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I wrote Labour’s Brexit red lines. This is why it’s time to scrap them | Chris Ward
Chris Ward, Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, argues Labour should retire its Brexit red lines before the next general election. He helped shape them to keep Labour’s 2024 offer distinct from rejoining the EU, while still supporting closer ties; he says the geopolitical landscape has since changed and security now makes a deeper relationship with Europe worth reconsidering.
Ward says the economic case for EU membership is much as it was in 2016, but argues that growing threats from Russia, China and Iran, alongside uncertainty about US reliability, make security the more urgent reason to reassess the UK’s relationship with Europe. He expects the UK-EU reset deal, due to be discussed at a summit this month, to bring practical benefits such as lower business costs, a youth mobility scheme and a return to Erasmus+. He says those steps can fit within the current red lines, which he believes will have served their purpose by the next election.
In short
- Chris Ward says Labour should retire its Brexit red lines before the next election.
- He argues Europe’s security challenges make closer UK-EU ties more urgent.
- The expected reset deal could include youth mobility and a return to Erasmus+.
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The case for
Labour should retire its Brexit red lines before the next election because they were designed for a different political moment and may now constrain a closer relationship that serves Britain’s security interests. With threats from Russia, China and Iran growing and US reliability uncertain, stronger cooperation with Europe could improve collective security; closer ties may also bring practical benefits such as lower business costs, youth mobility and renewed Erasmus participation.
The case against
Keeping the red lines would honour the mandate on which Labour sought office and provide voters with a clear commitment not to reopen the divisive question of EU membership. The UK can pursue useful cooperation on security, trade and education through the reset while remaining outside the EU, and changing course before the next election could create political uncertainty without showing that deeper integration is necessary to meet current threats.
Explained simply
Brexit refers to the UK’s departure from the European Union in 2020. Since then, governments have had to decide how closely the UK should work with the EU on trade, security and other matters.
Labour’s “red lines” are limits on how far the party says it would bring the UK back towards EU membership. They helped distinguish Labour’s 2024 election offer from a policy of rejoining, while leaving room for closer cooperation.
The UK and EU have been discussing a reset in their relationship, including practical changes for businesses and young people. The debate also involves the UK’s security ties with Europe, amid concerns about international threats and the reliability of its longstanding ally, the United States.
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