Brexit – Labour’s skeleton in the closet?

Dealing with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is “like honey on toast”, say EU Ambassadors

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024

Facts4EU.Org evaluates what little we know about Labour policy towards the EU

Firstly and importantly, Brexit Facts4EU.Org remains politically neutral and we only comment on the political parties’ policies in relation to Brexit, and the UK’s relations with the EU. Other than that we are non-partisan.

Getting to the bottom of a future Labour government’s policies on ever-closer alignment to the EU is akin to wading throgh treacle – uphill. What we do know is that there would a major realignment in the UK’s relationship with the European Union. We know this from Sir Keir Starmer’s own statements over the past year and also from those of David Lammy, the shadow Foreign Secretary.

As the general election looms, however, it becomes ever more difficult to know exactly what Labour will do if they come to power. The UK’s relationship with the EU has become Labour’s ‘skeleton in the closet’.

“Not in front of the children, dear”

Despite the fact that the UK’s international relationships and foreign policy are not mentioned on Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘five pledges’ card we know a little of what they are planning, based on interviews with pro-Remain media over the past year.

We also experienced the behaviour of the Labour leader and his shadow cabinet during the disgraceful period in the Remainer Parliament in the years following the EU Referendum in 2016. They were all advocating that the democratic vote of the British people be overturned.

Now they are reluctant to speak of this, but it is all in Hansard.

“The People’s Vote” was actively campaigned for by Keir Starmer and his colleagues

It must be remembered that Sir Keir Starmer was part of the large Remainer cabal in Parliament who actively advocated ‘The People’s Vote’ – as if the people had not already voted. This was nothing short of a brazen attempt to subvert democracy.

The British people had voted in the largest democratic vote in history to leave the European Union. It remains our view that those politicians who engaged in this prolonged attempt to subvert democracy should be barred from office. There is no place in Parliament for those who do not respect the will of the people.

David Lammy – the EU’s champion

David Lammy MP is the Shadow Foreign Secretary. Come November it is highly likely that he will be in overall charge of the UK’s relations with the EU.

It is not easy to find videos of any speeches by David Lammy or other shadow cabinet ministers in the last year, but below we show one.

Last month even the avidly pro-EU Guardian published the following

“The party’s reluctance to air the European question too loudly before that [the election] is understandable. But this does not mean the question is going to go away in government.
“One thing can be said with complete confidence. The change in the UK-EU relationship if Labour returns to power will be complicated not simple, evolutionary not explosive, and contextual not doctrinaire. It will not be a stark in-out choice, as it was in 2016. In many ways it would be crazy if it was, in the light of the civic and practical damage that the referendum and its aftermath inflicted on our still wounded country.”
“But a changing and closer relationship with Europe is nevertheless a certainty if Labour is elected. The threat from Russia matters here, of course, as do the climate and migration crises. But Britain’s relationship with Europe cannot avoid being a key dynamic of any long-term national renewal project for Britain of the kind that Starmer promised to the Labour conference last year. Repair with Europe cannot be dodged indefinitely, whether in the context of domestic politics, international security or the economy.”

Meanwhile in Brussels…

It seems that the EU Commission of Ursula von der Leyen is licking its lips at the prospect of a pro-EU Labour government in the UK.

No-one there will be quoted on the record – probably for fear of damaging Labour’s electoral chances - but one official said that dealing with Labour would be “like honey on toast.”

Observations

Any talk of "closer alignment" with the EU by a British administration is something which will worry many readers.

This is particularly acute when many feel that the current Government has failed to capitalise on the freedoms which have already been available to us as a result of Brexit, but which have not been used.

We urge the current administration to act with alacrity to pursue all reforms which should have been implemented, ahead of the next general election.

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[ Sources: Various Labour sources and pro-EU media | EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Wed 21 May 2024

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Reader Comments 18

1. Ashley Great Britain , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 06:52:

Labour are dangerous poison.
-
They are just waiting and biding their time.
Labour are stuffed full of EU sympathisers and they tried very hard to stop or dilute Brexit.
They tried in full view of us all. What will they do as soon as they are behind the leavers of power.
They will crush Brexit and our independence by any means possible.
It is essential at the very least that all leave voters don't vote for them, Infact the top 2 parties don't deserve any votes.
The EU commission will be sitting in silence like rumplestiltskin in shrek curling their toes in anticipation of a take over. The danger is very real for us all.

2. Sparky , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 06:56:

Good piece in the Guardian.
.
Very few politicians talk about Brexit because its still a toxic and divisive subject.
.
Labour will be gifted the next GE as a result of the mess the Cons have got themselves into in relation to Brexit, wether that be Boris, Truss, but essentially the rise of the right of the Cons Party following the referendum.
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Issues like Northern Ireland and Gibraltar will hold UK close to EU and make the UK a follower of the EU instead of being at the table.
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A peoples vote would have been sensible as Brexit was based on slogans. Jim Radcliffe probably speaks for a lot of people that voted Leave when he said leaving the EU didn't turn out as expected.

3. Have You Wondered , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 07:17:

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2. Sparky - "Very few politicians talk about Brexit because its still a toxic and divisive subject."
.
Indeed. There is nothing to talk about. It was the democratic vote of the electorate, which certain politicians to their utter shame chose to ignore, that should have been enacted with vigour.
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If there is no talking, I hope it is because politicians are holding their heads in utter shame.
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Never ever will I vote for the Lib Dems who said :
.
"cherwell .org /2019/12/08/ interview layla moran/
“Our stance of stop Brexit by revoking Article 50 means we’re standing up for what we believe in: we’ve never wanted to leave, and this is being honest with people about that. It’s also the only way to actually make Brexit stop.”
.
Both Labour and Lib Dems have without any doubt shown themselves to be anti democratic and despite all the " we need to listen to the electorate" - do not ! Shamefull and against all the principles of democracy the UK preached around the world. Hang your heads in shame for the world to see.
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The Cons. have been at least weak if not complicit in not fulfilling the electorates vote and in my view are sitting in the same hulk of a boat with the other two parties.
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Westminster needs an enema !
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Why does the UK (or any other nation) need another level of corruption and malfeasance above that which the UK has already?
.
.

