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Making a Success of Lexit: How Labour Can Use Brexit to Revive the British Economy

When: Monday, June 23, 2025, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Westminster

To register, contact: richard.johnson@qmul.ac.uk by 8th June

Since Britain left the European Union in 2020, there has been growing public dissatisfaction with Brexit, but many of the policy levers that were returned to the UK government by leaving the EU have been unused or underutilised. This should not be surprising because, for most of this time, Britain was governed by a Conservative government, yet most of the post-Brexit economic policy tools are more associated with left-of-centre national industrial strategy.

Britain has now had a Labour government for nearly a year. The Labour Party has a rich history of using economic planning to both grow and rebalance the British economy. But, in many respects, Labour is out of practice. Brexit has too often been seen as a problem to be managed rather than a set of new opportunities. This workshop will assess how the Labour government can make use of the tools of economic planning now in their hands to revive the British economy.

Programme

Arrival – Tea and coffee (10.00-10.10)


Opening Remarks (10.10-10.30)

Richard Johnson, ‘Making a Success of Lexit’

 

Panel 1 – Democracy (10.30-12.00)

Chair/Discussant: Hilary Salt

Lord Glasman, ‘Occupying the Brexit Space’

Renie Anjeh, ‘Public Opinion and Brexit’

Paul Embery, ‘Lexit and the Trade Unions’

 

Lunch (12.00-13.00)

 

Panel 2 – Foreign Policy (13.00-14.30)

Chair/Discussant: Baroness Hoey

Philip Cunliffe, ‘The National Interest after Globalisation’

Tara McCormack, ‘Labour, Sovereignty, and Foreign and Defence Policy’

James Hallwood, ‘Out and Into the World: Old Friends and New’

Catherine McBride, ‘Trade Policy after Brexit’


Coffee break (14.30-14.45)

Panel 3 – The Economy (14.45-16.00)

Chair/Discussant: tbc

Peter Ramsay, ‘Sovereignty and National Economic Policy’

Christopher Massey, ‘Public Ownership: Past lessons from Labour Governments and Future Opportunities’

Jonathan Hinder MP, ‘Immigration Policy after Brexit’

 

Closing Keynote (16.00-16.45)

Discussant: Rt Hon Lord Gove of Torry

Richard Tuck, ‘The Left and the Rediscovery of Democracy’

 

Drinks reception (16.45-17.30)

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