Leavers’ disappointment that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer did not throw a fifth anniversary party for Brexit on Friday was almost comical.

Only “almost” though because the degree of damage being done to the UK economy and living standards by the country being ripped out of the European Union is no laughing matter.

The UK’s technical Brexit occurred on January 31, 2020, but, of course, the actual consequences did not manifest themselves until 11 months later, when the country left the European single market.

This loss of free movement of people between the UK and European Economic Area and of frictionless trade with the country’s biggest trading partner was effected at the end of 2020 by former prime minister Boris Johnson’s hard Brexit.

Five years on from the flag-waving and celebration by the Leave camp when technical Brexit occurred, in locations including Parliament Square, more and more people have become aware of the grim reality that the hard departure from the EU was quite the opposite of the panacea they were promised.

A poll published by YouGov on Wednesday shows 55% of Britons now say it was wrong for the UK to vote for Brexit in 2016. Only three in ten – 30% - now say that it was right for the UK to vote to leave the EU. YouGov notes this is the........

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