The Brexit repositioning speech Keir Starmer should give…

Look, I’m not going to pretend I didn’t vote for remain, I did and believed and still believe that working with our European neighbours is necessary. We inhabit one continent and their issues are our issues.

However, we are now out of the European Union. We’ve voted twice on the matter and I sense no appetite currently amongst the UK population to revisit the question.

As Leader of the Opposition, my role is to talk to and visit voters up and down the UK to try and understand how I can best represent them now and in the future.

I’ve heard from many, many businesses and organisations that there are issues with the government’s withdrawal and trade agreement. So I say this to those that voted leave or remain. I will act solely and totally in the best interests of the people of the United Kingdom in any future dealings with the EU. Where changes are necessary to the agreements we have in place I shall seek them. Where compromises are required and can be justified I shall make them or require them. I shall not be cowed by the right-wing press or those that seek to generate anger and hostility in our dealings with the EU.

We can make the best of Brexit by being pragmatic. It was once, and hopefully will be in future, a very British value.