As the Brexit Nostalgia festival – AKA the Earnestness of Being Unimportant – eased into its second day, Keir Starmer prepared to give a statement to the Commons on how his deal only marginally tinkered at the edges of the Brexit agreement reached by Boris Johnson and Frosty the No Man five years ago. Sorry, that should have read the deal that completely reset Britain’s relationship with the EU paving the way for years of growth and plenty. Or, as the Brexiters put it, the greatest betrayal since the last one. Take your pick.
The Labour and the Tory benches filled up in anticipation. Government backbenchers primed to take full advantage of a rare vaguely good news story. The Tories? They were there to refight the past. Because that has worked so well for them. A new YouGov poll showed the Tories in fourth place. Behind even the Lib Dems. Though Kemi Badenoch won’t be happy until she has steered her party into fifth. A bit more climate denial and the Greens could overtake her.
