Will Brexit Destroy the Conservative Party?

Will Brexit destroy the Conservative Party?

In this new Federal Trust video, John Stevens and Brendan Donnelly discuss the possibility of a realignment of the British party system. In particular, they discuss the threat posed to the Conservative Party by Reform, a threat which Brexit has largely created.

SPEAKERS
Brendan Donnelly is the Director of the Federal Trust and a former Conservative MEP.
John Stevens is the Chair of the Federal Trust and an analyst and commentator on economic affairs.

ABOUT THE FEDERAL TRUST
The Federal Trust is a research institute studying regional, national, European and global levels of government. It has always had a particular interest in the European Union and Britain’s place in it. The Federal Trust has no allegiance to any political party. It is registered as a charity for the purposes of education and research.

#brexit
#conservatives

[louis-philippearnhem]

0:44 An article published on 11 June 2024 summed it up perfectly when it quoted the Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel’s comments from March 2018: “They were in with loads of opt-outs and now want out with loads of opt-ins.”
Not going to happen Starmer!

[David-jizv]

Not just the tories, but if starmer can't see past his insistence of stupid tory red lines he'll be finished too

[JohnnyinMN]

Just discussing Farage and Johnson nearly a decade after Brexit shows how far the English have to go to even begin realistic discussions on applying to the EU.

[terencemacsweeney]

Thank you John & Brendan. I think it is also worth a mention that if Harris succeeds then Trump if finished, MAGA America will need to regroup, the Republican Party will have to regroup, and the Brexit Nationalists of the Reform & Conservative Parties in the UK will suffer a huge body blow, ... and a whole new vista opens for Starmer.

[modelcitizen]

Note how the Tory leadership candidates won't mention Brexit. I wonder why? The

[nicks]

Start with an inquiry into the impact of Brexit and the deliberate decision taken to undermine the country economically politically and culturally

[isabellesmith]

Excellent clip
Very informative
Thank you 😊

[robertofranceschini]

Keep going! Let's hope that the tide of history sweeps Brexit away.

[smoozerish]

The conservative party, as we once knew it, has already been destroyed.

[peterebel]

The Conservative Party will survive - not so the UK.

[peterzapp]

It has, in exchange for an effortless, one-time victory in 2019.

[ddleupriandboast]

It is actually a funny discussion, to me. The UK geographically is always in Europe. Your political choice is to make bureaucracy more or less. Brexit is just a choice for more roadblocks to collaboration.

[timelwell]

Many of these issues would be solved - or at least greatly mitigated - by replacing the UK's dysfunctional First Part The Post electoral system with Proportional Representation in tandem with the Single Transferable Vote. Sadly, however, Starmer has made it ABUNDANTLY clear that he has ZERO intention of EVER doing so. Au contraire, he has dug his heels in on this issue.

Moreover, Starmer has said that in his lifetime a Labour Government would NEVER seek for the UK to join the EU again. Indeed, one of his election slogans was 'Make Brexit Work.'

And then we have the problem that Starmer is seeking to continue the previous (Tory) govenment's plan to create numerous 'Special Enterprise Zones' and some more 'Free Ports' which would be devoid of government regulation.

Doing this will ensure that the UK will NOT be eligible to join the EU for a VERY, VERY long time - at least another 35 years in my opinion.

All of which delights the Kremlin/Putin, who is delighted to see as much fracturing of Europe as possible, and has poured considerable money and resources into ensuring that Brexit come about in the first place, and that it will continue unabated for the next fourty years or more.

Add to this comments such as Freedom of Movement being a thing of the past, and that we have to 'move on.'

To say that those of us who want to see the UK once more within the EU is an uphill struggle is an understatement.

[CrownRider]

"We think Britain's place is in the European Union". Lots of European Union citizens think the opposite. Britain had a chance to integrate but chose to leave. No more opt-outs, no more exceptionalism. It's over and done.

[nicks]

Unfortunately even if we want to rejoin the damage is already done. It will take years to recover.

[katywalker]

Unfortunately until either the UK gets serious electoral reform, or either labour or conservative parties are prepared to face down the minority of the population who support Brexit then we won't get any move forward.

[carnivaltym]

I don't care what destroys it, as long as it goes permanently.

[ddleupriandboast]

EU is stronger working together, especially in these difficult times. War is close and dictators are collaborating on our downfall. I would be happy for UK return.

[nicks]

The conservatives can never out reform reform. They will never leave the comfort of the party.

[peterzapp]

The EU united wartime enemies, but Brexiteers' ignorance and contempt of the EU's achievements caused more diplomatic damage.