Sir Keir Starmer has been slammed for having “more positions on Brexit than the Kama Sutra” as the Labour leader set out a five-point plan to “make Brexit work”.
Speaking to the Centre for European Reform during an event at the Irish Embassy in London last night, Sir Keir ruled out rejoining the EU or the single market if Labour comes to power, insisting such moves would spark further division in Britain.
Sir Keir said Labour is “claiming the centre ground of British politics once again”, not from a “mushy place of compromise”, but driven by “purpose” and “optimism”.
But he essentially vowed to hand power and initiative back to Brussels at the same time, as he said he would “sort out” the Northern Ireland Protocol by agreeing a veterinary deal with the EU and stick to the bloc's rules on food and livestock exports.
Martin Daubney
GB News
Sir Keir Starmer outlined plans to "make Brexit work"
Stefan Rousseau
Deputy leader of the Reclaim Party, Martin Daubney, isn’t convinced by the new plans.
Speaking on GB News’ Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel, Mr Daubney said: “I mean you could say: 'Thank the lord, six years on, Keir Starmer has finally accepted the Brexit referendum.'
“You could however deduce that he’s doing this purely for cynical reasons because anyone who has campaigned in national elections, as I have twice, knocked on doors all over the East Midlands, West Midlands, the North will tell you, Keir Starmer has a massive Brexit problem.
"People don’t believe him and that’s for good reason.
Emily Thornberry
GB News
“48 times Keir Starmer voted against Brexit, at every turn he led the people’s vote campaign to overturn the referendum."
He continued: “More positions on Brexit than the Kama Sutra, in, out, in, out, shake it all about.
“Here’s a guy we simply cannot trust, suddenly he’s saying 'trust me on Brexit to try and win over the voters.'
“Now I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him, the voters don’t and his own party don’t.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has since spoken out against Sir Keir's comments, arguing for a return to the single market.
He said: “I believe our city and our country’s future is best served being members of the single market.”
But Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry has come out in defence of the plan.
She told GB News' Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel: "Many of us in the Labour Party campaigned to remain in the European Union, we lost the referendum.
"There were then campaigns in the two general elections, 2017 and 2019.
"2019, in particular, which was about Brexit. It was a single issue general election, we lost it.
"So now what we have to do is accept the reality, it’s a one-way street we have gone, and the fact of the matter is we would not be able to rejoin the European Union on the same term as we were before, it is simply impossible.
"So what we should be doing is making the best of the situation and we should be moving on and looking forward and being optimistic.
"But being prepared to face the problems we have as a nation, face the problems that we have with our nearest neighbours and make sure that we sort it out, not just be afraid as the Government are, they spend their time running away from it going 'don’t criticise us, you’re being unpatriotic'."