Helen Pitt

And this bill, isn't there some controversy over the fact that it will deny MPs the right to vote on which of these 76 rules or any future rules that the UK will comply with?

It'll sort of speed up the process to such an extent that once again, Brussels is calling the shots and our own parliament is not sovereign.

The irony.

Quite.

And how have the opposition parties responded to the prospect of this latest bill and how Labour is essentially planning to bypass MPs later down the line?

As you would expect.

So do you think then that perhaps the likes of Andrew Griffiths have got a point when it comes to the sovereignty question, if we are just going to let the EU set the rules?

And how well do you think that this will play politically, especially with the May local elections coming up?

Yeah.

Or anybody at the airport facing a long queue.

But do you think, you know, if you outlined at the start of this conversation just how cumbersome the red tape is for exporters and importers, particularly the food and drink sector in the UK, wouldn't this closer alignment be good news then for not just for those people, but also for consumers if it eases the flow of goods and potentially makes them cheaper as well?

And I know that you were in Brussels last month for a fairly major UK-EU summit.

What were the vibes like there?

Did it feel like both sides were equally enthusiastic about having a closer relationship?

Really?

I know.

I can't quite believe that it's almost 10 years since the UK voted for Brexit.

But it's interesting, isn't it, that Starmer is feeling more confident now to talk about this closer relationship.

And why do you think that is?

Because for the first couple of years of him being leader of the Labour Party, he was sounding so Brexity in spite of the fact that everybody knew he'd been agitating for a second referendum before he became the leader.