The local election results show voters have moved on from Brexit. It is time for the Labour Party to do the same.

Tijs Broeke will be joining us at Progressive Britain Conference 2024 on May 11th, at our panel ‘You’ve been scammed! Cracking down on fraudsters’. Get your tickets to hear more from him there! 

After the recent local elections analysts writing in The Sunday Times (5 May 2024), said it was “now evident that many of Labour’s problems in the ‘red wall’ appear to have dissipated”. They said that, in wards where more than 55 per cent of people voted Leave, the Labour vote has increased by almost 10 points since 2021. Voters have moved on from Brexit. The Labour Party should do the same.

A poll conducted for Common Ground showed 59% of Britons want a “less heated debate” on UK-EU ties. People back closer cooperation across issues like trade (61%), science (61%), and security (68%).

A progressive and realistic Labour Party should have no fear of standing up for a pragmatic reset of UK-EU relations. The British public is ready for it, businesses crave it, and our national interests demand it.

The European Commission’s recent proposal for a UK-EU youth mobility scheme underscores a glaring missed opportunity. Allowing young Britons to live, work, or study in Europe for up to four years could open invaluable exchanges. Unhelpful timing perhaps – with a general election on the horizon in the UK – but an imminently sensible and welcome proposal for anyone who supports a thriving UK economy, and a reset of UK-EU relations. But within hours, both the Tories and disappointingly, Labour dismissed the idea out of hand.

This kneejerk rejection is deeply out of step with the public mood. A poll by YouGov found 68% of Britons support such a scheme, including 53% of Leave voters.  The public mood has changed: 57% of Britons of all ages now think leaving the EU was wrong.

Even Leave voters prioritise “mutually beneficial” policies, citing: “As a small nation, we can’t be picky on who we trade with.” This group similarly regretted the impact of Brexit in certain areas of their life and livelihoods. They wanted to see fewer restrictions on their ability to travel and work abroad: with concerns about the introduction of new visa waiver forms, and on the post-Brexit restrictions on living abroad visa-free for over three months. This negative experience is unlikely to improve as EU food imports to the UK are about to get more expensive and complicated as the British government starts implementing full border checks. 

The economic imperative is stark. Across sectors, businesses decry fresh trade barriers stifling growth and investment. And Lord Cameron of course pointed out we cannot send the boats back to France because we cut off the mechanism to do so when we left the EU.

On security, the lack of formal UK-EU cooperation hampers efforts against cross-border crime, cyber threats, and hybrid risks like Russia’s energy blackmail. Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy is right to indicate Labour envisions seeking a new “security pact” with the EU enabling deeper coordination on emerging risks.

Around the same time as Labour followed the Tories in rejecting the European Commission’s youth mobility proposal Lammy set out his vision for progressive realism. He argued that the Conservative Party has, over 14 years, turned the British government inward.

He noted that our foreign policy will “always be founded on the country’s relations with the United States and Europe.” With the possibility of a second Trump Presidency hanging over us as a sword of Damocles, Britain’s relationship with our European neighbours will be critical to our national and economic security.

“Brexit is settled,” Lammy wrote. But clearly, the future relationship isn’t done and dusted. However, as the Shadow Foreign Secretary says “There are plenty of pragmatic steps we can take to rebuild trust and cooperation and reduce barriers to trade.”

Asked about how Keir Starmer should address the question of the UK’s relationship with Europe, Tony Blai, told The Sunday Times that “It would be wise to reset it” arguing “There are too many things that affect us that are going on in Europe. In any event, we’ve got a trade negotiation coming up.”

The public appetite could not be clearer. A poll for Best for Britain found in 631 of 632 UK constituencies, voters prefer a future Labour government pursuing closer EU ties over the current distant stance.

Despite this clear desire for change, Labour remains tentative – perhaps wary of falling into perceived “Brexit trap” debates. But maintaining an inflexible position, or worse, manifesto commitment now is counterproductive and will limit future UK-EU cooperation.

In 2026 a new UK-EU trade negotiation awaits. Giving away all your space for manoeuvre now doesn’t make any strategic sense if you are preparing for government. It’s time for Labour to shed the fear of embracing our European reality.

Instead, Labour should keep options open to allow articulation for a bold roadmap to rebuild trust and remove needless barriers with Brussels. This could include mobility schemes, regulatory alignment to rejuvenate trade flows, joining EU agencies and forums in fields like counterterrorism and energy security cooperation, and a phased long-term plan exploring options like a pan-European Mediterranean style pact, or even customs union re-entry and enhanced single market access.

Labour has a golden opportunity to reset the UK as a diplomatic and economic bridge between Europe and North America. But it must embrace, not dismiss, closer EU partnership as critical to Britain’s future resilience and prosperity. The British public supports it, businesses and Labour Party members crave it, and our national and economic security demands it.

Tijs Broeke will be joining us at Progressive Britain Conference 2024 on May 11th, at our panel ‘You’ve been scammed! Cracking down on fraudsters’. Get your tickets to hear more from him there! 

To read more from Tijs, see ‘Banning visa dependents won’t solve the social care crisis’.

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