KEIR Starmer has come under fire for saying there is "no case" for Britain rejoining the European Union and revealed that he had not talked to Jeremy Corbyn for five months. 

Starmer once led a push within the Labour party to go for a second referendum on Brexit after the Conservatives failed to deliver their promises on deals for years following Britain’s exit from the EU. 

But in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the Labour leader said: "We've left. We are no longer a member of the EU. We've got a deal, we've got to make that deal work. 

"There's no case for rejoining the EU and I've been very clear about that. The Remain-Leave debate is over.” 

There is speculation that Starmer is encouraging supporters to accept the results in order to reestablish the Northern “Red Wall” seats that were taken by the Tories in the last election. 

READ MORE: SNP fire back at Labour after Keir Starmer's 'record of shame' claim

SNP Depute Leader Keith Brown said that "it's clear that a vote for Labour is a vote for Boris Johnson to decide Scotland's future".

He added: While the Tories dragged Scotland out of the EU against our will in the middle of a global pandemic, Labour stood idly by and allowed Boris Johnson to get his way - instead of protecting the jobs, incomes and rights that families in Scotland depend on.

“Keir Starmer's feeble attempts to duck the biggest issues facing the country won’t wash with voters. Labour must now get off the fence, be honest with people, and accept the reality that the best deal for jobs, businesses and people's livelihoods is within the EU.

“Labour’s prevaricating, and their failure to provide any effective opposition to Boris Johnson's extreme Brexit, means they have been just as responsible as the Tories for the damage done.

“With Labour and the Tories now both endangering Scotland’s future and continuing to back a hard Brexit, only the SNP offers a route back into the EU for Scotland, as an independent country. 

“It's clear that a vote for Labour is a vote for Boris Johnson to decide Scotland's future. The only way to put Scotland’s future firmly in Scotland’s hands is by giving both votes to the SNP in May.”

Starmer's comments were met with backlash on Twitter, with many questioning his strategy. Here are the best responses:

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During the interview, Starmer also said Labour has not been "strong" enough on crime and policing in recent years. He called for tougher sentences for people who assault key pandemic workers such as shop staff and a lower bar for when police officers should investigate persistent antisocial behaviour. 

He also said the British instinct could be against using vaccine passports if the coronavirus is brought properly under control.

It comes as hospitality and retail bosses warn that the use of vaccine passports or certification for customers entering venues could face “legal concerns” and create enforcement problems for businesses. 

Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that pubs and other venues could use vaccine passports, before backtracking slightly to clarify that this may only be introduced once all UK adults have been offered a vaccination. 

Johnson is due to set out more details in early April on potentially introducing such a scheme in England. 

Starmer said: “My instinct is that, as the vaccine is rolled out, as the number of hospital admissions and deaths go down, there will be a British sense that we don’t actually want to go down this road.” 

He continued: “I think this is really difficult and I’m not going to pretend there’s a clear black and white, yes-no easy answer on this. 

“It is extremely difficult. 

“My instinct is that… [if] we get the virus properly under control, the death rates are near zero, hospital admissions very, very low, that the British instinct in those circumstances will be against vaccine passports.” 

Johnson has previously said that he acknowledges the “moral complexities” around bringing in a domestic vaccine passport scheme. 

A Whitehall source said one possibility being considered is that landlords may be able to scrap social distancing if they check Covid health certificates on entry. 

The move would allow them to operate at much higher capacity and could be a strong incentive for them to participate in the scheme. 

But Starmer raised concerns however around the suggestion that landlords could be allowed to decide for themselves,. 

He told the Telegraph: “I think this idea that we sort of outsource this to individual landlords is just wrong in principle.” 

Asked if he feels uncomfortable with the new Covid laws introduced, he explained that current restrictions should not be in place for longer than they are necessary. 

“If that was a long-term proposition I’d be very, very worried about it and I would be fighting it tooth and nail,” he said. 

“Nobody wants these restrictions, nobody enjoys living under these restrictions, and they shouldn’t be in place for a moment longer than is absolutely necessary.”