World is ‘begging’ to make deals with UK

BRITONS will look back in a decade’s time and wonder “why were so negative about our future?”, the UK’S chief trade negotiator has said.

Crawford Falconer, who serves as the second permanent secretary at the Department for International Trade, said the world is “begging” to trade with the UK.

He said the EU “travels as fast as the slowest carriage in the train” and Britain can now “move faster and further with our trading partners”.

“Keep your eye on the endgame” he told The Sunday Times this weekend. “The opportunities are enormous. There are so many, where do I start?

“In 10 years, maybe even quicker, people will look back and say, ‘Oh, why were we so negative about our future?’

“The world is the UK’S oyster. We produce the best professional services in the world. Our banks are the best in the world. Our insurance companies are the most reliable.

“Our architects, our designers, our artists, our lawyers, our accountants – they are world class. We have intellectual property rights to die for. It is these services that the fastest-growing economies in Asia and Africa crave.

“The world is begging for the UK to be able to trade with it. It’s not because of something we’re going to take from people.

“It’s because our worldclass services are what other countries need to become more efficient themselves. We’ll be pushing on an open door.”

Mr Falconer, who served as New Zealand ambassador and permanent representative to the World Trade Organisation, said: “The countries that the EU has had agreements with are more than happy to have those agreements with us in our own right, once we’ve left.

“Countries like Australia and New Zealand, which haven’t yet, but are about to start negotiations with the EU, are also clamouring to start with us.

“Countries that are failing to achieve negotiations with the EU, like the United States, are committed to negotiation with us.

“Whether it’s cars or aircraft wings, the world loves what we produce and is prepared to pay a premium.”