By Public Affairs Manager, Joe Meighan.

The European Movement, along with many others, has consistently argued that Brexit has made Britain increasingly difficult to govern. If that diagnosis is correct, the solution is unlikely to be found simply through another change of leadership. Structural problems rarely disappear because of a new personality at the dispatch box.

That is worth bearing in mind amid the increasingly feverish speculation around Labour’s future leadership following difficult local election results. Pro-Europeans have understandably become animated by encouraging remarks from senior politicians who may one day seek to inhabit Number 10. The fact that politicians now feel comfortable speaking positively about Europe is, in of itself, a significant shift and should be welcomed. Only a few years ago, meaningful discussion about Brexit and Britain’s relationship with the European Union was politically toxic. Today it has returned to mainstream political debate as a serious question of national interest.

But while bold pronouncements on Europe are welcome, we should be wary of becoming consumed by personalities alone. Jockeying for short-term political advantage is inevitable in politics. However, politicians who overdo it at the expense of a clear, credible and consistent strategic vision risk not only paying an electoral price themselves but leaving the country to pay a far heavier one in lost prosperity, reduced opportunities and continued instability.

So, the European Movement does not take sides in leadership speculation. What we do ask of all senior politicians, whether currently in government or aspiring to it, is honesty about Britain’s relationship with Europe and realism about the scale of the challenge ahead.

That means recognising three things in particular.

First, Britain is in a considerably better place with Europe than it was during the era of “Get Brexit Done and never mind how”. Relations with the EU have improved markedly. Practical cooperation has begun to return, and agreements such as the UK’s return to Horizon and Erasmus+ demonstrate that constructive engagement can deliver tangible benefits for British citizens.

Second, the government now needs to build on that progress. The commitments made around closer defence and security cooperation, a meaningful youth mobility scheme and reducing barriers that continue to drive up food prices and costs for businesses must now be pursued with greater urgency and ambition.

And third, if Britain genuinely wants to repair much of the damage caused by Brexit, this is no time for rigid red lines. Europe will not seriously engage in a deeper long-term partnership with a Britain that still appears trapped by the political psychology of the Brexit years.

The European Union itself was not built in a single electoral cycle. European peace and cooperation were constructed patiently over generations. In that sense, there is something to be said for taking a longer strategic view of Britain’s place in Europe while remaining rigorous in our short-term ambitions.

There is an old observation often made about Russian strategic thinking: that Russia thinks in centuries while Western democracies think in election cycles. Whether entirely fair or not, there is a useful lesson in it. Political movements that want lasting change need both immediate ambition and long-term discipline.

Public opinion in Britain has clearly shifted in recent years. Many of the arguments about Brexit’s economic and political consequences that once sat at the margins are now part of mainstream discussion. Those in the pro-European movement may reasonably feel a quiet sense of vindication. We have been making many of these arguments for years. But politics is not simply about being right; it is about the country being ready to hear it.

The road towards a closer relationship with Europe is more open today than it has been for some time. That is meaningful progress. But the next stage will require patience, realism and strategic consistency, not simply another round of political personality contests.