back there’.
“I know Wes is coming up to campaign in the by-election quite soon. He will hear loud and clear from people in places like Wigan, Ashton, Winstanley, across Makerfield, that that is absolutely not the case. And the answer has to be bigger.”
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is meanwhile “squarely focused” on issues such as the cost of living and transport, Ms Nandy said, adding this is “exactly where we need to be”.
I stood against Catherine West – here’s what the MP who came for Keir Starmer is really like
Sunday 17 May 2026 16:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainStarmer’s fellow 2015 MP brought the PM’s position close to the brink before bottling it, says Nimco Ali – who contested the same seat as her in 2017 and has a singular view of the woman who nearly took the nuclear option:
Labour’s devastating local election results triggered the usual Westminster panic: anonymous briefings, leadership speculation and MPs suddenly discovering their principles. Then Catherine West entered the conversation and briefly became a household name.
Read more here:
I stood against Catherine West – here’s what the MP who came for Keir Starmer is like