UK opposition party adopts cautious Brexit plan

Significance

Starmer said a Labour-led government would reduce the many non-tariff trade barriers and make implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol a first priority. He said talk of rejoining the EU’s single market, customs union and free movement regime were "arguments of the past".

Impacts

• The high costs of Brexit will shape public opinion on future moves to re-engage with EU mechanisms.
• Labour's electoral prospects would likely be stronger if Liz Truss became the next prime minister.
• Truss's election would ensure that the risk of an EU-UK trade war remains high.
• The Conservatives will struggle to reverse polling trends amid the economic downturn and party scandals.