Here's to the next 400
The news that the UK government is aiming for a tariff and quota free trade deal with Australia should come as no surprise. The PM is desperate to show that there is some upside to Brexit and doing a deal with Australia, who to be fair was shafted when the UK joined the Common Market is, in his eyes, the way to do that.
The delay on the introduction of tariff free trade of between 10 and 15 years means he and all the ministers who negotiated it will be long gone before the full consequences are felt by British farmers. They have been thrown to the wolves, many believed Brexit meant more. protection and higher subsidies, that is what they were told, but it turns out that was a lie.
That won’t stop the PM and all the rest of the government cheering this deal to the rafters, boasting that it shows Brexit is working and hailing the country’s bright new future. But journalists and all the rest may want to ask some questions.
Was the UK so desperate for a deal that it gave Canberra everything it wanted? Because 80% of the benefits go to Australia
Where are the next 400 such deals coming from? This deal will add 0.01-0.02% to British GDP over many years, Brexit will cost around 4%.
So 401 more deals like this one and the UK will be better off, any one see the flaw in this argument?
https://jonty.substack.com/