Right to ask what sort of relationship Britain wants with the EU and settle the matter once and for all

The past decade has been characterised by drift and division. No one feels particularly better off than they were ten years ago and the social challenges continue to mount with fewer and fewer resources available to deal with them. Britain has been swimming upstream and a lot of voters are exasperated.

Where the electorate is split is as to what is to blame for this lost decade. The Prime Minister, who it must be said has always been a Remainer, points the finger at Brexit. There are many British firms who still lament the hurdles that have been put in front of them.

The referendum, over a decade ago, was one of the most divisive polls in modern electoral history. The slim margin of victory for Leave along with the murky nature of what was being offered, some campaigned for a hard break from the European Union, others advocated staying in the single market, others just a customs union, led to an equally ugly fallout from the referendum. It has cost many Parliamenterians their careers and seen off several Prime Ministers. That is why Andy Burnham is brave to float the idea of rejoining the EU.

The world is a far more dangerous place than it was a decade ago. The long shadows of war have reached Europe’s doorstep. Conflicts further afield are making life a misery for people.

Therefore it is right to ask what sort of relationship Britain would like with the largest market on its doorstep. Should the question be posed again, it must be a debate rooted in truth and the country must not allow agitators on either side to poison the well of public discourse. It should be about economics and opportunities, not emotion and fear.

As it stands, the issue of Brexit is still lingering over the country, to Britain’s detriment. It’s time to either accept the reality of Brexit or forge a new relationship with the single bloc.