James Kirkup James Kirkup

Theresa May will campaign as being tough on Brexit, but soft on society

A Brexit election, then. Theresa May will win and claim that victory is all the mandate she needs for whatever comes from the negotiations in Brussels.  The working assumption must be that includes leaving the Single Market and the Customs Union, and, of course, an end to free movement when we leave.

And we are leaving.  This election should kill stone dead any Remainer dream that Brexit can be stopped.  When she takes Britain out of the EU, Mrs May will have both a referendum and a general election win on her side; what will Brexit’s opponents have? 

The Lib Dems will very likely do well in the election, possibly emerging as the party of the unreconciled metropolitan Remainer vote. While Jeremy Corbyn will, surely, be gone by June’s end, Tim Farron will be invigorated, leader of a much bigger and more significant Lib Dem party – unless, of course, a certain Nick Clegg makes a comeback as leader. 

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