The Notebook: Brexit has been a failure, and politicians can’t ignore it forever

Where the movers and shakers have their say. Today, James Chapman, director of Soho Communications, takes the Notebook pen to talk Brexit, music and PR lessons from Ed Balls

The elephant in the room

My old boss George Osborne (who was against a referendum) recently said of Brexit: “Something happened to my country which I still to this day think was a profound mistake for Britain and its future. I look back on this really with horror.” Whatever your view of the former Chancellor, this is a more honest assessment of our departure from the EU than that of any current frontline politician.

The Conservatives are entirely lashed to the Brexit mast, doomed to go down with the ship as more and more voters conclude the whole project has been a disastrous folly. This means they must constantly declare that black is white and scrabble around for non-existent Brexit ‘benefits’.

Take business secretary Kemi Badenoch, who last week tried to claim the latest trade figures somehow vindicated the Brexit experiment. Cursory examination of her data revealed that export volumes are not, in fact, bigger than ever before and only appeared so because she had failed to adjust for inflation. Goods exports are actually well below their pre-Brexit levels, just as ‘Project Fear’ warned.

Meanwhile, after years of delay, expensive new post-Brexit border checks came into force – final confirmation, if it were needed, that all the promises of ‘frictionless trade’ on the same terms as before were false. Within 24 hours the new computer system for imports had collapsed and food and plants coming in from the EU were being waved through with incorrect paperwork to avoid the humiliating sight of massive queues of lorries.

According to recent economic analysis commissioned by City Hall, as a result of Brexit the average Briton was nearly £2,000 worse off in 2023, while the average Londoner was nearly £3,400 worse off.

Despite all the damage, Labour shows no appetite to relitigate the Brexit argument, avoiding the subject at all costs. Even the Liberal Democrats appear reluctant to make it a defining issue, talking vaguely about a ‘path back to the single market’.

With polls consistently showing that over 60 per cent of voters would now choose to rejoin the EU, this omerta from our main political parties will not last forever. It’s already clear that the 2016 referendum is going to be as unsuccessful as the 1975 one in settling the question of our relationship with our nearest neighbours.

A lesson in PR from Ed Balls

As a study in my current business, PR, there is no better recent example of a rehabilitated public image than that of Ed Balls. The former Cabinet minister and Brownite bully boy became deeply unpopular as an MP, finally losing his seat in the 2015 general election. Mr Balls wore that loss well, leaving wife Yvette Cooper to the politics and deciding to try to show his human side. His appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, the holy grail of Middle England popular culture, endeared him to millions. This was reinforced with cookery books and soft-focus interviews presenting him as a family man. Now a genial host of ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Balls is well on his way to national treasure status.

Spotify’s mood music

As of April 1, Spotify demonetised any track on its platform that receives less than 1,000 streams per year. It’s estimated that around 60 per cent of tracks will not qualify for the new threshold, although Spotify insists these make up less than one per cent of the total number of streams. This new policy will hit small artists hardest – surely those that need most help as they seek to build their careers. Attempts to boost streaming royalties by changing the law so that all artists are paid a minimum of “one cent per stream”, creating a “minimum wage” for musicians, deserve support.

Sunshine revolution

Around 1.2m UK homes have solar panels, representing only four per cent of the total. If installed on every property, solar could provide 60 per cent of all domestic electricity consumption and help meet net zero targets. One simple requirement would be the installation of solar panels on all new build properties. Already, energy saving measures are compulsory, so why not take this further step?

The reign of vanilla artists

When I was growing up in the 90s, female musicians such as Tori Amos, Björk and PJ Harvey were defying expectations and bending genres while still topping the charts. Those who succeed today seem much more vanilla, exemplified by the ubiquitous Taylor Swift. One notable exception is St Vincent, whose new album All Born Screaming is my favourite of the year. It’s no surprise that she regularly swaps ideas with Amos, and cites her brilliant 1998 record From the Choirgirl Hotel as a key influence. I’m looking forward to seeing her for the first time at the Royal Albert Hall next month.