Jason MoorePalma28/02/2018 00:00
TW
8

Just after the British general election last year I said in this space that I sincerely doubted that a full Brexit would ever take place. Labour are more pro-Europe than the Conservatives and I must say that it appears at the moment that leader Jeremy Corbyn is in the driving seat. Labour would take Britain back into the European Customs Union which would allow trade to flourish between Britain and the continent. The downside would be that Britain would be unable to sign trade deals with other countries, which was one of the arguments for Britain leaving the European Union in the first place.

So, under Corbyn Britain would be out but still in, so to speak. This is not the Brexit which has frequently been discussed, in fact trade secretary Liam Fox is right when he says it is a "sell out". But perhaps Fox’s sell out would be good for the British economy which is heavily dependent on the European continent. At least Labour appear to have a Brexit policy because the Conservatives are constantly running hot and cold on the issue. One day it is a hard Brexit the next it is a softly, softly approach.

I would say that the chances of Brexit in its hard form actually happening are very slim. I suspect that it will be a more out but still in approach. It will be a compromise deal. It doesn’t say much for democracy because the British people voted for a breakaway but no one was asked what sort of divorce they wanted. This is a divorce with wedding rings still on.