Making ‘Swiss-style’ friends with the EU
TORY BREXITEERS CONDEMN SUNAK AND HUNT’S ‘TRADE TIES’ PLAN
WHEN Apurv Bagri, president and CEO of the metals trading group, Metdist, spoke to the Asian Rich List recently, he was clear Brexit was an “unmitigated disaster”, because the UK has cut itself off from its biggest trading partner.
He accepts Brexit is “done”, but wants Britain to find some way of repairing the damage.
Unlike former prime minister Liz Truss, who voted Remain, current leader Rishi Sunak supported Brexit. But he appears to agree with Bagri’s thinking. But how is this to be done?
Hardline Brextremists are upset with the suggestion that Rishi is considering “Swissstyle ties with Brussels”, as reported in last week’s Sunday Times (20).
The article claimed, “Senior government figures are planning to put Britain on the path towards a Swiss-style relationship with the European Union. The move, intended to forge closer economic ties, is likely to infuriate hardline Conservative Brexiteers.”
The paper explained what this might involve: “Switzerland has access to the European single market through a series of bilateral agreements. However, the model also involves more liberal EU migration, and payments to the EU budget, with the bloc in recent years also pushing for the European Court of Justice to have greater oversight in the relationship.
“The Swiss have frequently debated restricting free movement from the bloc, but in the most recent referendum, opted to keep it. These are all red lines for members of the rebellious European Research Group.”
Right on cue, the reaction came in a Daily Mail report: “Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt were last night warned against seeking closer ties with the EU. The prime minister and chancellor reportedly want to put the UK on the path to a ‘Swiss-style’ relationship with Brussels to boost trade.
“But former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries said voters needed stability and a guarantee that Brexit was ‘safe’. Treasury sources insisted a new EU deal was not being discussed or considered.”
The Mail pointed out the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, “admitted last week, however, that Brexit had led to trade barriers. Asked whether rejoining the single market would boost growth, the chancellor replied: ‘Having unfettered trade with our neighbours and countries all over the world is very beneficial to growth. I have great confidence that over the years ahead, we will find outside the single market we are able to remove the vast majority of the trade barriers that exist between us and the EU.’”
Dorries was quoted as saying: “I’d like to see a more robust rebuttal from No 10. They need to reassure people that Brexit is safe, that the question of recommencing payments to the EU is absurd.”
Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage told the Mail he feared a sellout: “This level of betrayal will never be forgiven. The Tories must be crushed. Rishi Sunak is a Goldman Sachs globalist, so this sellout of Brexit is not surprising.”
Rishi should do what is best for Britain and ignore the lunatic fringe in politics. In marked contrast to the chaos caused by the Truss/ Kwasi Kwarteng mini-budget, the markets have not been spooked by the autumn statement. That must count for something.
It really does not make sense to make a permanent enemy of the EU. In any case, it seems most people now think Brexit has been a mistake. Some kind of compromise ought to be possible. It is worth bearing in mind that exporters in Germany, France, Italy and elsewhere in the EU have also been damaged by Brexit. The UK needs a more harmonious free trade agreement with the EU.