Today, new Labour rifts over Brexit appeared after Keir Starmer rejected proposals for the UK to re-join the single market.
By supporting a return to the EU’s trading area, which would imply bringing back free movement regulations, London mayor Sadiq Khan stoked already-flaming infighting.
Leaving the EU, according to Mr. Khan, is “the worst piece of self-inflicted devastation ever done to a country.”
However, after visiting Crawley in West Sussex, his party leader took a radically different stance, claiming that there was “no case” for Britain to rejoin the single market.
With several of his MPs wanting to reestablish tighter connections with Brussels, Sir Keir has been frantically attempting to contain Labour divisions over Brexit.
Following the 2016 vote, the issue did significant damage to the party, and Sir Keir was held responsible for making matters worse by formulating a convoluted position on whether to schedule a second national election.
Mr. Khan was questioned about if Labour should “at a national level be fighting for rejoining the single market” during a panel discussion on LBC last night.
Although he emphasized that he could not speak for the party, he continued, “I think we should.” Right on.
Sir Keir responded when asked about the remarks today: “There is no case for returning to the EU or to the single market, but there is no point pretending that the agreement that the government has struck is functioning because it obviously isn’t working.”
“You can see the lines at ports all around the nation and the issues in Northern Ireland, and all the administration ever did was yell the phrase “get Brexit done.”
“Brexit will work if there is a responsible administration, a Labour government, the next government, and that is what I am completely focused on.”
Therefore, there isn’t an argument for going back, but there is unquestionably one for making Brexit work rather than just using it as a catchphrase that doesn’t benefit anyone.
Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, elaborated on Labour’s position last week at the The Times CEO meeting in London.
By repairing and strengthening our supply chains and expanding on the UK-EU trade agreement to reduce red tape for exporters, she claimed that the party aimed to “fix the flaws in the Brexit deal impacting our food and drink producers, creative sectors, professional services, and more.”
Instead of always turning to the Brexit issue as a domestic political issue, Ms. Reeves said, “we need to take a strategy that strives to solve challenges in a practical way for UK companies, and aims to develop trust.”