The price of the Tories’ new border regime beggars belief. In a cost of living crisis, it’s a bill we can’t afford.
“Car crash!” exclaimed managing director Andrew Varga, whose Brexit progress I have been following since the referendum. News of the latest Brexit U-turn landed on him on Tuesday out of the blue. All his years of preparation for a new UK product safety mark, all his thousands of pounds wasted, all the uncountable hours and effort were rendered pointless, at a stroke.
The commercial departments of Brexit-supporting newspapers know the damage being caused to the UK economy, and newspaper advertising revenues, by Brexit. Their editorial colleagues continue to support it anyway.
A thorough audit of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement would foster a better relationship in the post-Brexit world we now navigate.
It is increasingly evident that leaving the European Union — the world’s richest single market — was a monumental act of self-harm for the UK. African countries should take heed and cooperate to ensure the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Let’s renew the EU-Africa partnership now!
16/02/2022
The European Union – African Union Summit, which is taking place today, is an important milestone. European and African leaders must underline that we depend on each other. A prosperous African future is a prosperous European future, writes a coalition of MEPs.
CPTPP will not make up for Brexit
16/04/2023
The UK’S membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership offers little gain for the British economy.
‘Take back control’? With this Pacific trade deal, Brexit Britain has just signed it away
31/03/2023
Goodbye, food standards. Hello, corporate lobbyists. Why are we doing this, for no real economic benefit?
Rishi Sunak's triumphalism over solutions on Northern Ireland and migrant boats ignores the fact the issues only arose because of Johnson's flawed Brexit deal - which he endorsed.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), within the last quarter of 2022, the UK imported about £33billion more than it exported to the EU. / This is the worst performance of the UK export trade balance since records began in 1997. / This is a shocking testimony that Brexit has caused fundamental deep-rooted damage to British exports.
As the economic harm that it has done becomes ever clearer, all but the most die-hard Tory Brexiteers are increasingly prepared to admit that Brexit was a mistake. Trade with the Europe has slumped, productivity is down, and there are 4,000 fewer European doctors working in the NHS.
Three years on, we are covered in the scars of what it has done to this country.
In our series looking at life after Brexit, the European parliament’s former negotiator Guy Verhofstadt argues that Britain exchanged a Jaguar for a Ford Fiesta in the 2016 referendum.
Talk of Swiss deals, EU rapprochement, and Sunak’s denials can’t hide the stone cold reality of Brexit
23/11/2022
‘One of the biggest blows to our productivity – and a self-inflicted one – was leaving Europe’s single market,’ says Michael Day.
In historical terms, however, those transgressions will end up being little more than footnotes. Viewed from afar, Johnson’s greatest failing is liable to be what he hoped would be his glorious legacy: Brexit.
Boris Johnson’s real scandal: Brexit
13/07/2022
Not before time, Boris Johnson has resigned as leader of the UK’s Conservative Party. The Guardian reports that Johnson’s leadership “toppled under a wave of sleaze allegations and failure to tell the truth.” But his real scandal lies elsewhere — with Brexit.
When the most anti-EU newspapers are pointing to the policy’s inevitable failures, it’s time our government admitted the truth.
Has anyone got any genuine reasons why imperial is better than metric, I asked. I got more than 2,000 replies.
Our politicians won’t mention the B-word – but Brexit has made Britain’s economic crisis worse
17/05/2022
Our silence over the issue is compounding the problem.
Brexit is costing the economy dear, no matter what 'Brexit Opportunities Minister' Jacob Rees-Mogg says – Angus Robertson MSP
28/03/2022
“Brexit Opportunities Minister”. How about that for a contradiction in terms? Yet, this is a genuine post created for the oft-called “Member of Parliament for the 18th Century”, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak should level with the public that Brexit has scarred our economy
28/03/2022
The Chancellor and Prime Minister need a plan to counter figures showing lower growth after the hit to EU trade.
Regime change at No.10 could revive one vision of the British economy. But it remains totally unrealistic.
Johnson is at the mercy of his cabinet. The trouble is, as Leavers, none of them will face up to our post-EU crisis either
Six years on, it seems Europe still hasn’t got the memo. For that matter, neither has Britain. The United Kingdom, rather than leaping boldly into a brave new future, is imploding. Europe, meanwhile, seems to have found a new sense of purpose.
Shortages in the labour market, along with the vacancies in the health service, hospitality industry and agriculture, are the living evidence of this self-inflicted act