It is cold outside

The lesson from Trump’s victory is that Britain is on its own in the new cold world and it is going to hurt.

I have just listened to an overly optimistic Labour politician on the radio claiming that it is just as well we are “resetting” our relationship with Europe and that we are still in the G7 and NATO etc.

This is a fantasy world, only now can we see the real damage that Brexit has done. We are billy-no-mates in a world where China, Russia, and North Korea are celebrating. When what we laughingly called the special relationship is dead, when Ukraine will be betrayed, when America turns isolationist and facist.

Even Europe is on its own and it is divided, a few countries are pro Putin, more have a far right pro Kremlin minority, but also there is nothing like enough economic cooperation and investment or military muscle or coordinated foreign policy, and the UK has weakened everyone because of Brexit.

If Trump actually follows through on his mad tariffs policy all bets are off, there will be another global trade war which no one can win.

But more than that America has just abandoned its post war role as world leader and guardian. We can no longer trust it or expect its support.

We are no longer important to Washington, no one is.

Jonty’s Jottings

Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.