𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Serious Governments face the challenges in front of them and make hard choices in the national interest. Unserious Governments dodge the big decisions and try to distract and divide people.

That is the context for Labour’s absurd decision to reopen the Brexit debate a decade on from the referendum. Rachel Reeves has joined the growing chorus of left-wingers demanding closer ties to the EU, going as far as to call for rejoining outright. Her disastrous legacy as Chancellor will mean many take her advice with a pinch of salt.

But the bigger issue here is that Andy Burnham came to power with no plan.

As a result, he has no answers for the dire state of our economy and our public finances and is reaching for any kind of distraction he can lay his hands on. And he has settled on Brexit.

Labour are speaking as if rejoining the EU will solve all of our problems.

But there would be a huge financial cost to pay if we wanted to re-enter the bloc. We would also have to hand control of our borders back to Brussels.

And the truth is that Brexit isn’t the reason for our soaring welfare bill, crippling taxes and out-of-control borrowing. Those are all things that Labour could take action to resolve. But at the Budget last week Chancellor John Healey chose not to.

The alternative is clear.

At the next election, the choice will be between a Labour Party that will tax you more and more to pay out more in benefits while maxing out the nation’s credit card, and a Conservative Party with a plan to make £70 billion of savings including on welfare, cut taxes, invest in our defence and cut the deficit to ensure we leave a better future for our children.