SIR KEIR SAYS LABOUR THE BETTER TORY PARTY
Keir Starmer slammed for having 'more positions on Brexit than the Kama Sutra' as Labour leader vows to hand power back to BrusselsThe Labour leader set out a five-point plan to "make Brexit work" during a speech last night
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PUBLISHED Tuesday 05 July 2022 -
Sir Keir Starmer has been slammed for having “more positions on Brexit than the Kama Sutra” as the Labour leader set out a five-point plan to “make Brexit work”.
Speaking to the Centre for European Reform during an event at the Irish Embassy in London last night, Sir Keir ruled out rejoining the EU or the single market if Labour comes to power, insisting such moves would spark further division in Britain.
Sir Keir said Labour is “claiming the centre ground of British politics once again”, not from a “mushy place of compromise”, but driven by “purpose” and “optimism”.
But he essentially vowed to hand power and initiative back to Brussels at the same time, as he said he would “sort out” the Northern Ireland Protocol by agreeing a veterinary deal with the EU and stick to the bloc's rules on food and livestock exports.
PUBLISHED Tuesday 05 July 2022 -
Sir Keir Starmer has been slammed for having “more positions on Brexit than the Kama Sutra” as the Labour leader set out a five-point plan to “make Brexit work”.
Speaking to the Centre for European Reform during an event at the Irish Embassy in London last night, Sir Keir ruled out rejoining the EU or the single market if Labour comes to power, insisting such moves would spark further division in Britain.
Sir Keir said Labour is “claiming the centre ground of British politics once again”, not from a “mushy place of compromise”, but driven by “purpose” and “optimism”.
But he essentially vowed to hand power and initiative back to Brussels at the same time, as he said he would “sort out” the Northern Ireland Protocol by agreeing a veterinary deal with the EU and stick to the bloc's rules on food and livestock exports.
Martin Daubney GB News
Sir Keir Starmer outlined plans to "make Brexit work" Stefan Rousseau
Deputy leader of the Reclaim Party, Martin Daubney, isn’t convinced by the new plans.
Speaking on GB News’ Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel, Mr Daubney said: “I mean you could say: 'Thank the lord, six years on, Keir Starmer has finally accepted the Brexit referendum.'
“You could however deduce that he’s doing this purely for cynical reasons because anyone who has campaigned in national elections, as I have twice, knocked on doors all over the East Midlands, West Midlands, the North will tell you, Keir Starmer has a massive Brexit problem.
"People don’t believe him and that’s for good reason.
Emily Thornberry GB News
“48 times Keir Starmer voted against Brexit, at every turn he led the people’s vote campaign to overturn the referendum."
He continued: “More positions on Brexit than the Kama Sutra, in, out, in, out, shake it all about.
“Here’s a guy we simply cannot trust, suddenly he’s saying 'trust me on Brexit to try and win over the voters.'
“Now I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him, the voters don’t and his own party don’t.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has since spoken out against Sir Keir's comments, arguing for a return to the single market.
He said: “I believe our city and our country’s future is best served being members of the single market.”
Conservatives have to replace Boris Johnson to remain in power says Neil Parish: 'It's not if, it's now when'
But Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry has come out in defence of the plan.
She told GB News' Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel: "Many of us in the Labour Party campaigned to remain in the European Union, we lost the referendum.
"There were then campaigns in the two general elections, 2017 and 2019.
"2019, in particular, which was about Brexit. It was a single issue general election, we lost it.
"So now what we have to do is accept the reality, it’s a one-way street we have gone, and the fact of the matter is we would not be able to rejoin the European Union on the same term as we were before, it is simply impossible.
"So what we should be doing is making the best of the situation and we should be moving on and looking forward and being optimistic.
"But being prepared to face the problems we have as a nation, face the problems that we have with our nearest neighbours and make sure that we sort it out, not just be afraid as the Government are, they spend their time running away from it going 'don’t criticise us, you’re being unpatriotic'."
Starmer unveils new three-word Brexit slogans for Labour Party
The Labour leader said there is "no going back" and that he would "make Brexit work" in an era-defining change of tack.
“Make Brexit work”
In a speech to the Centre for European Reform at an event at the Irish Embassy in London, he said: “There are some who say, ‘We don’t need to make Brexit work – we need to reverse it’. I couldn’t disagree more.
“Because you cannot move forward or grow the country or deliver change or win back the trust of those who have lost faith in politics if you’re constantly focused on the arguments of the past.
“We cannot afford to look back over our shoulder because all the time we are doing that we are missing what is ahead of us.
“So let me be very clear. Under Labour, Britain will not go back into the EU. We will not be joining the single market. We will not be joining a customs union.”
“Stuck”
Sir Keir claimed the country is “stuck” with a Government without a plan – one that was elected on a promise to get Brexit done but “has now decided to re-open those old divisions” to keep Prime Minister Boris Johnson in charge.
