Express readers deserve their politicians to be clear about where they stand. So let me spell it out simply. Britain's future is outside the EU. Not in the single market, not in the customs union, not with a return to freedom of movement, writes Sir Keir Starmer.
Keir Starmer insists Brexit agreement with EU is a ‘bad deal’
Blink and you might have missed the 13th anniversary of this government last week.
There were no celebrations. No list of achievements. Tory ministers barely even mentioned it.
Looking around at the state of the country, you can see why they were so quiet.
An economy crashed by their kamikaze budget. Prices in the shops and interest rates sky rocketing. The tax burden at its highest since World War Two. An NHS face down on the floor. Crime out of control. Record high levels of immigration.
Compounding this failure is the government’s total mismanagement of Brexit.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer rules out return of free movement between UK and EU
It’s no great secret that I voted Remain. But as I went round the country, I found plenty to agree with Leave voters about. No matter how people voted, they wanted a better health service, better jobs, better wages, more security, a sense of control over their lives and their communities. In short: a chance to build a better Britain.
If we are to make Brexit work, we need a government with the vision and the focus to deliver it. As Rishi Sunak heads off to meet with Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, there are no signs that he or his government have any proper plan to deliver that better future for our country.
Express readers deserve their politicians to be clear about where they stand. So let me spell it out simply.
Britain’s future is outside the EU. Not in the single market, not in the customs union, not with a return to freedom of movement. Those arguments are in the past, where they belong.
But they also expect politicians to be honest.
There is no point pretending everything is working fine. The paper-thin Tory deal has stifled Britain’s potential and hugely weighted trade terms towards the EU. Every day it isn’t built upon, our European friends and competitors aren’t just eating our lunch – they’re nicking our dinner money as well.
That’s why – alongside vital discussions about Ukraine and channel crossings – the subject of fixing the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU must be high up the agenda of the Prime Minister’s meeting tomorrow.
More than anything, British businesses and households need stability and certainty. They need us to use our sovereignty to benefit them, not as a tool to manage the Tory Party.
In recent weeks we’ve seen warnings from our proud car industry that their existence is at threat unless changes are made. Britain can lead in the manufacture and selling of electric cars. But the government’s failures mean they face the threat of damaging trade tariffs that will hold them back.
Our brilliant scientists and researchers – the very people who brought us the Covid vaccine – face an uncertain future because they don’t know if they’ll be able to participate in the Horizon scheme that provides them crucial funding. This would be a hammer blow for business investment in our country.
And the failure to do a proper deal over food has created onerous inspections, checks and paperwork at the border. At last count, the failure of the Tories’ Brexit deal has left British households spending almost £7 billion extra on food. In normal times this would be ridiculous: during a cost of living crisis, where prices have gone through the roof, it’s unforgivable.
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We need to act now. New border controls coming in at the end of the year will further restrict trade, damaging businesses and households. There is a deal to be done that makes good on the British people’s desire to maintain Britain’s high food and animal welfare standards and prevent the burden of bureaucratic red tape. It could save our importers hundreds of millions of pounds a year.
Whether it is working with European neighbours to tackle criminal gangs and stop dangerous boat crossings, or driving down the price of food for hard-pressed British families, there is huge potential for change.
That’s why we should be optimistic.
Every one of the problems I have outlined can be fixed from outside the EU. But it will require hard work, good relations and – above all - honesty.
Pretending everything is going fine or ducking hard conversations will see Britain miss opportunities and slip behind our competitors.
If we are to get this right, Rishi Sunak must face up to the truth – that the Tories have got this wrong. Failure to do the hard yards needed right those wrongs will mean the Tories fail to deliver for Britain and fail to deliver on the promise of Brexit.
