Corbyn is the true threat — not Brexit

DELIVERING an early Christmas present to Theresa May, the influential Forbes organisation yesterday crowned Britain the best country in the world in which to do business – up from fifth place since last year’s Brexit referendum.

Thus, the US publishing giant went further than the World Bank, which earlier this year named us merely the best for business among the major economies of Europe.

Whichever is right, the global bodies whose job is to monitor conditions for commerce see no evidence whatever to support Project Fear’s hysterical predictions of Armageddon after the vote.

Meanwhile, there are encouraging signs that Brussels is anxious to get Brexit out of the way, with its negotiators wanting to bring forward the end of the transition period from spring 2021 to the end of 2020.

True, treacherous Remainer Tories have extracted a promise that Parliament may change the Brexit date in ‘exceptional circumstances’. But with our partners desperate for our cash, services and markets – and as anxious as us for a smooth deal – no such circumstances should arise.

As for this paper, we would welcome a shorter transition period, which could be the spur needed to shake off uncertainty and help us seize Brexit’s opportunities.

Yesterday also brought good news from the International Monetary Fund – though, naturally, the BBC chose to focus on the body’s minuscule downgrade in its latest UK growth forecast. Yes, the Frenchwoman who heads the IMF made her usual downbeat predictions of the effects of Brexit uncertainty. But Christine Lagarde also praised the Conservatives for their ‘massive effort’ and ‘significant progress’ in cutting the deficit – a task ‘critical’ to our economic health.

However, she issued a grave caveat. Echoing Forbes, which found ‘political risk’ to be Britain’s weakest suit, she warned turning on the spending taps would leave us unable to face the next shock.

So it’s not Brexit, but Jeremy Corbyn’s Marxism that poses the most dire threat to our livelihoods. Voters, take heed.