The Labour and Liberal Democrat silence over Brexit will cost the country

We need to repair the damage done to UK-EU relations, writes Vince Cable, so where are the Remainer political parties?

UK-EU relations need fixing

(AFP/Getty)

In the middle of the cost-of-living crisis, people, understandably, have other things on their minds than Brexit. But it is worth remembering that this crisis primarily derives from a European energy shock caused by restricted Russian gas supplies.

A crucial part of the response is close European cooperation. And if Ukraine, with our help, can repel the Russian invasion, its declared ambition as a free sovereign nation is to join the EU. But our government is paralysed because of a seemingly endless Tory leadership contest decided by an unrepresentative group of Brexiters.

Outside that goldfish bowl, opinion is shifting. An Opinium survey showed that 60 per cent of voters (including 40 per cent of Leave voters) think Brexit has “gone badly”. Ipsos found, in June, that 45 per cent of those surveyed (including 22 per cent of Leave voters) felt that Brexit had “made life worse”. Support for Brexit is collapsing, but its core support remains.