The Liberal Democrat leader’s call for more ambitious reintegration with Europe brings a necessary focus on economic and strategic reality

Membership of the European single market was at stake when the UK voted on Brexit, but it was not the decisive question in the campaign. The leave campaign dishonestly promised a cost-free severance of ties with Britain’s largest trading partner. As immigration came to dominate the debate, the requirement to allow free movement of people as a condition of seamless integration with European markets undermined the remainers’ most compelling argument.

Reluctance to advocate a liberal migration regime imposed a taboo on calls to reconsider the Brexit settlement, even as warnings about the cost of rupture were vindicated. Now, after a decade of forsaken growth, the mood is finally changing.

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Source link www.theguardian.com
The Liberal Democrat leader emphasizes the need for a more ambitious reintegration with Europe, highlighting the economic and strategic realities post-Brexit. Membership in the European single market was crucial but overshadowed during the campaign, with the leave side misleadingly promising a cost-free separation from the UK’s main trading partner. The focus on immigration overshadowed compelling arguments for remaining, as advocating for liberal migration became taboo. Despite initial reluctance to reconsider the Brexit outcome, perspectives are shifting after a decade of stunted growth, making discussions about the consequences of the separation increasingly relevant.