4. Ashley Great Britain , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 07:26:

2 Sparky.
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Your last paragraph is a joke as expected by a losing remain view.
PEOPLE actually did vote, They went into the booth, made their mark, And said they don't want to be run by the EU.
Your damn right leaving the EU hasn't turned out as expected. That's not leavings fault, That's the fault of people in power who didn't want to leave.
The way Brexit has been done, And the shockingly blatant attempts to prevent it will be a stain on our political history.
We can be thankful for small Brexit gains but what any leave voter regrets is how it hasn't really happened yet.

5. John Jones , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 07:35:

Brexit – Labour’s skeleton in the closet?
Really? We're on the cusp of a new labour government who have an avowed intent of moving closer to alignment with EU rules, regulations & directives. Labour has never seen the EU as a trading partner - it sees it as it really is - a political & Regulatory union - the EUs control & homogenisation of member states fits well with the DNA of labour - socialist governments. Make no mistake - Starmer is more of a socialist than Tony Blair ever was.
There's a significant amount of evidence, even in the legacy media about Labours putative intentions are with the EU - particularly around Sanitary & phyto sanitary measures ( Inc food, animals & plants) - like this: " EU officials have told POLITICO that Brussels would be interested in such a deal — known as a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement — only if London was willing to accept European Court of Justice (ECJ) oversight..."
Here's the rub - what Brussels wants, Brussels gets & labour is very likely to capitulate to Brussels given that dealing with the EU is a government competency & can be undertaken without too much parliamentary scrutiny.
It's worth noting too, that the EU & UK want to get closer on financial services again with a view to hobble the UKs financial services sector which it couldn't do under the TCA.
The EU desperately wants to export its youth unemployment to the UK & have tried to dress this up as youth mobility - Labour will try to sell youth mobility to the UK youth as a vote winner.
All in all, labour will try desperately hard to get the UK significantly more aligned to the EU behemoth ( it suits both parties and especially the UK civil service who will be like pigs-in-s**t) - unfortunately, the Brexit process is like a game of snakes and ladders - it will, unfortunately take another centre right uk government some time to correct the labour tragedy/anomaly.

6. Have You Wondered , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 07:59:

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I wonder why the Cons. and Greens are not making hay about the lack of democracy of Labour and Lib dems? The theme being a blatant lack of democracy to the point:
As 4. Ashley Great Britain says: And the shockingly blatant attempts to prevent it will be a stain on our political history.
(Indeed it will be)
.
Also as I posted above:
.
Both Labour and Lib Dems have without any doubt (documented) shown themselves to be anti democratic and despite all the " we need to listen to the electorate" - do not !
.
Shamefull and against all the principles of democracy the UK preached around the world. Hang your heads in shame for the world to see.
.
Maybe with the complete lack of democracy in the UK would feel so at home in the EU?
.
As I keep posting - the essence of the arguement:
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Why does the UK (or any other nation) need another level of corruption and malfeasance above that which the UK has already?
.

7. Sparky , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 08:23:

Fabulous episode of the brilliant “Yes Prime Minister” on BBC4 last night, 40 years old but the topics haven’t changed. Episode was about a proposal for local government which would end the power of the political parties and the whip system. Deemed to be a true democracy, quickly dropped because of the power it would remove from the politicians and civil servants.

8. Have You Wondered , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 08:35:

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7. Sparky - Indeed.
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Why does the UK (or any other nation) need another level of corruption and malfeasance above that which the UK has already?
.

9. Major Graham Lear , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 09:11:

Labour might be the flavour of the month when it comes to a GE, however, they are in for a massive shock as the results come in. There is a huge elephant in the room that no one is talking about and that elephant is the Islamic vote, no Labour MP who has a huge Islamic population in their constituency is safe from losing his or her seat to independent Muslims and George Galloway and thats because of the ongoing war in Gaza.
Labour could lose at least 50 seats and thats not counting the two seats of Corbyn and Abbot who have been kicked out of the Labour Party/ We have seen thousands of people of all persuasions in London marching for a ceasefire and Labour leaders are ignoring this. It's putting the backs of their voters up.
If this happens and by all accounts it will, these new independent MPs will come together and form their own party. Labour might win but not with a good enough majority, the whole of the political landscape will change. The Lib Dems who usually hold the balance of power will be kicked into fourth place with their paltry 12/14 and Starmer will have to ask this new party to back him up. Then we will see the fun and games start because quite a few of the MPs who will lose their seats are Labour stalwarts, even Lammy is not safe these days and there have been many rumblings about how he treats his constituents for years. People on X formally Twitter see daily what Labour voters are saying about the Labour leadership. If Starmer thinks it's in the bag he is in for a shock.

10. KB , Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 10:18:

It's very unfortunate how Brexit became associated with the "far-right" somehow.
People forget that in the 1983 general election Labour stood on a platform of leaving the EEC.
Back in 1974 it was the Left that campaigned for "No", including of course Tony Benn, father of the infamous Hilary Benn. The TUC was dead against joining.
In 1973, it was the Tories that took us into the common market under Ted Heath.

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