Sir Keir Starmer is expected to use plans for closer ties with the European Union as part of an attempt to stave off a leadership challenge in the wake of Thursday’s local elections, which are expected to be disastrous for Labour.
The prime minister is reportedly planning to deliver a speech in the days after the results, which will include a commitment to closer ties with the bloc in a bid to tackle the cost of living crisis caused by the Iran war.
According to The Times, Sir Keir will make the case that the conflict has demonstrated Britain “cannot afford to ignore” the benefits of closer relations with Brussels, while emphasising that his red lines on no return to freedom of movement or the single market remain in place.
A No 10 source said: “Building a closer relationship with the EU is crucial not just for economic growth, but also cutting the cost of living. We cannot afford to ignore this.”
It comes after The Independent revealed earlier this year that Sir Keir is planning to make Brexit the key dividing line at the next general election as the government attempts to claw back voters lost to Reform UK and the Greens.
Following years of strained relations under the Tories, Labour believes it is the only political party with a position on Brexit that reflects the views of the general public.
Ten years on from the referendum to leave the EU, polling generally shows that a majority of voters don’t think that Brexit is currently working and want closer ties with the bloc. However, a majority seem to think that rejoining should not be a priority for the government.
After tacking to the right on migration, with a clampdown on illegal Channel crossings and ministers ramping up their rhetoric on the issue, it is on EU relations that the government believes it can strike a clear dividing line with opposition parties, sources told The Independent in January.
The position follows Labour’s gearing up for historic losses at the upcoming elections, after a devastating assessment from polling expert Robert Hayward warned that the government faces the “drastic” loss of more than 75 per cent of the council seats it is defending across England.
Lord Hayward, a Tory peer, has predicted that Labour would lose 1,850 seats, while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party will be the biggest winners, gaining 1,550 seats, and the Greens will pick up 500.
It is expected to be a moment of severe peril for the PM, who has faced a growing number of calls to resign over his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal.
Labour MPs are said to be feeling increasingly frustrated by the chaos in government, with some looking to Wes Streeting or Angela Rayner as possible successors to Sir Keir if the election results are as brutal for the government as expected.
Backbenchers who won their seats in the 2024 election are reportedly planning to push for the prime minister’s resignation in an open letter reminiscent of the round-robin letter put to Sir Tony Blair 20 years ago.
However, housing minister Steve Reed told Sky News on Tuesday that MPs “want this psychodrama to stop” and warned the party against “doomscrolling through leaders”.
It came as Sir Keir vowed to go into polling day “fighting for every vote”, but acknowledged Labour could be in for a “challenge”, as political leaders concluded their local election campaign trails.
Almost 25,000 candidates are fighting to be elected to more than 5,000 seats on 136 councils across England.
In Scotland, all 129 seats are up for election at Holyrood, while voters in Wales will choose 96 members of the Senedd.
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