Regulatory alignment with the EU is not going to help Yorkshire - Yorkshire Post Letters

You report (The Yorkshire Post, February 10) a contention from Best for Britain that if the UK adopted EU rules and regulations across the board there would be an increase in our GDP of about 2 per cent.

This is for the birds. The further suggestion that manufacturing areas away from London, such as Yorkshire, would benefit most is even more bizarre.

There is no need for speculation – we know from 45 years’ experience of membership of the EU what would happen if we adopted that approach. We made a balance of trade loss of £120bn per year in goods when we were last members.

This enormous infiltration of the British market by EU companies resulted in mass closure of manufacturing facilities in the UK whereas London was able to bask in the lion’s share of a £40bn surplus in services.

What would be a better approach? Obviously, those UK firms who decide to export to the EU must meet the standards set for that market.

What the UK should do is follow the example set by the EU. They blatantly apply protectionist measures, namely tariff and non-tariff barriers, in order to “protect the single market”.

Likewise, we should erect tariff and non-tariff barriers against EU imports in order to protect our market. The government should also enforce a ‘British first’ policy on all public sector purchases. Only if we can negotiate an agreement which guarantees an approximate balance in trade should we contemplate rejoining the Single Market and Customs Union.