Where is the Conservatives’ post-Brexit agenda?

What’s the point of Brexit? We are told it is to take back control, but that is a means to an end: what is the end?

The current answer is another slogan, ‘unleashing Britain’s potential’, which strings together a collection of policies: trade deals with non-EU countries that, to date, largely replicate existing deals; tougher immigration – although the government’s plan will open up the UK to higher levels of immigration from non-EU countries, and has no cap on numbers; taking control of our waters (fishing is about 0.1% of UK GDP); new rules for our ports and shipping (0.6% of GDP); banning live animal exports; blue passports.

European leaders must be breathing a sigh of relief that the Conservative party appears to have lost its appetite for radicalism

Amidst the murk, there is a silhouette of the destination: a bigger state. The Conservative manifesto and the government’s first budget, which pre-date Covid-19, chart a course to higher spending and more government intervention.