The Speech Keir could give to Labour conference on Brexit to move the needle

I turn now to Brexit. No issue has ever divided our country more than this. We’ve now left the European Union. For many, this is the start of a new, exciting chapter, for others a destructive change that will forever be wrong.

As Labour’s shadow minister for Brexit my team and I tried to work with the government of Theresa May in order to get the best Brexit deal we could to safeguard jobs and investment whilst honouring the vote of the Referendum. But events worked against us and the Tory party elected Boris Johnson.

Over the months since we left we’ve seen growing problems in our supply chain and in sectors of the economy that stem directly from Boris Johnson’s rushed deal. So I say this to this conference and to the country at large. A Labour government led by me will do its level best to make Brexit work. We will re-engage and repair our relationship with our European friends and work to smooth the issues our country faces from the botched Brexit deal achieved by the Tories. Where we need to work together we will, where we can go it alone we will.

The Tories will, at the coming election, try to paint Labour as a party that will seek to undo Brexit. So I say this here and now. There is no intention for us to do this and I’ve so far seen no interest in the country for us to revisit this question. The priority of the people I’ve met recently is ensuring our country recovers from Coronavirus, that we build new green prosperity and opportunity for all. But as Labour leader, I can tell you this; If I see any part of our economy struggling, jobs being lost or opportunities missed I will not hesitate to act to protect them.

The people and the future of our great country are my priority not the dogma and inflexibility of Tory Brexiteers.