The black book
The UK used to be really good at economic warfare, in two world wars it not only blockaded its enemies by sea and air but spent billions blockading them economically.
No access to the City of London, no cash, no credit, buying up vital commodities just to deny them to the enemy etc etc and also something called the black book.
The black book named every person, company and body that worked for the enemy and they were banned from any and all economic activity within the UK’s sphere of influence. Their cash, assets, bank accounts, factories, ships and produce were seized, frozen and blackballed.
They could not use a single penny of their money or fight the sanctions because no one would help them. If they employed a lawyer, he went in the black book, if they tried to use a bank it and all its directors went in the book. Lobbyists, agents, third country banks that secretly aided or lent money, all suffered the same fate.
And then anyone who did business with those companies was blackballed too.
Within days extremely wealthy tycoons couldn’t cash a cheque or borrow a fiver from a mate. Their letters to solicitors, bankers and anyone else were returned unopened.
The local butcher stopped delivering, the golf club wouldn’t take your green fees, the kids school kicked them out. Not just in the UK but around the world.
That’s how you use sanctions. The government still has these powers, every state does.
But I bet it won’t use them.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.