In trying to hark back to a more agrarian Britain, the protectionists repudiated a source of its living wisdom.
Retracing the party’s moments of near oblivion over trade may cast light on a path towards more enduring party unity. The first in a two-part series.
If Britain hangs back out of a combination of Europhile nostalgia and anti-Trumpery, it risks being left standing when the music stops. The Government should take the win.
UK Conservatives should be pressing this government to warm up their relations with a man they’ve condemned and opposed in the past, whilst we build our own links with the new Washington establishment as friends, allies and advisers.
Reattaching Britain to the EU – whose own leaders admit is failing economically and politically – in the interests of reducing frictions for a small part of our total trade would be an error.
Brexit leaves the UK free to duck the trade war, which would hit consumers and boost inflation, and strike a good deal with Washington.
The free market is understood to be about self improvement and self realisation. When the left promises to help you (remember that labour rhetoric about things people “desperately need”) — it casts you as a victim.
International trade is beneficial when there are mutual benefits, but there is no reciprocity in Beijing’s approach. It aims to gain one-sided advantage at the expense of other nations.
The EU will not disappear: it will always be our closest and largest trading partner, so we will always have to negotiate with it. The easiest way of negotiating with the EU is as a leader from within rather than as a supplicant from outside.
A new poll has found that Labour has over-taken the Conservatives in the country’s 100 most rural seats. Deep England is ailing, and holds the Government responsible.
A remarkable amount has been achieved. Often against the odds and in the face of adversity. And certainly in circumstances far less benign than those faced by New Labour.
Kemi Badenoch’s trip last Friday, where she announced upcoming negotiations, marked what has the potential to be a strategic leap forward – especially if the FTA can be expanded to include services, digital, and data.
Those who claim the Conservatives would benefit from a spell in opposition to ‘rest and detox’ are misguided. My first nine years in Parliament were spent in opposition, and it was a frustrating experience.
Governments who want to set out a clear vision for their electorates need to have an accessible story that explains their direction, aims and values. Here are some core conservative beliefs with which to start.
By prioritising the Commonwealth, the UK can build stronger, more secure trade networks while reinforcing its leadership within this global community.