Great news for Mummerset
At last some good Brexit news, the UK has successfully concluded a trade deal with India, which includes more access to the huge Indian market for quince.
The stout folk of Mummerset, where the vista of quince trees runs almost unbroken to the far horizon, will be celebrating tonight. Many a flagon of local cider will be drained in salute to the Prime Minister in the quaint village pubs which dot this forgotten corner of Olde England. Because here generations beyond count have dutifully tended the endless rolling forests of quince trees, wearing their traditional smocks and overseen by the bowled hatted yeomanry of that proud county. Now no longer held back by the quince quislings of Brussels; new markets, wealth and success await the industry. The peasantry is eagerly anticipating the gentle jingle of more groats in their pockets. Already the local producers are bedecking their horse drawn wagons and planning a day trip to the port of Bristol. Where their loyal farm workers will Morris dance all night on the docks, mock the metropolitan elite and wave their hankies as the first of many deeply laden quince carriers heads down the channel bound for India.
Or perhaps this “trade deal” which in the middle of a global pandemic seems to be mainly about medical devices and vaccines is not really a big deal. Since we are going to get a lot of this rubbish thrown our way in coming years lets just look at the figures. Most of this so called trade deal is about investment by Indian companies in the UK, something they could and did do before Brexit but even so £1 billion of trade is a lot, except that the UK’s trade with the EU is worth £600 billion.
The UK has just negotiated a deal with the EU which makes around 50% of its trade more difficult and expensive, it is rolling over the other trade deals that the EU enjoys with numerous other countries, that is another 16% or so. That leaves 34% of UK trade with the rest of the world. To repair the damage done by Brexit the UK has to do trade deals with every other country in the world that are massively better than the EU’s single market. The maths is simple enough and does not lie.
Such deals are impossible, the UK is worse off, quinces or no quinces.
https://jonty.substack.com/