Here's why nothing should be off table with EU talks - Scotsman comment

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has this weekend called for an “honest discussion” about a return to freedom of movement with the EU.

Cue the predictable and depressing reaction from those who seek to conflate freedom of movement with our biggest trading partner to illegal immigration. The two are not the same and - once again for those at the back - the asylum small boats crisis has been made significantly worse as a result of Brexit.

Essentially, Brexit was akin to setting a house on fire and then complaining that the fire brigade could not put it out.

Leaving the EU meant the UK automatically exited the Dublin III agreement, which had previously allowed the UK to return asylum seekers to the first EU country they had entered. Without that, deportations became much harder.

The UK, and Scotland in particular, though needs immigration. We do not know how many of those who voted for Brexit wanted to end free movement, or how many were prepared to bin the single market. We do know however what the impact has been.

It is entirely proper that the current view of the nation is tested with fresh proposals at the next General Election. Far from a betrayal of Brexit, it is the duty of government.

Quizzed on Sunday, Angela Rayner, the housing secretary and former deputy prime minister, said the Prime Minister “is not saying we’re going back to where we were in 2016. He’s saying we’ve got to be pragmatic to get the best deal for Britain and he wants to have the conversation.”

That, in The Scotsman’s view, is absolutely right.

The world is a more dangerous and unpredictable place than it was in 2016. The UK has no choice but to forge closer relations with the EU, and the benefits in economic terms are demonstrated by the disaster which followed our leaving.

We may not be rejoining the EU any time soon, but nothing should be off the table in the pursuit of a better deal which repairs some of the worst self-inflicted damage to the country.