The Health Secretary addressed rumours after rumours began circulating that Keir Starmer wants to reverse the major decision from a decade ago.
Wes Streeting said he doesn’t ‘think’ Starmer’s going to reverse Brexit (Image: Getty)
Wes Streeting set Brexiteers’ hairs standing on end this morning as he failed to rule out rejoining the European Union and scrapping Brexit entirely. The Health Secretary was being probed on whether Sir Keir Starmer wants to take Britain back into the failing anti-democratic EU after he used a speech on Monday evening to attack voters’ decision to back quitting Brussels.
At the Lord Mayor’s banquet in the City of London, Sir Keir said Britain must keep moving towards closer ties with the EU. He also blamed the flatlining economy on Brexit, rather than taking responsibility for it. This morning Mr Streeting was asked on Times Radio whether the Government would be taking Britain back in.
Sir Keir lashed out at Brexit in a speech on Monday (Image: Getty)
He replied: “I don’t think so.”
After failing to rule it out, he continued: “I think we are looking at a new relationship with the European Union in which we want to both repair some of the economic damage done by Brexit, which I think is evident, was warned about in advance of the referendum.
“And the country, I think largely for reasons of sovereignty and as the Brexit campaign slogan said, to take back control, people were warned about the economic harm.
“And there were lots of voters I spoke to who said, yeah we get that, but I think it’s worth it to take back control. Well, that’s happened now.
“There is economic damage. And we want to both minimise that damage, but also I think get this country onto a better partnership with the European Union.”
Asked whether that meant rejoining the customs union, he replied: “I think it’s about new partnerships and new relationships…Not relitigating the past. And that’s where we want to be. We’re a European country.
“Our interests are intertwined with Europe on defence and security, on the economy and on our values. And so we want to make sure that we are building the strongest possible alliance with the European Union, recognising and respecting the decision made by the British people in 2016.”
Nigel Farage slammed Keir Starmer’s anti-Brexit attack (Image: Getty)
On Monday Nigel Farage slammed Sir Keir’s attacks on Brexit, saying voters “won’t be fooled” by the scaremongering.
Writing in the Daily Express, Mr Farage, the Reform UK leader, warned: “According to Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer the real blame for our economic disaster lies with the 17.4million British people who dared to vote for Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum.
“Few will be fooled by Starmer’s transparent attempt to shift the spotlight away from his chancellor and her disastrous Budget.”
Mr Farage added that only his party “can be trusted to fix broken Britain. We will cut public spending, slash red tape, remove EU rules and be on the side of the small businesses and working people who make up alarm clock Britain.
“We will also finally make good on the promise on Brexit, by taking back control of Britain’s borders, laws and money. And we will never try to blame British voters for the problems created by the establishment’s own failures.”
The Tories also hit out at Sir Keir’s latest moves towards Europe.
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith said: “This is a turn back the clock government. On union rights and now cosying up to Brussels, there is no vision or fresh thinking.”
He added: “Just bowing to socialist backbench prejudice.”
