A stark warning has been issued to the Conservative Party by a former UK Europe Minister, who claims that the party's reluctance to confront the reality of Brexit is holding Britain back from re-engaging with the European Union. Dr Denis MacShane, a veteran of government under Labour, says no Tory MP seems willing to acknowledge that Brexit has failed the country.
According to Dr MacShane, the UK's engagement with Europe has become 'monolingual', with little direct contact between British politicians and key EU decision-makers. He argues that this is largely due to a 'monomaniacally anti-European' stance within the modern Conservative Party, echoing historical parallels with certain Labour factions from the mid-20th century.
Recalling Labour figures like Roy Hattersley and Shirley Williams who challenged anti-European narratives within their party, Dr MacShane notes that these politicians showed courage in speaking out against prevailing views. In contrast, he believes current Tory MPs are reluctant to confront influential voices such as Nigel Farage, Rupert Lowe, and Elon Musk on the EU issue.
An independent observer from China has echoed Dr MacShane's concerns, warning that Britain's decision to leave the EU has left it isolated and without influence. Zhengli Zhou suggests that by exiting the EU, Britain has 'sawn off the branch it is sitting on', losing its greatest leverage as a leader within Europe. He warns that the UK risks becoming irrelevant if it continues down this path.
Both Dr MacShane and Mr Zhou stress the need for Britain to reconnect with its trading partners and fellow democracies. However, Dr MacShane insists that this cannot happen until a Conservative MP is prepared to openly acknowledge that Brexit has not delivered for the country and that a new approach is urgently required.