A new poll from BMG for Change Britain finds that an overwhelming majority of voters – and clear majorities of Remain and Labour voters – say Britain must be completely free to strike its own trade deals after Brexit. 71% of voters agreed that we must be free to negotiate our own trade deals with other countries without involvement of the EU. Which means, Theresa and Jezza, not being part of any form of customs union.
Keir Starmer should take note, as 64% of Labour voters demanded the freedom to strike new trade deals. 60% of Remain voters agreed. Starmer has never managed to explain his unicorn policy of getting the EU to let us join a customs union that also allows us to strike our own free trade deals with other countries. This poll is effectively a resounding rejection of Labour’s customs union policy by Labour voters.
A majority of Remain voters also agreed that Brexit meant taking back control of trade policy, and 58% of Remainers said the referendum result must be respected. Both Number 10 and Starmer should take note – even Remainers want Brexit done properly…
Officials in Germany’s economic powerhouse state of Hesse – home to significant industry and the major financial centre of Frankfurt – say Brexit has had no negative effect on business. Prof. Mathias Mueller, President of the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry, explained:
“Exports to the UK totalled 4.1 billion euros in 2017, which was 6.5 percent of Hessen’s exports… The sectors most affected include automobiles and automotive parts, since many Vauxhall automobiles sold in the UK are essentially “Made in Hessen”. Traditionally important export goods from Hessen are also chemical and pharmaceutical products as well as electro-technical products.”
“Many local companies have also invested in the UK. According to statistics of the German Bundesbank, Hessen’s direct investment in the UK amounts to nearly 21 billion euros. Hessian companies employ 39,000 people in the UK. Conversely, British companies in Hessen employ as many as 60,000…
“Business is running as usual, a ”Brexit shock” has not occurred and most companies are so experienced in international trade that they can deal with problems such as customs clearance, different national licensing processes, site-specific legal norms and the like. In general, the issues confronting companies with Brexit are nothing new.”
Meanwhile, a nationwide poll by the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry found that even if the framework conditions for future business are not yet clear, companies that are invested in the UK will stand by their commitments. More than 91% of companies replied to the question of possible relocations away from the UK with “no”. Look forward to seeing this reported in the FT…
Theresa May didn’t mean to say ‘customs union’ at #PMQs she meant ‘customs arrangement’ according to the Prime Minister’s official spokesman pic.twitter.com/Spat3DGV6N
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 16, 2018
The PM’s spokesman quickly clarifies that she meant “future customs arrangement”, not “future customs union”. Phew!
For three weeks in a row now, Number 10 has been putting off the decision on customs until “next week”.
Wednesday 2 May: Cabinet sub-committee meeting splits 6-5 in favour of Max Fac. Number 10 declines to hold an official vote. Decision delayed “until next week”.
Tuesday 8 May: Cabinet meeting. Customs is the elephant in the room, not discussed at all. Conversation put off until next Cabinet sub-committee.
Thursday 10 May: May cancels plan to discuss customs. Cabinet sub-committee instead told to go away into two groups and study proposals further. Still no decision.
Tuesday 15 May: Cabinet sub-committee meeting. Decision now expected “next week”. What will they tell us next week?
And this is without mentioning that Number 10 is considering delaying the Commons vote on the customs union until the autumn, which would wreck our negotiating hand. And appears to be considering extending the transition period for customs, which would further delay Brexit. C’mon Theresa, get on with it…
Emily Thornberry told the Today programme – twice – that Labour wants to stay in the customs union.
“What we want to do, is we want to remain in the customs union. We don’t want any faffing around with any of the nonsense that the government is coming up with in relation to alternatives to the customs union. We want to remain in the customs union.”
This appears to be a radical shift in policy from Labour, who previously said they want to leave the customs union and then join a new customs union after Brexit. Thornberry was clear that Labour now wants to stay in the customs union. Unless she doesn’t understand it?
UPDATE: Clarification of Thornberry comments from Labour source: “Emily agrees with our policy which is to seek to negotiate a comprehensive UK-EU customs union, with the UK having a say over future trade deals and arrangements.” Well, it was early in the morning…
684 days have passed since Britain voted for Brexit. Theresa May has been Prime Minister for 664 days. There are just 325 days – ten months – until we are supposed to be leaving the EU. Still, the UK government does not have a policy on customs.
Boris has given an interview to the Mail today in which he brands Number 10’s customs partnership proposal “crazy”. Guido has outlined the problems with it here. The customs partnership is dead in its current form, but the papers are full of speculation Downing Street is going to plough ahead with a rehashed version of the model rejected by the Brexit sub-committee last week.
Just as worryingly, Number 10 is putting off the decision yet again. Customs won’t be discussed at Cabinet today, we are told, nor at the next meeting of the sub-committee on Thursday. There are reports that the Commons vote on customs may even be delayed until the autumn, as May desperately tries to fudge what is already a fudge. Continually delaying the decision on customs is becoming a dereliction of duty. The uncertainty is harming the economy. The vague UK position is encouraging Brussels to wind down the clock and keep us in a full customs union. If Number 10 delay any further, the choice will be between a customs union and no deal, outcomes no one wants. Get on with it…
