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Wes Streeting has formally launched his bid to become Britain’s next Prime Minister, declaring he would challenge Keir Starmer in any future Labour Party leadership contest and pushing for the UK to eventually rejoin the European Union.

In his first major speech after resigning as health secretary, Streeting described Brexit as “a catastrophic mistake” and argued that Britain had become weaker since leaving the EU.

“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,” Streeting said, according to Reuters.

The UK formally left the European Union in 2020 after 47 years of membership following the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Streeting said the current global climate had shown the need for closer cooperation with Europe to strengthen Britain’s economy, trade and defence.

He argued that stronger ties with the EU would help counter shared challenges, including Russian aggression and the “America First” approach in global politics.

Streeting Pushes For Labour Leadership Contest

Streeting also urged Starmer to outline a timetable for his departure and called for a full leadership contest within the Labour Party.

“We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I will be standing,” he said while addressing a conference organised by the Progress group of Labour supporters.

Under Labour Party rules, a challenger requires backing from at least 20 per cent of Labour MPs to trigger a leadership election.

Andy Burnham Also Signals Interest

Alongside Streeting, Andy Burnham has also indicated interest in challenging Starmer.

Burnham recently announced he would contest a by-election to return to Parliament, a necessary step before mounting a leadership challenge.

Streeting said rushing into a leadership race before all candidates were able to participate would undermine the legitimacy of the process.

“We could have rushed straight into a leadership contest knowing not all candidates would be on the pitch… and the new leader, whether it was me or anyone else, would lack legitimacy,” Streeting was quoted as saying by The Independent.