Starmer can’t dodge the Europe question for ever. In office, the economy will answer it for him | Martin Kettle

“Who do you think will lead the Labour government’s revolt on Europe?” asked my walking companion, steeped in politics, as we battled a cold morning headwind on a Chiltern hillside this week, the hedgerows around us suddenly in full leaf again and the chalkland remarkably dry after that pitiless early April rain, before he added: “And when will it come?”

‘Keir Starmer wants the forthcoming contest to be about Conservative economic failure, not about Brexit.’ Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PAEurope’s own political context is also a source of volatility.

Instead, in Lammy’s words, the EU pact would embrace “a wide variety of military, economic, climate, health, cyber and energy security issues”.

It is not hard to see that they could imply extremely close alignment of rules on some very large issues such as emissions trading, critical raw materials and even migration.

Potentially, the list could be even longer, extending to things such as data, pharmaceuticals, student mobility, science research and some industrial products and standards.

In that case, and especially amid global instability of the kind being faced in 2024, the pressure for smoother links with Britain’s closest and largest trading market will grow louder.