Wake Smith chairman Nick Lambert looks at the latest Brexit news...
As the arguments around party manifestos intensify and domestic spending promises become more outrageous in the run up to the December 12 general election date, it is still clear where the Brexit lines are drawn.
However, the effect of domestic policy promises may well impact on the election result, keeping any speculation on who might win thoroughly clouded in uncertainty.
There is no doubt that for many voters, Brexit apathy has set in and domestic agendas may be the only thing that might bring them to the polling stations.
The voting turnout is also a complete unknown and it may be that we see a low turnout following the broken promises of the referendum, or we may equally see a strong turnout as people get behind whichever party they choose on either side of the leave/remain fence. Either could affect the outcome quite drastically.
What is difficult to see at the moment is where the Labour Party might secure an alliance to try and run the Conservatives out of Government. The DUP has signalled that it would not side with Labour in a hung Parliament scenario, meaning that Labour would have to win a clear majority to oust the Conservative Party.
There has also been something of a backlash against Labour's planned nationalisation of the broadband framework, with economists and business leaders concerned about the possibly underestimated economic impact of such a giant project on the UK's bottom line, which might cement further detachment by business leaders from Labour policy.
Almost in synchronicity, the Conservatives have announced that they plan to shelve plans for a reduction in Capital Gains Tax for businesses to pay for improvements to the NHS, which may not garner his party much support from the world of commerce either.
Supposing Boris Johnson can secure a majority in the House of Commons, we are still in the dark about whether his withdrawal bill could be passed through Parliament to leave the UK with a workable EU deal. If he should need the support of the DUP again, they have roundly rejected his deal as a bad outcome for Northern Ireland, leaving us right back at a stalemate.
This keeps a hard Brexit firmly on the table as it remains the default position if nothing can be passed through Parliament before our EU departure on 31 January.
There are still many permutations and surprises yet to come in the shortening window before the election date, but despite the noise, the mud-slinging, the ludicrous promises by all parties, this is still an election that beneath it all, is about whether the UK remains within, or leaves the EU.
