Has the Deputy Prime Minister just opened the door for closer ties with the EU? Angela Rayner told the BBC on Sunday that the promises made by Brexit backers haven’t just failed to materialise, but that ‘the opposite has happened’ entirely.
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Will Labour act to realign the UK with the EU?
Labour have endured a turbulent start to their premiership, but there is hope within the party that the turnaround has already begun. This week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer released a set of target ‘milestones’, for which the British public could hold him accountable for.
‘Reset’ seems to be the operative word for Sir Keir, who is looking to restore the positivity and optimism that helped Labour sweep to a comprehensive victory in the recent General Election. Starmer is also on a mission to iron-out Britain’s relationship with the EU.
Brexit left something of a sour taste across the continent, and under the last government, relations became unquestionably frosty. The PM is yet to commit to a full-scale realignment with the trading bloc, and for now, he’s choosing to pursue ‘individual agreements’ with EU nations.
Angela Rayner pulls no punches in Brexit evaluation
Whether this is the correct approach or not remains to be seen. However, Angela Rayner seems more bullish than most in her assessment of the situation. She has openly criticised the end result of Brexit, claiming that people are now experiencing the opposite of what was promised.
“We did inherit a bad situation. For example, when we left the European Union people were promised more money into the NHS, your living standards will be better and the opposite has happened.”
“I know people are impatient for change, but I also know people will give us an opportunity to prove ourselves, and we will be judged on that. This is why Keir Starmer has set out the clear guidelines on what people should expect us to deliver.” | Angela Rayner