Starmer told he has head in the sand’ over cost of Brexit

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of having his head in the sand” over Brexit as figures show conclusively that the UK is worse off five years after leaving the EU.

- KATE DEVLIN DAVID MADDOX

The prime minister has been urged to undertake a radical rethink of the Brexit reset to drive economic growth, as he prepares to open his negotiations at a dinner with EU leaders on Monday.

Writing in The Independent yesterday, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey called for the government to drop its red line on joining an EU customs union, in order to strengthen Britain’s hand with Donald Trump.

Following the US president’s inauguration, Sir Ed said the PM had to “acknowledge that the circumstances have changed” as he also accused Labour and the Tories of taking part in a “conspiracy of silence” over the UK’s relationship with Europe.

Already, Sir Keir has been criticised for a lack of ambition in his negotiations, apparently having ruled out simple measures like creating a youth mobility scheme as well as refusing to consider rejoining the EU or its single market. And serious concerns have been raised that the Labour government has failed to properly acknowledge the impact of Brexit, after a written parliamentary answer revealed that Sir Keir has refused to carry out an audit on the economic damage so far caused by Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc.

Also writing in The Independent yesterday, former Tory minister Dominic Grieve and former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, the joint chairs of European Movement UK, called on the prime minister to seek “associate membership” for the UK in a bid to “redefine its place within the continent”.