Labour takes to blaming Brexit for economic woes

LONDON, Nov 23 (AFP): Faced with anaemic growth and strained public finances, Britain's Labour government no longer shies away from pinning the blame on Brexit, as it prepares for a difficult budget likely to include unpopular tax rises.

Labour politicians bent over backwards not to mention Brexit as their party swept to power in last year's election in a careful attempt to avoid alienating voters who had backed leaving the EU at the 2016 referendum.

But in recent weeks, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused the previous Conservative government of having negotiated a "botched Brexit deal", while health minister Wes Streeting said he was "glad that Brexit is a problem whose name we now

dare speak".