Labour civil war as pro-EU MPs hit out at Sir Keir Starmer’s call to ‘make Brexit work’ and insist party should ‘make sure nothing is off the table’ – as London mayor Sadiq Khan continues push for Britain to rejoin bloc’s single market

• Keir Starmer prompts new bout of internal Labour fighting with Brexit speech 
• Labour leader issued call to ‘make Brexit work’ and vowed not to rejoin EU
• But address dismays senior Labour figures who want him to push for closer ties 

Sir Keir Starmer is facing fresh Labour civil war following his call to ‘make Brexit work’ and insistence that he would not take Britain back into key EU structures.

The Labour leader prompted a new bout of internal party fighting with a major speech last night on his Brexit policy.

As he aims to win back ‘Red Wall’ voters that switched from Labour to the Tories at the last general election, Sir Keir said he would not seek to return to EU free movement rules or rejoin the bloc’s single market or customs union. 

He also promised – should he become prime minister – not to seek to reverse the 2016 EU referendum result.

But Sir Keir’s speech, which broke his long silence on Labour’s Brexit position, was met with dismay by senior party figures who want their leader to push for closer ties with Brussels.

Sir Keir Starmer’s speech, which broke his long silence on Labour’s Brexit position, was met with dismay by senior party figures who want their leader to push for closer ties with Brussels

Senior Labour MP Stella Creasy urged Sir Keir to ‘make sure nothing is off the table’, while London mayor Sadiq Khan stepped up his demands for Britain to rejoin the single market

Even before the Labour leader had delivered his address last night, London mayor Sadiq Khan stepped up his demands for Britain to rejoin the EU’s single market

‘It’s possible to be outside the EU but be members of the single market,’ he told the BBC.

‘Keir’s job is to be leader of the Labour Party, my job is to be the Mayor of London. 

‘That’ll mean on many occasions I agree with the Labour Party, on some occasions I may disagree.

‘Londoners elected me to be their champion, their advocate. I believe that our city and our country’s future is best served being members of the single market.’

The mayor’s comments were later followed up by senior Labour MP Stella Creasy, who called for Sir Keir to ‘make sure nothing is off the table’ after Brexit and as Britons struggle through the cost-of-living crisis.

The Walthamstow MP is chair of the Labour Movement for Europe, which campaigns for a future Labour government to ‘negotiate the closest possible relationship with the EU and to lay the foundations for the UK to one day rejoin’ the bloc.

Responding to Sir Keir’s speech, Ms Creasy said: ‘This speech finally opens the door to a different future with Europe from the chaos Boris Johnson is creating.

‘We are only just beginning to understand the damage Brexit is doing to Britain so we urge Keir to make sure nothing is off the table as a solution in the fight to tackle to cost-of-living crisis and protect jobs, trade and security.

‘With breaking international law, a trade war and more red tape on offer from the Tories, Labour must show it understands our national interest lies in working with, not shouting at, our European counterparts.’

Shadow minister Emily Thornberry today told pro-Remain Labour MPs that Britain had to ‘make the most of what we have got’ outside the EU.

‘We won’t be able to go back on the same terms that we were members of the EU before,’ the shadow attorney general told BBC Breakfast.

‘If we wanted to rejoin, we would have to join the euro. We would have to join the Schengen agreement, which is all about immigration, and we would not have the rebate we had before.

‘We wouldn’t be able to go back on the same terms and, frankly, is the British public really going to want to argue for the next two years about whether or not we should go back into the EU, and on what terms, and then have another referendum? No, they are not.

‘So, let’s make the most of what we have got and let’s make sure that we look after our country and face up to the problems we have, and sort them out.’

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