Ed Davey 17/3/24:
(2):
“Lib Dems have a clear plan to rebuild the relationship with EU. To renew the ties of trust and friendship, to set us on the path back to the Single Market.
... in time, to restore Britain’s place at the heart of Europe, where we belong.”

This statistic is very useful.

UK has a relatively fast growing population (large immigration) so 0% growth means people are getting much poorer. #Brexit

Italy, Japan and Spain can be seen in a truer light.

I agree, but wouldn’t see this as a ‘way round’ the referendum vote, it’s full compatible with the result. Indeed this form of ‘Brexit’ was advocated at various stages by Leave leaders. It’s the form of Brexit most voters - Leave & Remain - expected & accepted in 2016. See NatCen

LibDems have won over 30% of the seats in the 170 council by-elections over the last year, more than any other party, increasing their number of councillors by 19 while Labour has lost seats overall.

”Labour ... pointed to the recent by-election in Mid Beds as an example where the party came from third place to win a surprise victory.”
Surprising response since Lab was in clear 2nd place in 2019, 6k votes ahead of LibDems, who didn’t quite catch up. inews.co.uk/news/politics/…

Yes, it’s single market that is crucial to UK economy now. Being in a separate customs union like Turkey is just a distraction - though it is worth remembering that Starmer supported Johnson’s TCA , which does make trade largely tariff-free (exc RoOs) but doesn’t deal with NTBs.

Allianz Trade says the controls now to be implemented agreed under Johnson’s Brexit deal could add 10% to import costs over the first year.
This will drive up food prices and disproportionately hurt small businesses.

57% of British voters would now support joining the single market including resumption of reciprocal free movement of people.
reuters.com/world/uk/major…

Yet it seems that, tho 79% of Labour voters are pro-EU and ‘anti-Brexit’, 90% of them, maybe more, are planning to vote for a party committed in long-term to hard Brexit, outside the single market as well as the EU.
Maybe some of them will notice before the election, some care.

Antony Gormley accuses Tories if trying to destroy the “creative, collective project” which found a way of putting “Europe back together after two devastating world wars”.

These are the same checks which Mr Rees Mogg, as “Brexit Opportunities minister”, delayed for a fourth time in 2022 as he admitted they would cost £1bn to implement.
lbc.co.uk/politics/brexi…

“Prior to the UK's exit from the EU, Norway enjoyed free movement of goods, services, capital and persons to the UK through the EEA agreement,' Norway ministers said.
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi…

Ending Free Movement has Destabilised Britain's Economy
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/free-mov…
“Economically, ending free movement does not make sense and it is hard to see how either the Conservatives or Labour could deliver it effectively.”
Yet neither old party has learned from experience.

UK economy has continued to rely on migrant labour since Brexit.
Ending FoM with Europe led to severe labour shortages, particularly in retail, restaurant, and hotel sectors.
Yet net immigration has tripled to 745k while many EU citizens chose not to return to key jobs in GB.

UK labour market policy for last 45 years has involved migrants from EU who’ve brought significant economic benefits for UK.
Between 2001 and 2011, migrants from the ten newest EU member states in central and eastern Europe contributed nearly £5billion net to the UK economy.

Miliband warns “UK policy on Russia separate from the EU will be weaker and less effective. The same is true for China.
So decision of UK in 2019 to refuse a political and foreign policy relationship with the EU needs to be reversed.”
The for economic cooperation even stronger?

International shareholders have watched as overpaid directors converted debt into unwarranted dividends for 25yrs, failed to invest in infrastructure. They’ve taken the p1ss (and left untreated cr3p to float off) for yrs. Time to deprivatise. theguardian.com/business/2024/…

‘Stricter controls on UK exports to the EU compared to EU imports into the UK has put British domestic suppliers at a disadvantage.

British traders are subject to expensive and time-consuming checks on exports while businesses in EU can export to UK without similar barriers.’

600 lawyers, inc Lady Hale, have warned PM that govt risks breaching international law by continuing to export weapons to Israel.
UK should suspend arms sales to Israel following the targeted killing of aid workers (inc 3 Britons) in Gaza airstrikes.

The ‘A14’ from Felixstowe to the Midlands & beyond is of course the E42, improved with significant EU funding as part of the TEN.
Now GB has been bypassed by Irish ferries, to avoid delays on the former landbridge to Europe.