Letter to local newspaper re. Brexit & trade deals

One of the most important justifications for Brexit was meant to be that we would be able to negotiate our own trade deals. What Leave campaigners didn't tell the voters is that if we leave the single market and customs union, we not only lose frictionless access to the EU (by far our largest trading partner) - we also lose trade deals that the EU has signed with around 60 other countries. Together, the EU and these other countries receive over half of our exports. Already countries with which we would like to sign or replace trade deals are seeking to take advantage of our weakened state by pushing for concessions, knowing that we’re desperate for trade deals. South Korea is a recent example. And even in the unlikely event that we were able to sign trade deals with every non-EU country, a no deal Brexit - which due to this incompetent and divided government is looking increasingly likely - would still leave our exporters worse off. Besides, we don't need to leave the EU to boost our trade outside of it. Germany exports far more to China than we do.

Before June 2016, the UK had the fastest-growing economy in the G7. Now, while the US and European economies are booming, the UK has now dropped to become the slowest-growing in the G7, and this is projected to continue for years. We’ve only avoided recession because we’ve been lifted by the global boom. Due to our ageing population, the NHS is struggling to cope with demand - it needs more money, but Brexit will leave it with less.

Sources:
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-trade-partners-object-to-brexit-transition-roll-over/
https://twitter.com/open_britpress/status/963020212093276160