He acknowledged some may not want to hear Britain would not return to the single market or a customs union under Labour, but added “it is my job to be frank and honest”.
“Nothing about revisiting those rows will help stimulate growth or bring down food prices or help British business thrive in the modern world,” he said.
“It would simply be a recipe for more division, it would distract us from taking on the challenges facing people and it would ensure Britain remained stuck for another decade.”
Sir Keir said the “starting point” of Labour’s plan for making Brexit work is to “sort out the Northern Ireland Protocol”.
Border checks
The party would eliminate “most border checks created by the Tory Brexit deal”, he said, and implement a “new veterinary agreement for Agri-products between the UK and EU”.
It would also work with business to put in place a “better scheme” to allow low-risk goods to enter Northern Ireland without “unnecessary checks”, he said.
The Labour leader admitted Britain would not be able to deliver “completely frictionless trade” with the EU outside of the bloc, but said there are “things we can do” to ease the process.
“Labour would extend that new veterinary agreement to cover all the UK, seeking to build on agreements and mechanisms already in place between the EU and other countries – benefiting our exporters at a stroke,” he said.
He pointed to a “hulking ‘fatberg’ of red tape and bureaucracy” under the deal brokered by the Conservatives, claiming this is “hampering the flow of British business”.
“We will break that barrier down, unclog the arteries of our economy and allow trade to flourish once more,” he added.
It comes amid a fierce row over the Government’s plans to overwrite parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol to allay concerns over its impact on the UK.
Post-Brexit treaty
Legislation to grant ministers the necessary powers to see this through cleared its first Commons hurdle last week, with no Tory MPs voting against it despite warnings the plans are illegal.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Johnson claimed few global leaders raised the issue of the post-Brexit treaty with him at recent summits.
In response to questioning from Sir Keir, he said: “He talks about the UK’s diplomatic ability to win people over.
“It was very striking in the conversations I had with leaders from around the world how few of them, if any, raised the issue of the Northern Ireland Protocol and how much people want to see common sense and no new barriers to trade.
“What the UK is doing is trying to reduce pointless barriers to trade and you’d have thought that he would support that.”
The remainder of Labour’s plan would see Britain’s industries supported by “mutual recognition of professional qualifications” and restored access to funding and research programmes, new security arrangements to defend the nation’s borders, and the delivery of “good, clean jobs of the future to our shores”.
Vote for change
Concluding his keynote speech, Sir Keir added: “In 2016, the British people voted for change. The very narrow question that was on the ballot paper – leaving or remaining in the EU – is now in the past.
“But the hope that underpinned that vote – the desire for a better, fairer, more equitable future for our country is no closer to being delivered.
“We will not return to freedom of movement to create short-term fixes, instead we will invest in our people and our places and deliver on the promise our country has.”
Nick Thomas-Symonds, Labour’s shadow international trade secretary, suggested the party would not change its position on the matter even if public opinion shifted decisively against Brexit.
Asked on LBC’s Tonight With Andrew Marr if his party would think again if this were the case, he said: “We are not going to change our minds.”
Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg accused Sir Keir of a “half-cock” attempt at copying the Conservatives’ plans.
Ahead of the Labour leader’s speech, he told LBC: “I’m fascinated by what he’s got to say, or reports of it … and what he wants to do, by and large, is things either that the Conservatives are doing (because) they want to change the Northern Ireland Protocol, so I hope he’ll support us on our Bill.
“And he wants recognition of qualifications, which we’ve already legislated for. So you do wonder if he was half asleep last year.
“I think all that Sir Keir is going to be saying later on today is that he wants to do what the Conservatives are doing but half-cock, so it’s not much of an announcement by him today.”
Earlier, during a round of broadcast interviews, Sir Keir said recent election results show Labour is making significant progress on the road to regaining power.
He told Sky News: “They (the Government) are on a downwards spiral and we are coming up.”
The Labour leader said there is "no going back" and that he would "make Brexit work" in an era-defining change of tack.
by Jack Peat
2022-07-05
in Politics
Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out rejoining the EU or the single market if Labour comes to power, insisting such moves would sow further division in Britain.
He also said the UK would not join a customs union under his party’s leadership, as he set out a five-point plan to “make Brexit work”.
Sir Keir said Labour is “claiming the centre ground of British politics once again”, not from a “mushy place of compromise”, but driven by “purpose” and “optimism”.
He said he would say more about how it intends to get the country’s economy growing again “in the weeks and months to come”, but the first step is to make a success of leaving the EU.
2022-07-05
in Politics
Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out rejoining the EU or the single market if Labour comes to power, insisting such moves would sow further division in Britain.
He also said the UK would not join a customs union under his party’s leadership, as he set out a five-point plan to “make Brexit work”.
Sir Keir said Labour is “claiming the centre ground of British politics once again”, not from a “mushy place of compromise”, but driven by “purpose” and “optimism”.
