Kevin Maguire argues that even Brexit’s sixth birthday is an opportunity for Britain after the country has suffered a £140billion economic hit
Leaving the EU is ‘proving to be a self-inflicted economic, political and social calamity for Britain'(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Every crisis is a great opportunity and that includes Brexit’s unhappy sixth birthday.
Throwing a tantrum and quitting the European Union is proving a self-inflicted economic, political and social calamity for Britain. No wonder the right-wing con artists who mis-sold leaving as a new Eldorado rarely want to talk about it now because, as the European Movement highlighted, our country’s taking a £140billion economic hit.
And Donald Trump rampaging from the White House reinforces why rejoining is a no-brainer when Britain’s future prosperity is best secured working with our European neighbours. Keir Starmer recognises the three dominant global forces are a US turning hostile, the authoritarian China he visited last week and the EU.
This year marks six years since Brexit(Image: Pete Songi)
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Trump mocking British troops and forever declaring economic war on Britain is an opportunity from the American crisis to go full European. Starmer’s exploiting the space with a warmer tone and repairing small parts of Boris Johnson’s bad deal.
Cabinet Ministers led by Wes Streeting, Peter Kyle and David Lammy want him to go further to dismantle costly trade barriers. The public wants that too, opinion shifting to Brexit regrets with rejoiners gaining ground.
Starmer tied his hands with General Election manifesto commitments keeping Britain out of the valuable Customs Union and Single Market(Image: PA)
And banging the drum for Europe would also help protect Labour’s left flank from attacks from the Lib Dems, Greens and the nationalist parties in Wales and Scotland. Starmer tied his hands with General Election manifesto commitments keeping Britain out of the valuable Customs Union and Single Market.
Politicians including Nigel Farage ‘wilfully misled the faithful in the 2016 referendum.'(Image: PA)
But warmer words about Europe can prepare the ground for a significant policy shift at the next election. Brexit is a dud, an expensive disaster. Labour should have nothing to fear from right-wing parties accusing it of betrayal.
The traitors, including Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, are those who wilfully misled the faithful in the 2016 referendum. Trump and Putin both backed Brexit to weaken Britain. Labour has nothing to fear except fear itself.
Brexit’s lousy birthday is a moment to tell the truth about the giant hole dug into our economy and why undoing the damage requires returning to the EU.