Top trade experts say conditions for hidden benefits claimed by Kemi Badenoch are ‘highly unlikely’.

New analysis released today (Wednesday 15 March, 2023) by the University of Sussex’s UK Trade Policy Observatory (UKTPO), reveals that UK businesses are struggling with increased costs, labour and skill issues and supply shortages and issues following the UK’s departure from the European Union.

I have started reading the Brexit literature again. A recent paper – ‘What impact is Brexit having on the UK economy?’ by Graham Gudgin, Julian Jessop and Harry Western (GJW) from October 2022 argues there is no hard evidence of harm and that studies that claim to find harm are biased and/or incompetent! In this blog, I consider a few of their points in four areas.

Ellie Newis reviews two of the flagship free trade agreements that were supposed to reignite the UK economy.

Cross-party international trade committee says agreement unlikely to be detectable at supermarket tills.

Biden is just "not interested", the paper reports, with one trade expert saying the EU is more aligned with his priorities.

Scathing report by Public Accounts Committee criticises government’s approach.

Tory minister says evidence is ‘few and far between’ despite new figures showing sharp drop.

The political choice of Brexit has cost UK businesses as much as the unforeseeable Covid pandemic.

Up to £9.5bn-worth of UK exports to the EU between January and July have had tariffs placed on them despite “tariff-free” trade deal, analysis for Channel 4’s Dispatches shows.

Johnson's much-trumpeted FTAs “barely scratch the surface of the UK’s challenge to make up the GDP lost by leaving the EU”.

All trade deals combined worth less than 50p per person a year, analysis of government figures shows.

Just seven months after singing its praises, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is attempting to rewrite the Brexit deal he signed with the European Union.

Taxes cut on birds’ eggs, raw hides, fur skins and ultra-strong spirits – but UK does not export them anyway.

Voters promised a Brexit boon will consider bid to keep Nissan and Toyota as ‘ridiculous’, prime minister warned.

Britain could be pressured into bad deal to replace EU's agreement with East Asian country.

Government hasn't given business what it needs to prepare as deadline looms.

Admission lays bare limited benefits of ‘ambitious’ agreement with Donald Trump.

‘If the government thought it had a very strong case they would publish these studies ... it’s an indication that there’s nothing there’

'For at the same time as attempting to relegate Brexit to distant memory, the government is also claiming all kinds of benefits from “having left the EU”.'

BORDER checks between Scotland, England and Wales could be required because of varying food standards after Brexit, academics have warned.

Border checks between Scotland, England and Wales could be required because of varying food standards after Brexit, academics have warned.