One should not be shy of admitting that any major short-term gains from our accession are primarily political. We already have trade agreements with nine of the current eleven members.
His laudable focus on immediate priorities cannot forever excuse failing to address the big strategic challenges facing Britain.
Striking trade deals with different countries and blocs is a very good thing. However, we shouldn’t expect them to add too much value.
A major target of Government policy in respect of the domestic and trade economy ought to be the rebalancing of our unsustainable balance of payments deficit.
“It will give us access to tariff-free trade with some of the world’s fastest-growing economies,” the Prime Minister says.
There is much that we can offer the region thanks to our expertise in many of the twenty-first century’s key industries.
The global rebound in 2021 was 6.1 per cen,t and this year the IMF expects global growth of 3.2 per cent followed by 2.9 per cent next. These forecasts may prove optimistic.
The UK has made it crystal clear to its trading partners which side of the table it is going to be on.
Anti-corruption and cementing new treaties should take precedence over softer fashionable favourites.
We can expect greater divergence, whether we like it or not, and should focus on our diplomatic relationships outside the bloc.
If Britain cannot do a trade deal with a country with which it shares a common language, history, and standards, then who can it do a deal with?
Due to internal tensions, the Union can lack coherence and focus, often particularly evident in its efforts to implement a collective foreign policy.
Erin O’Toole, Leader of the Official Opposition of Canada, championed the idea during his bid to run the Conservative Party of Canada.
Outside the European Union we are free to conduct trade policy and set regulation which aligns with our interests, rather than those of the Eurozone core that dominates in Brussels.