Labour's internal power struggle has resurfaced Brexit as a central political fault line. The party's leadership jostling puts the UK's EU relationship back into sharp focus, particularly as the Makerfield by-election looms.
The timing matters. Labour leadership races typically expose deep ideological divides, and the EU question remains one of the party's most fractious. Some within Labour view closer ties to Brussels as economically essential. Others argue that reopening the Brexit debate alienates the party's "Red Wall" voters in northern constituencies who backed Leave in 2016. Makerfield, a traditionally Labour seat in northwest England, exemplifies this tension perfectly.
The by-election creates both opportunity and risk. A strong Labour performance there could signal voter confidence regardless of the party's EU position. A weak showing, however, invites blame: did the candidate's stance on Brexit cost them votes among working-class Leave supporters? Leadership candidates will inevitably weaponize whatever result emerges.
Current Labour leader Keir Starmer has pursued a pragmatic middle ground, accepting the Leave vote while pushing for closer regulatory alignment with the EU. But potential successors may take harder positions either way. A more pro-EU candidate could energize younger members and London-based progressives. A more hardline anti-rejoin candidate could appeal to MPs representing Leave-voting constituencies.
The EU issue never truly left Labour politics. It simply sat dormant. Leadership contests force dormant issues into daylight. Starmer's successor will inherit a party where Brexit remains unresolved emotionally and strategically. The Makerfield result will either complicate or clarify that inheritance.