It’s been a busy week for Brexit, with David Davis and Michel Barnier going head-to-head in Brussels, and Theresa May and Liam Fox heading to Japan to try and kick-start a trade deal. Here’s how the week unfolded:1. UK-Japan trade deal lined up: In spite of predictions to the contrary, Theresa May won reassurance from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that Britain would benefit from a facsimile version of the trade deal being negotiated between Japan and the EU. This could be the first of a series of ‘cut and paste’ bilateral trade deals which the government wants to establish with countries which already have trade agreements with the EU – to ensure that British exporters will continue to have favourable access to these markets immediately following Brexit.
This weekend, Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, announced that he is attempting to improve the performance of the civil service. I genuinely wish him luck, but I am not optimistic. After a decade in and around government – including five years as a schools minister – I am convinced the Whitehall
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