Freeports are free.
Leaving aside the bare faced cheek of now claiming to be the party of public services, and ignoring ten years of austerity, there were some priceless nuggets in the Autumn statement.
My favourite comes from the Office for Budget Responsibility. Its latest judgement on freeports is just brilliantly clear, they are pointless: "We have assumed that the main effect of the freeports will be to alter the location rather than the volume of economic activity." Also, any possible benefits will be so small they will be almost impossible to measure.
So that landmark Brexit policy was and is total rubbish. It takes economic activity from where it can be taxed to where it can’t and adds nothing to growth.
Oh and you can have freeports in the EU too. The UK stopped having them years ago because they are and were a complete waste of money.
Freeports are free, of any economic benefit.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.