If you follow this blog, you’ll see that I am concerned with the line that Labour is taking on Brexit and the post-Brexit deal. I have written this motion which I believe will get some broad support; it might not be insufficiently assertive on rejoining the single market, I think its clear but others may want some stronger words.
The Tories’ ‘Hard Brexit’ has intensified the cost of living crisis.
Conference notes:
- The Tory ‘Hard Brexit’ has led to reduced foreign inward investment, a worsening balance of trade deficit, reduced employment, a labour shortage in many industries, most obviously in agriculture, hospitality and in the NHS and jobs are being offshored to western Europe. The withdrawal from the common energy market, has contributed to the UK’s increase in energy prices. These negative economic consequences of Tory policy are significant contributors to the cost of living crisis.
- The labour shortages are compounded by the xenophobia released by the referendum and the Tory’s “hostile environment”.
- Northern Ireland’s post-brexit economic performance is outperforming all other parts of the UK, except London.
- It was a mistake for Keir Starmer to whip Labour MPs to vote in favour of the Tory ‘Hard Brexit’ trade deal.
- To start reversing the damage inflicted by the Tory ‘Hard Brexit’ Britain needs to significantly reduce the trade frictions it has imposed on its imports of goods, services and labour from its biggest trading partner, the EU.
Conference resolves that Labour will call for a closer relationship with the EU in order to alleviate the trade frictions the Tories have introduced, that we will seek to rejoin Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, and that we will repeal the cruel and intrusive hostile environment.
This is 223 words so there’s another 27. If you like it but want the last paragraph to call for rejoining the single market, and include freedom of movement for Labour that would be great. I am putting this to my GC as a conference motion but with Deptford, who knows, it might get trapped between the remaining Lexiter’s and Starmer loyalists.
A few hours later, this thread on rejoining the EU came up on twitter. It illustrates the failings of Brexit, and its growing unpopularity. It makes the point that the Tory Party, ” … now exists only as a b rand name. It has been taken over and effectively destroyed by a bunch of UKIP English nationalists and other (frankly) nutters.” It also points at a blog on the LSE blog site which argues that there is a majority for a closer relation with Europe than the current post Brexit deal, and it is more popular than rejoining despite or because of the entrenched identities people have chosen. The author compares our madness with prohibition in the USA which only lasted 13 years. Even then still too late for my next passport to be Burgundy.