Sunday 18 September 2016

Let's put the EU to the back of the queue and get on with Brexit

Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia have threatened to veto any trade deal with the UK that limits the right of their citizens to work in the UK.

More than 80% of our trade is domestic trade and just 8-9% is with the EU. That 8-9% of trade with the EU is subjected to an effective 7% tariff because of the cost of membership compared to just 3% under WTO rules.

Rather than wasting time trying to secure access to the expensive single market, the British government should be putting its efforts into securing new trade deals with countries that want to trade rather than play games. The cheap pound and renewed optimism of the UK being open for business again once we've left the EU has given a welcome boost to the UK's export markets and with the world's biggest and fastest growing economies lining up to negotiate trade deals we need to just put the EU to the back of the queue and face the future on our on terms.