It’s a great pity that Nick Clegg didn’t mention the one issue that could make MPs from both remain and leave constituencies vote against a Brexit deal (or no deal), ie allowing immigration controls in the EU.

This is a strange omission, since earlier this year he told Andrew Marr that politicians across the EU were now calling for a change to freedom of movement and that there was scope for a Europe-wide approach to achieving this. Were this shift to become increasingly evident, it could then allow Jeremy Corbyn to become overtly anti-Brexit, since realistic fears of losing remain seats at the next election would be mitigated. Those who don’t want Brexit should therefore not just follow Nick Clegg’s advice to influence political parties here, they should also urge their European contacts to push for such a change.

For those Labour supporters still calling for the maintenance of free movement – the opposite of what the majority want – they should ponder how this would give a desperate and vulnerable Tory party the ability to mount a successful campaign hammering “open borders Labour”.

This could help ensure a Brexit majority in any parliamentary debate and indeed the possibility of their eventual election victory condemning the rest of us to a Conservative “race to the bottom Brexit” and interminable austerity.
Colin Hines
Author of Progressive Protectionism

Twickenham