He said he would say more about how it intends to get the country’s economy growing again “in the weeks and months to come”, but the first step is to make a success of leaving the EU.
“Make Brexit work”
In a speech to the Centre for European Reform at an event at the Irish Embassy in London, he said: “There are some who say, ‘We don’t need to make Brexit work – we need to reverse it’. I couldn’t disagree more.
“Because you cannot move forward or grow the country or deliver change or win back the trust of those who have lost faith in politics if you’re constantly focused on the arguments of the past.
“We cannot afford to look back over our shoulder because all the time we are doing that we are missing what is ahead of us.
“So let me be very clear. Under Labour, Britain will not go back into the EU. We will not be joining the single market. We will not be joining a customs union.”
“Stuck”
Sir Keir claimed the country is “stuck” with a Government without a plan – one that was elected on a promise to get Brexit done but “has now decided to re-open those old divisions” to keep Prime Minister Boris Johnson in charge.
He acknowledged some may not want to hear Britain would not return to the single market or a customs union under Labour, but added “it is my job to be frank and honest”.
“Nothing about revisiting those rows will help stimulate growth or bring down food prices or help British business thrive in the modern world,” he said.
“It would simply be a recipe for more division, it would distract us from taking on the challenges facing people and it would ensure Britain remained stuck for another decade.”
Sir Keir said the “starting point” of Labour’s plan for making Brexit work is to “sort out the Northern Ireland Protocol”.
Border checks
The party would eliminate “most border checks created by the Tory Brexit deal”, he said, and implement a “new veterinary agreement for Agri-products between the UK and EU”.
It would also work with business to put in place a “better scheme” to allow low-risk goods to enter Northern Ireland without “unnecessary checks”, he said.
The Labour leader admitted Britain would not be able to deliver “completely frictionless trade” with the EU outside of the bloc, but said there are “things we can do” to ease the process.
“Labour would extend that new veterinary agreement to cover all the UK, seeking to build on agreements and mechanisms already in place between the EU and other countries – benefiting our exporters at a stroke,” he said.
He pointed to a “hulking ‘fatberg’ of red tape and bureaucracy” under the deal brokered by the Conservatives, claiming this is “hampering the flow of British business”.
“We will break that barrier down, unclog the arteries of our economy and allow trade to flourish once more,” he added.
It comes amid a fierce row over the Government’s plans to overwrite parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol to allay concerns over its impact on the UK.
Post-Brexit treaty
Legislation to grant ministers the necessary powers to see this through cleared its first Commons hurdle last week, with no Tory MPs voting against it despite warnings the plans are illegal.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Johnson claimed few global leaders raised the issue of the post-Brexit treaty with him at recent summits.
In response to questioning from Sir Keir, he said: “He talks about the UK’s diplomatic ability to win people over.
“It was very striking in the conversations I had with leaders from around the world how few of them, if any, raised the issue of the Northern Ireland Protocol and how much people want to see common sense and no new barriers to trade.
“What the UK is doing is trying to reduce pointless barriers to trade and you’d have thought that he would support that.”
The remainder of Labour’s plan would see Britain’s industries supported by “mutual recognition of professional qualifications” and restored access to funding and research programmes, new security arrangements to defend the nation’s borders, and the delivery of “good, clean jobs of the future to our shores”.
Vote for change
Concluding his keynote speech, Sir Keir added: “In 2016, the British people voted for change. The very narrow question that was on the ballot paper – leaving or remaining in the EU – is now in the past.
“But the hope that underpinned that vote – the desire for a better, fairer, more equitable future for our country is no closer to being delivered.
“We will not return to freedom of movement to create short-term fixes, instead we will invest in our people and our places and deliver on the promise our country has.”
Nick Thomas-Symonds, Labour’s shadow international trade secretary, suggested the party would not change its position on the matter even if public opinion shifted decisively against Brexit.
Asked on LBC’s Tonight With Andrew Marr if his party would think again if this were the case, he said: “We are not going to change our minds.”
Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg accused Sir Keir of a “half-cock” attempt at copying the Conservatives’ plans.
Ahead of the Labour leader’s speech, he told LBC: “I’m fascinated by what he’s got to say, or reports of it … and what he wants to do, by and large, is things either that the Conservatives are doing (because) they want to change the Northern Ireland Protocol, so I hope he’ll support us on our Bill.
“And he wants recognition of qualifications, which we’ve already legislated for. So you do wonder if he was half asleep last year.
“I think all that Sir Keir is going to be saying later on today is that he wants to do what the Conservatives are doing but half-cock, so it’s not much of an announcement by him today.”
Earlier, during a round of broadcast interviews, Sir Keir said recent election results show Labour is making significant progress on the road to regaining power.
He told Sky News: “They (the Government) are on a downwards spiral and we are coming up.”
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