Timothy Garton Ash had a great article in The Guardian on Saturday -https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/19/uk-european-union-reset-rejoin; which I strongly recommend.
It has a great explanation of just how destructive Brexit has been to the UK’s position in the world. Basically the UK had since the war three supporting spheres of support.
The Commonwealth; which has virtually disappeared and is nothing other than a nice talking shop. Despite the wet dreams of the Brexiteers that we can somehow recreate the Empire.
The EU; which we realised in the 1950s we had to join, which was a world power and a natural place for the UK to replace its empire and find a new role.
and finally the relationship with the USA. Not so much that it was a “special relationship” but as a bridge between America and Europe it was a nice place to be. But the arrival of Trump with his mad as a hatter policies of trade wars, attacking allies, seeingEurope as a threat and backing Russia; that one is dead too.
Which all goes to show what an utter stupid idea Brexit was and is.
I would say we are now like one of those steel balls in a pinball game; bouncing around, knocked on all sides, with little influence on where we are going, no safe areas and no friends either.
To be fair Starmer is playing a good game, his diplomatic efforts seem to be successful; but he is merely trying to limit the damage. When Farage is still setting the agenda, when Reform and the Tories would fight any return to the EU tooth and claw and when the media is dominated by right wingers with tunnel vision there is nothing much we can do.
The media is still dominated by idiots who think the French are our real enemies, that Canzuk is some kind of potential world power, that Trump is right and that Brexit has been a triumph.
That situation can only get worse, we are on our own, with no real mates, we do not belong to any group of nations that can protect us with soft power, amplify our voice and influence, or can counter act the economic bullying of America or China. Even NATO is in peril.
Well done David Cameron, you risked all this with your referendum, designed purely to end Tory infighting and then you lost to Johnson and Gove, because you wouldn’t call out your mates as liars.
We are now on our own, in a scary world, with our own internal schisms stopping us from even starting to put things right.
From Jonty Bloom Media Ltd
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
The first thing that Starmer should do is drop the ridiculous 'make brexit work' mantra, and start calling it out (with evidence) for the real damage it has done. His international work is to his credit, but the fact that he won't lance the boil at home is not.
Who knows what Starmer’s aim is? It could be a very cunning plan cooked up by his advisors? It could be his plan that only he knows, or it could be hope for the best without planning for the worst?