Andy Burnham’s opening debate on whether Britain should rejoin the EU is divisive, painful and politically risky. That is why it should be welcomed. To jeopardise his popularity so soon after coming to office might seem reckless, but the issue is urgent and not going away.
Brexit is continuing to damage the nation’s economy. The prime minister’s job is to challenge, if not reform it. The Brexit decade has evoked a bizarre sense of guilt among Britons.
Opinion polls show nearly 60% regard it as a mistake, with just a third still in favour. Almost a quarter of those who voted for Brexit now regret it. While early forecasts of economic disaster were proved wrong, the accumulated cost of cutting links with Britain’s biggest trading partner is estimated at 6-8% of GDP.
It must rank as the greatest act of self-harm by a British government in modern times. A year ago Keir Starmer began to ease some of the barriers, with modest deals on youth exchange and meat exports. Burnham wants to take this further, with negotiations resuming in Brussels next month.
Yesterday in the Commons he cited damage to the car industry, while agriculture remains mired in dozens of pages of regulation. Fish rots in inspection sheds, and cars and passengers queue for hours at borders. Yet if something must be done, the question remains: what?
Burnham emphasises that he would not renege on Labour’s 2024 election pledge to honour the referendum in this parliament. But he certainly wants a revival of the debate and has a personal hope to see Brexit reversed one day. For now he seeks “an honest discussion … an open conversation” on where future negotiations might lead.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
