Brexit has again become part of the Government's thinking as it considers ways in which to lessen the effect of the recession that is expected to grip the economy.

A Swiss-style arrangement has been discounted by the Conservatives and labelled a non-starter by Brussels. One of Boris Johnson's only achievements as Prime Minister was to engineer a Brexit deal that satisfied the right wing of his Party, even though it is now considered unworkable.

The most demanding effect of Brexit has been the shortage of cheap, dependable workers to undertake roles that traditionally have been low-paid, repetitive and physically demanding.

To persuade British nationals to fulfil these roles, the salaries have had to increase, sometimes by double. This has contributed to inflation, and even then, the shortages remain.

The Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer spoke yesterday of the need to wean the country off its reliance on cheap foreign labour, but in true Labour style, he omitted to say how he believed this could or should be done.