Former Tory MP explains why leaving the EU will not solve the Brexit problem

One of 2020’s only saving graces has been is the release from the seemingly never-ending Brexit induced purgatory in the form of a deal. 

The UK may be the laughing stock of Europe, but it’s the first tangible evidence that the political sphere can address the ways people and businesses will be affected in the aftermath, instead of the issue of Brexit itself.

Former Conservative MP Dominic Grieve believes otherwise, arguing that there’s the potential for this to never really be over. 

He spent his Christmas Eve doing the press rounds, explaining why membership of the EU will continue to be a key campaign talking point. 

Asked by the BBC if future Tory leadership campaigns could ride of remaining out of the EU, he said:

"The idea that the treaty we're about to get is the end of this is simply incorrect. Everything in the world is dynamic. It doesn't stop.

"The EU is going to develop, the United Kingdom is going to develop in various directions. How exactly? We can't predict.

"But the geography isn't going to change. The geography is that we are a European nation. We might be an offshore island but we are part of a European cultural, political, and economic space and that is going to continue."

Grieve added, “As of the idea that we must now put Brexit behind us, I'm only too happy to in one sense but the issue which underlies Brexit is not going away. The issue is: where does our prosperity lie and our national interest, and who do we need to cooperate with most closely to give the best wellbeing to our citizens in a difficult and increasingly dangerous world?”"At the moment, I haven't listened to one single, coherent argument as to how the new relationships, which the present prime minister says he's going to develop, are going to compensate for the damage that we have done to the old ones."

Do you remember when the Conservatives decided to remove the whip from any MP that felt Brexit wasn’t a great idea?

Him and 21 other MP’s lost the whip for that reason. It lead to Dominic campaigning as an independent and subsequently losing his seat. The Lib Dems even stood down to ensure a secure win for him, to no avail.

Will elections become a back and forth on which party wants to rejoin the EU? Only time will tell.

The Brexit transition period will be completed on 31st December regardless of whether the UK has a trade deal or not.

More: Why Brexit is making the future of fish look so bleak