Labour Brexit Civil War: Streeting, Burnham & the Betrayal Backlash
From Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins by talkRADIO
May 18, 2026 · 25 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the internal conflict within the Labour Party regarding Brexit and the reactions from various political figures.
Is Labour tearing itself apart over Brexit again? A furious row has erupted after Wes Streeting was accused of using the EU issue to undermine Andy Burnham, triggering fresh civil war inside Labour. Political commentator Alex Deane reacts as Burnham faces backlash over claims he wants Britain closer to Europe, before appearing to retreat under pressure amid accusations of a “Brexit betrayal”. At the same time, senior Labour figures including Lisa Nandy are attacking Streeting for reopening the “Brexit wars”, while critics on the Right accuse Labour of trying to quietly reverse Brexit through the back door. Pollster Joe Twyman joins in studio to discuss what voters really think about Brexit in 2026, and whether the issue still has the power to decide elections. Plus, former Brexit Party press chief Liam Deacon reacts to the growing political fallout as figures including Michael Gove and Kemi Badenoch accuse Labour of betraying Leave voters. Brexit betrayal row, Streeting vs Burnham, Labour civil war, EU reset fears, Starmer under pressure. Is Brexit dividing Britain all over again? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Ian Collins
Guests: Alex Deane, Joe Twyman, Liam Deacon
Topics covered
- Labour Party
- Brexit
- political conflict
- public opinion
- elections
- civil war
Keywords
- Labour
- Brexit
- civil war
- public opinion
- political commentary
- elections
- Wes Streeting
- Andy Burnham
- political fallout
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Labour, Brexit Party
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