Theresa May says ‘a positive and constructive partnership’ with the EU after Brexit is the target. Beneath the jargon, the message to Brussels in the government’s latest position paper is simple: a trade deal is in your interests too. Ministers are at pains to point out that a messy Brexit won’t just do damage to the UK.
It’s true there are some in Brussels who will be keen to teach Britain a lesson for having the temerity to leave. The government’s pamphlet is a warning to that method of thinking. Here are seven cards the Government thinks it can play in negotiations on trade:
Britain runs a trade deficit with the EU:
Last year, the EU exported £116bn of goods to the UK but only imported £57bn of goods made in Britain. This discrepancy sends a clear message that the EU – not Britain – has more to gain from a deal.
Goods and services aren’t so easy to separate:
A widely-made point is that while the UK runs a trade deficit in goods with the EU, in terms of services, it’s a different picture. In
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