We need a bold re-set with Europe

 In a piece for the Guardian Ed Davey says  that Brexit is not working

Our leader said:

Brexit isn’t working, and the British people know it. Poll after poll, including that unveiled this weekend by More In Common for the Sunday Times, shows that people are feeling the terrible damage caused by the deal forced upon us by Boris Johnson, Kemi Badenoch and the rest of the Conservative party, and want something different. The latest shows less than a third of Britons would vote to leave the EU if a referendum were repeated. There’s no doubt that fundamental change is needed. There’s no doubt the public will is there to make it happen. The question is: will Keir Starmer seize the moment and deliver it?

He urges Starmer to stop tinkering:

Of course, we know why Starmer has been reluctant to go further. He’s spooked by the combined threat of the Conservatives and Reform, both of whom are itching for the chance to plunge Britain back into the nasty Brexit wars of the past decade. Well, I say let them try. With so many serious problems in need of urgent solutions, the British people have absolutely no appetite for all that division and distraction, and they will have no truck with politicians who do.

The way to see off the populist right isn’t to cower in its shadow; it’s to step up and offer a compelling, positive alternative. So what does that look like? The first thing the prime minister should do is raise his sights when it comes to negotiating with the EU. This can’t be about the odd limited improvement for this sector here or that sector there. The government has to be far more ambitious than just trying to polish up the rough edges of Johnson’s bad deal.

He wants Starmer to commit to re-joining the Customs Union before 2030:

It’s the single biggest thing the government could do to turbocharge our economy in the medium and long term. It would set us firmly on the path back to the single market, with all the benefits that would bring. It would be a game-changer – not just for our economy, but for the future of British politics.

You can read the whole article here.