Brexit? We’ve been sold a pup for the sake of the Tory Party - Yorkshire Post Letters

Bill Carmichael (The Yorkshire Post, January 1) might do well to recall that “Free at last” was quoted by Dr Martin Luther King at the end of a speech which he began with the words “I have a dream”.

Bill’s dream: Britain can “be on friendly terms with everyone” and somehow prosper without the unpleasant need for hard-nosed competition.

The reality: we need to negotiate with the world’s giant trade blocs despite our much smaller economy. They will be delighted to export more to us – but what are our businesses going to sell back to them beyond what they buy from our businesses already?

We can make our stuff cheaper than competing EU products by avoiding tariffs, but that requires the mutual removal of the tariffs we charge on imports – catastrophic for most sectors of our economy, particularly farming.

Free trade helps all nations, indeed, but care is needed in the transition otherwise whole sectors get wiped out, and tough policing is needed to make sure there is no unfair competition.

The EU is cited as a ponderous obstacle to trade deals: yes, for very good reason – “marry in haste...” etc. The EU teams negotiate skilfully from a position of strength. Upstart and desperate “Global Britain” will negotiate erratically from a position of weakness, giving away more than we gain.

And we cannot hope to undercut Asian exports to the world’s poorer countries, no matter how far we try to lower wages. Meanwhile Australia, New Zealand and Japan recently pointed to their UK-free future by joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership bloc (together with China and the whole of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations). Did EU membership prevent UK businesses from inventing and marketing exportable products? No. We’ve been sold a pup by the Tories, for the sake of the Tory party. Let’s hope Bill’s Brexit dream does not become a nightmare.

From: Stewart Arnold, Swanland.

Love it or loathe it, now that Brexit is a reality and our future connections with Brussels are sorted, attention needs to turn to our relationship with London.

What’s clear is that the patronising and condescending attitude our ruling classes have towards Yorkshire can’t continue. Perhaps 2021 will be the year people across Yorkshire see the opportunity to take on more responsibility for ourselves. Happy New Year!

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