“Brexit did deep damage.” Those three words, spoken by Chancellor Rachel Reeves at her Mais lecture on Tuesday, signal something significant: the Labour government is no longer tiptoeing around the B-word. After years of political caution, the shift in tone is deliberate — and it tells us a great deal about where the party believes its voters now stand.
For a long time, Labour tried to thread an almost impossible needle — appealing to Leave voters in its traditional heartlands while not alienating the Remain-leaning urban constituencies that had drifted toward it. That balancing act appears to be changing. According to political analyst Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, Labour’s Brexit focus has shifted — from Leavers to Remainers.
So what is driving that shift, what does it mean for the UK’s relationship with the EU, and where are the limits of how far Labour is willing to go?
What Rachel Reeves Actually Said — and Why It Matters
Reeves did not mince words at the Mais lecture. Beyond the “Brexit did deep damage” headline, she addressed European allies directly:
“Let me say this directly to our friends and allies in Europe. This government believes a deeper relationship is in the interest of the whole of Europe.”
That is notably stronger language than anything the government has used publicly before. Ministers have been signalling a warmer approach to the EU for some time, but framing Brexit as something that caused genuine economic harm — and saying so out loud, at a major platform — represents a meaningful shift in how Labour is choosing to talk about Britain’s recent past.
At the same time, Reeves was careful to insist the government was not trying to “turn back the clock” on Brexit. The message, in short: we acknowledge the damage, we want a better relationship going forward, but we are not reversing course.
The Red Lines That Are Still Standing
Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto did propose some renegotiation of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement — the deal Boris Johnson struck when the UK formally left the EU in 2020. Specifically, Labour wanted to end EU customs checks on exports of food and agricultural products by aligning Britain’s regulations with those of the EU.
But the manifesto also drew clear boundaries. Those red lines have not moved, at least not officially.
Labour’s 2024 Manifesto Position
The combination of ambitious reset rhetoric and firm structural red lines is deliberate. Labour is trying to signal ambition to voters who want a closer EU relationship without triggering the political backlash that any suggestion of rejoining the single market or customs union would bring.
Why Labour’s Brexit Audience Has Changed
Sir John Curtice’s analysis points to a fundamental realignment in how Labour is reading the political landscape. The party spent much of the years following the 2016 referendum trying to speak to Leave voters — particularly those in the so-called Red Wall seats across the Midlands and North of England that had voted heavily for Brexit.
That strategy shaped everything from the party’s messaging to its leadership choices. But the 2024 general election result, combined with the ongoing economic pressures the government is facing, appears to have prompted a reassessment.
Part of the reason for the sharper language is economic. As Reeves made clear, the government is grappling with persistently sluggish economic performance and believes a more ambitious EU reset is necessary to help turn things around. The argument, essentially, is that closer ties with Britain’s largest trading partner are not just politically desirable — they are economically necessary.
That framing plays better with Remain-leaning voters, who were always more likely to accept that Brexit carried economic costs. Leaning into that argument, rather than away from it, suggests Labour now sees more political upside in speaking to that audience than in continuing to reassure Leave voters.
The Part of This Story Most Reports Are Missing
What makes this shift particularly interesting is not just what Labour is saying — it is what the shift reveals about how the party now reads public opinion on Brexit more broadly.
The Leave vs. Remain divide that defined British politics for nearly a decade has not disappeared, but it has evolved. Many voters who backed Leave in 2016 have since moderated their views, particularly as the economic consequences of Brexit have become more visible in everyday life. Meanwhile, the political salience of Brexit as an identity issue has softened for many people — it is less of a tribal badge and more of a policy question.
Labour appears to be betting that this creates space to talk honestly about Brexit’s costs without paying the political price that would have come with doing so in 2019 or even 2021. Whether that bet is correct remains to be seen.
What Happens Next in the EU Reset
The government’s stated goal is to deepen the UK-EU relationship within the existing framework — not to dismantle the Brexit settlement, but to make it work better. The focus on food and agricultural exports is one practical example of where that renegotiation could deliver visible results.
But the rhetoric has now moved ahead of the policy. Calling Brexit damaging is one thing; securing a meaningfully improved Trade and Co-operation Agreement is another. The EU has its own political pressures and its own red lines, and any new agreement will require compromises on both sides.
What is clear is that Labour is no longer treating Brexit as a topic to be managed carefully from a distance. It is now a central part of how the government is explaining its economic strategy — and that changes the political conversation in ways that will take time to fully play out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Rachel Reeves say about Brexit at the Mais lecture?
Reeves stated that “Brexit did deep damage” and called for a deeper relationship with the EU, while insisting the government was not trying to “turn back the clock.”
Is Labour planning to rejoin the EU, the single market, or the customs union?
No. Labour’s 2024 manifesto drew clear red lines against rejoining the single market, the customs union, freedom of movement, or the EU itself.
What specific changes did Labour’s manifesto propose on Brexit?
Labour proposed renegotiating parts of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement, particularly to end EU customs checks on food and agricultural exports through regulatory alignment.
Who is Sir John Curtice and why does his analysis matter?
Sir John Curtice is Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde and one of the UK’s most widely cited political analysts, particularly on electoral behaviour and public opinion around Brexit.
Why has Labour shifted its Brexit focus from Leave voters to Remain voters?
According to Sir John Curtice’s analysis, the shift reflects both changing public opinion on Brexit and the government’s need to make an economic case for closer EU ties as it faces persistently sluggish growth.
What is the Trade and Co-operation Agreement?
It is the deal negotiated by Boris Johnson that governed the UK’s relationship with the EU after formally leaving in 2020, covering trade, cooperation, and various regulatory arrangements.