Leaders | Red lines

The Labour government’s worrying lack of ambition in Europe

Sir Keir Starmer is trapped by the mindset of the post-Brexit years

Starmer wearing  glasses with question marks , yellow stars in the background
Illustration: Nate Kitch

Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister, says that he has a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to turn the corner on Brexit. He is right. He was propelled to power in July by a largely pro-European electoral coalition. The leading lights of the Brexit era—Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg—are figures of the past. And Britons themselves show plenty of signs of regret for the decision made in 2016. A clear majority of them now consider it a mistake.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Too timid ”

From the September 7th 2024 edition

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