A row has been sparked amongst Labour party figures over whether the Brexit debate should be reopened.
No matter what you think about his tenure as prime minister so far, there’s no denying that one of the main successes of Keir Starmer’s premiership has been the resetting of relations with the European Union.
However, Starmer and the government have repeatedly ruled out a full return to the EU or rejoining the customs union.
READ NEXT: Was this on a bus? Viral graphs show how Brexit led to HUGE spike in immigration
As evidence continues to overwhelmingly suggest that Brexit has been a catastrophic failure and public opinion has shifted on the matter, some Labour figures want the government to go further and campaign for the UK rejoining the EU.
The debate has now sparked into life again amid the Labour leadership chaos.
Labour’s Brexit civil war ahead of Makerfield by-election
Over the weekend, leadership hopeful Wes Streeting said Brexit had been a “catastrophic mistake” and said the UK should rejoin the EU.
With Andy Burnham set to stand in the upcoming by-election in Makerfield, a pro-Leave constituency, this put pressure on him to clarify his Brexit stance.
He said he was in favour of rejoining the EU “in the long-term”, but that he is “not advocating that in this by-election”.
The debate has rumbled on into Monday morning, as Labour MP Jonathan Hinder told Radio 4 that it was “absolutely brainless” to reopen the Brexit debate.
There have been accusations from some of Burnham’s allies that Streeting made the comments about Brexit to try and put Europe at the heart of the by-election debate in Makerfield.
Given Burnham’s pro-EU stance, this could affect his chances of winning the seat. Should Burnham not win the by-election and fail to secure a return to Parliament, this would remove a key rival from any Labour leadership race for Streeting.
Lammy refuses to be drawn on Brexit
Deputy prime minister David Lammy was then asked on Sky News if he wanted to see the UK rejoin the EU.
Despite being repeatedly asked by Sophy Ridge, Lammy refused to be drawn on the matter.
He started by saying he was “really proud” to have been the first foreign secretary to be “back around the EU table” last year.
Asked again if he wanted to to rejoin the EU, he said: “We set red lines in the manifesto.”
Ridge then asked the same question a third time, to which Lammy replied: “I’m not going to make a commitment about the next election manifesto process.”
The presenter said: “I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you, David Lammy, would you like to rejoin the EU.”
He replied: “Me, David Lammy the deputy prime minister, am committed to collective responsibility.”
Asking a fifth and final time, Ridge said: “Tell us what you really think, go on.”
But Lammy would responded: “I am in government delivering for the British people.”