Ed's Brexit round-up

It's been the Labour Party's turn in the spotlight this week. What did the NPA make of Brighton? And how has the rest of Europe reacted to the PM's Florence speech? 

Brighton: It has been a week dominated by the Labour party, who held their annual party conference in Brighton. The party conference was in buoyant mood, helped by positive polling ratings and a better than expected general election result, despite a lack of clear policy proposals to come out of it. The NPA were there in attendance and managed to meet with MPs and Shadow Ministerial teams. Over the conference, there was a striking absence of policy detail or direction over Brexit; key policy debates were instead focussed on other areas.

Florence: Following the Prime Minister’s speech last week in Florence, and much to the surprise of the NPA, it appears that the EU feels this enough to move ahead with further talks. The concession of providing assurances for existing EU nationals within the UK, plus further time to agree complex policies, appears to have been well received. That said, the rest of the EU’s 27 states appear somewhat divided on how they want the Brexit process to  proceed, with some favouring a shorter, harder Brexit whilst others opting for a longer, softer transition. The EU has a task in keeping the whole EU united.

Manchester: Next week, attention turns to Manchester, where the Conservatives will be holding their annual party conference. It will be an interesting one for onlookers; a poor election result and visible internal splits in the party provide all the ingredients for a more memorable conference. The Prime Minster’s speech to close the conference will provide a useful indication of whether or not the Government is going to continue down a more pragmatic approach to Brexit, or to try and assuage the unease of ardent Brexiteers. The NPA will be there to find out.