LONDON: For a decade, leaving the European Union has been the dominant issue in British politics. Nowadays it is almost not talked about. And this is clearly the way Labor leader Keir Starmer likes it.
He has worked diligently to regain the support of the working class, whose millions of voters were misled five years ago by Conservative Boris Johnson’s promises to “get Brexit done” while Labor campaigned to leave the path open to Remain. EU.
Starmer’s reward is that polls now predict he will be prime minister in Downing Street by the end of this week, perhaps with a historic majority. But if he gets there, he won’t be able to keep Brexit out of the news for long.
Its task will be to stimulate economic growth. Businesses say this would require removing some of the barriers that Britain’s exit from the EU has left in the path of their trade. And this, in turn, will probably mean the resumption of contentious negotiations with Brussels.
Britain finally left the EU in January 2020 under Johnson. In its determination to turn the page on Brexit, Labor has ruled out rejoining the EU single market or customs union. But he says it is still possible to remove trade barriers with the 27-nation bloc to help companies, especially smaller ones, that struggle with higher costs and paperwork.
Labor does not want to “reopen the wounds of the past,” said Jonathan Reynolds, the Labor MP who is expected to become Starmer’s business minister.
“There’s no doubt we need to get a better deal and we can make real improvements,” he said at an event on Thursday organized by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), a business lobby group, which said the parties should stop “walking on eggshells” over links with EU.
The survey by accountancy firm Menzies found that 1 in 3 British businesses want to reopen the Brexit deal reached under Johnson and 1 in 5 want the new government to rejoin the single market, with 20 per cent citing Brexit barriers limiting international expansion as a factor.
“A LIKE-MINDED PARTNER”
One of Labour’s early promises is to push for a veterinary deal with the EU that would reduce border checks on animal products, which would be a hurdle for British farmers and importers. It also wants mutual recognition of some professional qualifications and easier access for touring artists.
Labor presented these as relatively simple gains that could be achieved without having to reopen the Brexit deal reached under Johnson.
But even such small steps would require difficult choices, said an EU source, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss hypothetical future negotiations.
A veterinary agreement would require the UK to submit to dispute resolution before the European Court of Justice (ECJ), an EU source said. This is anathema to Brexit campaigners who see it as a violation of British sovereignty.
“Working with a like-minded partner, friend and ally is something everyone wants,” an EU source said. “But the idea of having the same benefits that you get as a club member becomes a little more difficult.”
Anand Menon, professor of politics and director of British think tank Changing Europe, said Labour may be underestimating how enthusiastic the EU would be about renegotiating after years of conflict with British governments.
Blok already has a lot on his plate, he said. And while the UK may want to improve technical issues in areas such as food, Brussels would like to talk about mobility – making it easier for people to live and work in the UK, especially young people.
“I think we’re going to see a huge change in style and a bit of a change in content,” Menon said.
The Conservatives say Labour’s policies would “unravel Brexit”, including by subjecting the UK to the ECJ ruling again.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a debate this week, accused Labor of planning to embrace a return to free movement of people as part of its plans to strike a better Brexit deal with the EU. Starmer has said he will reject any deal with the EU that increases immigration.
Labor’s Reynolds said he wanted to improve the trade situation while also offering benefits to the bloc: “It’s not necessarily easy, but there are negotiations and I can see the process of delivering these things.”