Keir determined to wreck UK on rocks of EU incompetence

AS CALAMITY Reeves botches another Budget, Keir Starmer declares he wants us to draw closer to the EU — but with political turmoil and economic stagnation across the continent, it’s really not the best time for closer ties. Nor to claim Brexit is to blame for all our woes.

- Tim Newark Political commentator

Sir Keir wants to cosy up to Emmanuel Macron, whose nation is in a parlous state

The Prime Minister’s shortsighted remarks are no surprise, however, as the government and Civil Service must miss the EU desperately. It was great to have someone else to blame for any bureaucratic absurdity or a failure to act because of EU regulation.

Now, the government can only look in the mirror when it comes to finding fault. The rafts of regulations stifling our economy are their decisions alone.

Having failed to trigger growth with two Budgets, Starmer and his Remainer buddies believe that more EU integration will do the job. But has he really looked across the Channel?

EU growth has stalled at just 0.2% this year, while France is even further down the road to socialist hell than we are. Only one third of French people work in the private sector and top tax rates in France exceed 55%, while the average effective retirement age in France is just 60.7 years.

FRANCE owes a staggering £2.82trillion — with its interest payments alone amounting to the total French budgets for defence and education.