Sir Keir Starmer ruled out rejoining the European Union as he said the UK must move on and divisions could not be reopened.
The Labor leader told Sky News’ Beth Rigby: “We are not going back to the EU, the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement.
“We are moving forward, not backward, we are not reopening these divisions.
“I don’t think reopening all the old wounds and going back is going to help us in this mission to get the economy going.”
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Sir Keir was speaking ahead of the launch of a five-point plan to deal with Brexit on Monday night.
He said the plan would “remove some of the barriers” to trade with the EU that are “holding us back”.
The current Brexit deal “is not a good deal”, he said, adding that it was causing problems in Northern Ireland and the services and security arrangements were not good enough.
“This is a plan for the future, not a plan to go back, not a plan to rejoin the EU,” he insisted.
Looking ahead to the next general election, expected to be in 2024, he added: “That will be the driving mission of the incoming Labor government – to grow the economy.”
Sir Keir said he had no regrets about campaigning for a second Brexit referendum, something believed to have helped Labor lose the last election.
“We made our policy in the circumstances, which were the real circumstances at the time, but now we’ve left the EU and the government has said we have to do Brexit, but there’s not really a plan for that,” he added.
“I want to make Brexit work.
He said he was “absolutely convinced” there were “practical ways” to resolve the ongoing issues surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol – which effectively put a border in the Irish Sea.
Read more: What is the Northern Ireland Protocol and how does it work?
Sir Keir also said the Conservatives were in a “downward spiral and we are coming up” – and said Labour’s recent by-election victories “show we are on the way to a Labor government”.
He said he could not sympathize with Boris Johnson appointing MP Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip when he knew there were rumors about his behaviour.
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Mr Pincher quit the government last week after admitting he got drunk and after allegations he groped two men, including another MP.
Sir Keir said: “It’s poor judgment on the part of the Prime Minister, a man who puts himself above everyone else, and no, I’m afraid I have no sympathy for him.”
Asked if he would have appointed Mr Pincher if he had been prime minister, Sir Keir said: “No, I wouldn’t.”
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