The Guardian view on a changing Brexit debate: Kemi Badenoch is trapped in denial | Editorial

The prime minister’s ambitions might be ambiguous, but unlike the Conservative leader, he is following voters and the facts British politics is still polarised around Brexit, although 10 years on from the referendum, the terms of debate are very different. Or they should be. Russ

The prime minister’s ambitions might be ambiguous, but unlike the Conservative leader, he is following voters and the facts British politics is still polarised around Brexit, although 10 years on from the referendum, the terms of debate are very different. Or they should be. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has moved discussions of European solidarity from the realm of abstraction to a matter of urgent defence partnership.

Donald Trump’s presidency in the US, marked by scorn for European democracies and indulgence of Vladimir Putin , has undermined confidence that Britain can rely on any “special relationship” with Washington. Under these circumstances, it would be absurd to deny that a reappraisal of Brexit is in order. The prime minister acknowledged this in his speech at the Labour party conference last month, calling for a national conversation about the future relationship with every option, including rejoining, on the table.

The Eurosceptic opposition are having none of it. The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, accuses the government of stirring division by raising the European question. She told MPs this week that Labour should thank the Tories for the Brexit deal they negotiated.

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