Come with me to Jacob Rees-Mogg's house. The Brexiters are rattled – and it shows | Polly Toynbee

The Brexit Party's Biggest Gamble: Can Labour Reopen the Wound and Regain the Momentum?

A reunion of old guard Brexiters, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, gathered in his stately townhouse to celebrate the launch of a new book claiming 75 benefits from leaving the EU. The host's jubilation was short-lived as he soon departed for his slot on GB News.

Labour, under Keir Starmer's leadership, has taken a drastic step by openly discussing the economic damage caused by Brexit. This move may reignite old passions among Brexit supporters, who were once deeply divided but have since found themselves facing the harsh reality of its consequences.

The 'leave' campaign was built on empty promises and hyperbole, with leaders like Nigel Farage benefiting at the expense of the Tory party. The bitter campaign not only hurt those who lost but also failed to deliver joy for most leave voters, who are still dealing with its real-life effects.

Labour is now laying down red lines against joining the customs union and single market, a move that has sparked debate among party members. The party's shift may be seen as a betrayal by some defectors who were swayed by Labour's initial reluctance to engage with the issue.

Rees-Mogg's book highlights a narrow view of Brexit benefits, airbrushing away its economic tsunami. While some facts presented in the book are true – stricter animal protection laws and reduced EU contributions – others are misleading or plain wrong. The loss of up to £90bn per year in Treasury revenues is conveniently ignored.

The Bruges Group's ideology focuses on freedom without a price tag, which won them the referendum. However, with the same trick used twice being unlikely to fool the public, Labour must adapt its approach and focus on concrete economic benefits.

Labour's decision to reopen the Brexit wound may bring warmth to some remainer hearts but has it been left too late for those defectors who were repelled by political cowardice? The party's shift also underscores the need for unity in the face of crisis – a message echoed by Monday's meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Friedrich Merz, and Emmanuel Macron.

Ultimately, Labour must convince voters that re-engaging with Europe will bring tangible economic benefits. With Brexit's economic costs mounting, it is crucial for the party to demonstrate its commitment to growth and prosperity, rather than relying on outdated rhetoric or misleading statistics.

I'm not sure if Labour's decision to reopen the Brexit wound was a bold move or just a PR stunt . On one hand, it's refreshing to see them finally acknowledging the economic damage caused by Brexit . But on the other hand, is this really what they need to do right now? It feels like Labour is just trying to relive their glory days with old-school Brexit rhetoric .

And let's be real, the 'leave' campaign was built on some seriously shaky ground . I mean, who thought that leaving the EU would bring about stricter animal protection laws and reduced EU contributions? It sounds like a bunch of dodgy math to me .

I'm all for Labour focusing on concrete economic benefits, but it's gotta be done in a way that's not just a rehashing of old ideas . They need to convince voters that re-engaging with Europe will bring tangible growth and prosperity, rather than relying on outdated rhetoric or misleading stats . And can we please just move on from the Bruges Group ideology already? It's time for Labour to focus on the real issues at hand .

I'm curious to see how this all plays out in the coming weeks . Will Labour be able to adapt their approach and bring about real change, or will they get left behind in the Brexit dust storm ? Only time will tell .

I think labour is being smart by talking about brexit again, they need to be honest with voters about what's going on, all those promises from the leave campaign were just hype, and now we're seeing the real deal... but I'm not sure if it's gonna work, brexit supporters are still passionate, and some of them might feel like labour is betraying their trust .

omg, brexit is still a hot mess labour should focus on the real-life effects of brexit instead of just reopening old wounds... like who's been affected by the loss of £90bn in treasury revenues? and rees-mogg's book sounds super biased to me... if labour wants to win back some votes, they need to come clean about the economic damage caused by brexit

and i'm all for labour being more united but they can't just ignore the facts too... brexit has been a disaster for many people it's time for them to stop playing politics and focus on helping their constituents

omg, can u believe labour is finally taking a stand on brexit? they're not afraid to say that leaving the eu has cost us like £90bn per year in treasury revenues... thats crazy talk! i'm so down for labour to focus on concrete economic benefits and not just regurgitate outdated rhetoric. we need a party that's willing to take risks and adapt, not ones that are stuck in the past. Rees-Mogg's book is like, so outdated, it's like he's trying to win a game of brexit bingo . labour needs to bring the heat with some real solutions, not just a bunch of empty promises. let's see if they can make brexit pay, lol

I'm still stuck on how Labour thought reopening this wound was a good idea . Like what's next, going back in time? They should be focusing on building trust with people who were hurt by Brexit instead of stirring up old drama. And another thing, if they're trying to win over Brexiteers, can't they just listen to their concerns for once? It's like they're talking down to people . This whole thing just makes me think that Labour's strategy is all about appeasing the far-right, but what about the everyday voters who are still struggling? We need more than just empty promises and slogans

idk if labour's trying too hard to be the anti-brexit party . they're gonna get roasted by brexiteers who'll say they're just as bad as thatcher or something. also, £90bn a year in treasury revenues? that's some next level of economic wizardry right there . but seriously, labour needs to focus on the concrete stuff, like how they'd address the impact of brexit on small businesses and workers. all this 'red lines' nonsense sounds like just another way of saying 'we're not gonna compromise' . what's the real plan here?

Ugh, I'm still trying to get my head around this Brexit thing ... so like, Labour is talking about the economic damage caused by Brexit and how they're gonna lay down some red lines against joining the customs union and single market... sounds good on paper, but what if it's too little, too late? I mean, have you seen those Brexit party people celebrating in Jacob Rees-Mogg's house? Like, isn't that a bit rich coming from them, given how badly things turned out? And Labour is all like "oh, we're gonna focus on concrete economic benefits"... but what if that's just a load of old codswallop?