Strong Britain should not fear the EU and those who would cry wolf as a ‘hard Brexit’ looms
Remainers predict it will trigger an economic doomsday but Britain ended 2016 as the world’s strongest economy and the forecasts were worthless — as the Bank of England now admits.
EVERY day the EU looks less willing or able to strike any deal with Britain. We should prepare for it . . . but with our economy as strong as it is we should not fear it.
A “hard Brexit”, falling back on the rules of the World Trade Organisation, has always been seen as our worst possible result.
Remainers predict it will trigger an economic doomsday. But then they also cried wolf about the immediate impact of the referendum result itself.
In reality businesses and consumers shrugged that off. Britain ended 2016 as the world’s strongest economy and the forecasts were worthless — as the Bank of England now admits.
Many people still carp that Theresa May has no exit strategy. It seems pretty clear to us:
But the Prime Minister alone cannot make that happen. And Brussels is in no mood to help her.
The EU gives no indication of wanting a mutually beneficial deal. It is incompetent, unwieldy, falling apart and bloody-minded enough to want to punish Britain to shore up its position.
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Even if Germany and France see sense and soften their stance, they will need to convince every other member. That’s a tall order, especially within the two-year time frame to be set after our Article 50 notice is served.
Falling back on WTO rules with no separate free-trade deal would mean Britain and the EU imposing tariffs on each other’s goods.
That WILL hurt both sides.
But Britain can then lower taxes for business, cut regulations and take speedy action to enable our economy to thrive regardless.
It is vital we go into the negotiations without fearing the consequences of EU pig-headedness and ready to walk away rather than sign a bad deal in haste.
We should be confident, knowing our economy has so far defied every single doom-laden prediction.
The rail reality
THE Southern Rail strikes are “all about safety”, scream the unions’ banners.
Funny how Aslef boss Mick Whelan often commutes on the driver-only trains the brothers say are unsafe despite all evidence to the contrary. He must quiver like a jelly in his seat every morning, his life flashing before him.
The real motive is of course to “bring down the Tory Government” and “replace the capitalist system”, as RMT chief Sean Hoyle privately admitted.
The unions should be honest about it.
Then they would see how much sympathy they get from the public whose work lives are being wrecked by their militancy and Southern’s ineptitude.