Labour wants to fix Brexit. Good luck with that

THE Conservatives may own Brexit, but the issue is as awkward for Labour. Earlier this month, London Mayor Sadiq Khan broke omerta on the subject and spat it out: “After two years of denial and avoidance, we must now confront the hard truth: Brexit isn’t working. It’s weakened our economy, fractured our union and diminished our reputation.”

Khan called for a discussion about rejoining the single market and customs union. That, however, isn’t on Labour leader Keir Starmer’s agenda, at least not for the next election. Instead, the party will focus on changes at the margins. In a major foreign policy speech last week, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said a Labour government would “aim to fix the Tories’ bad Brexit deal to increase trade with Europe”.

Lammy’s proposals included “fixing” (that word again) the Northern Ireland Protocol, reducing friction on trade in agri-foods, medicine and veterinary goods, strengthening mutual recognition of professional standards and getting the United Kingdom’s participation in the European Union’s Horizon science funding scheme unblocked.