You could hardly have put a cigarette paper between the responses of the Conservative and Labour leaderships to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s comments about the UK being on a “direction of travel” towards rejoining the European Union.

Ms von der Leyen told politics and policy news organisation Politico on Tuesday night that she had told her children that it was up to the next generation to “fix” the mistake of Brexit.

Asked whether Britain could ever rejoin the EU, Ms von der Leyen replied: “I must say, I keep telling my children, ‘you have to fix it, we goofed it up, you have to fix it’. So I think here too, the direction of travel - my personal opinion - is clear.”

She described the Windsor Framework agreement on Northern Ireland, struck by the EU and UK Government earlier this year, as “a new beginning for old friends”.

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It appeared, however, that the Conservatives and Labour were very afraid indeed of touching any olive branch with a barge pole.

Politico reported that a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had disagreed that Brexit needs to be “fixed.”

The spokesman said Britain has “a prime minister who championed Brexit before it was in his career interests to do so because he believes in it passionately.”

The notion that young people are driving the UK towards the EU was also rejected by the Conservatives, Politico reported, with the spokesman insisting Mr Sunak is “focused on delivering the benefits of Brexit”.

Years on from the 2016 vote, the “benefits of Brexit” surely remain elusive.

Returning to the reactions to Ms von der Leyen, a spokesman for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had this to say: “We’re not rejoining the single market or customs union. We’re not returning to freedom of movement.

“Of course we want a good working relationship with the European Union, we want to improve some of the issues there are on subjects like trade, but no, we’re not rejoining in any form.”

Note the emphasis of no return of freedom of movement from Labour.

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Indeed, it is difficult to see any distinction at all between the Conservatives and Labour on Brexit, as is highlighted by this week’s reactions to the European Commission president, and this is a very sorry state of affairs indeed.

The damage from Brexit is clear so Labour’s stance is curious, especially given Sir Keir’s previously eloquent opposition to the folly back in 2019. Sir Keir has since embraced Brexit. He is ahead in the polls and at times seems terrified of upsetting the apple cart on any front.

In contrast, the SNP has been brave enough to point to the reality of Brexit, even though it is an issue which deeply divides public opinion.

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Given the Tory passion for Brexit and the characterisation of Mr Sunak as someone “who championed Brexit before it was in his career interests to do so”, it does seem remarkable that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt mentioned the “B” word only once in his Autumn Statement on November 22.

And he did so somewhat tangentially.

Surely this is odd, given Brexit is the defining policy of the current vintage of Conservatives, and the thing that enabled Boris Johnson’s sweeping victory in the December 2019 general election.

As observed in my column in The Herald on Wednesday, all that Mr Hunt had to say on Brexit in his Autumn Statement was this: “As well as confirming our Brexit Pubs Guarantee, which means duty on a pint is always lower than in the shops, I have decided to freeze all alcohol duty until August 1 next year.”

There was a limp attempt at one-upmanship in a European context, with Mr Hunt declaring: “Mr Speaker, the best universities, the cleverest scientists and the smartest entrepreneurs have given us Europe’s most innovative economy. We can be the most prosperous too.”

It seemed like a most overblown claim, especially given the Brexit damage and the Tories’ economic track record.

And it did not address the so-called “Brexit benefits”, which remain conspicuous by their absence.

It was heartening to see Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey deliver some reality in the wake of Mr Hunt’s incredibly upbeat speech.

Mr Bailey drew flak from high-profile Tories Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Sir John Redwood for his troubles.

However, it is crucial the Bank of England asserts its independence in matters including discussion of the UK’s economic situation.

Mr Bailey, in an interview with The Chronicle in Newcastle published last Monday, declared: “If you look at what I call the potential growth rates of the economy, there's no doubt it's lower than it has been in much of my working life.

“It does concern me that the supply side of the economy has slowed. It does concern me a lot.”

He is right to be greatly concerned.

And the reaction from politicians to Mr Bailey’s words is a matter for worry too.

In terms of what Ms von der Leyen had to say, Labour and the Conservatives seemed somewhat rattled.

Their responses were the kind of cantankerous stuff which featured with dispiriting regularity during the Conservative Government’s protracted negotiations with the EU on the terms of Brexit.

The Tories also seem easily rattled by anyone who would challenge their bizarrely upbeat view of Blighty’s economy.

This tetchiness is surely most telling.