Why Brexit Is A Dirty Word

Politicians avoid the B-word for fear of scoring an election own goal. But should they be bolder, asks Sean O’Grady

- Sean O’Grady

Anyone remember Brexit? It’s not so long ago when it dominated the national debate. Indeed, the 2019 general election, admittedly something that now feels an age ago, was all about Britain’s breakup with the European Union, a kind of final chapter of the 2016 referendum saga.

Sheer emotional exhaustion after years of bitter fighting led many to vote for Boris Johnson and the Conservatives to “Get Brexit Done”. Voters wanted an end to the civil war, and some saw “closure” as even more important than the form it took. But the baleful effects of Brexit, and limited evidence of “unleashed potential” providing benefits for the British people, form a quiet backdrop to many of the debates over the cost of living crisis, the state of public services, scope for tax cuts, and stronger defences. On balance, Brexit has damaged the economy, yet no one is talking about it…

Is there a conspiracy of silence about Brexit?

Between the main parties, that is certainly the case. For different reasons, neither wants to revive the issue, simply because it would divide their own party and indeed the electorate, with unpredictable results. So it is not much mentioned, though the arguments within the Tory party about the European Convention on Human Rights (nothing to do with the EU) are a kind of proxy.

But isn’t Brexit unpopular now?