// Thoughts for August
• Appoint some task forces to deliver quality trade deals with the big markets around the world just as quickly as possible; one for the USA, one for India, one for China, one for Brazil-dominated Mercosur and so on. This is too important to be left to ‘The Sales Prevention Team’ aka the Civil Service. These groups should be headed by a private sector negotiator and have on the team a Trade Unionist, an Environmentalist, a member of the SNP, someone from small business, representatives of different business sectors (eg. Manufacturing, Financial Services, Farming, Creative Industries) and obviously a civil servant or two, all reporting into a democratically-elected member of the government. We're breaking new ground here; don't take, "It's not done like that round here" for an answer: just do it!
• Repeat step 2 above for dealing with the EU. I could weep when I hear Cabinet Ministers and other curmudgeonly members of the Establishment saying, "You can't have access to the Single Market without accepting Free Movement of Labour". Why not? They say, "We'll probably go for the (pick any one from the Swiss, Canadian or Norwegian) model". We're not Norway for God’s sake! We're the fifth largest economy on earth! We're the biggest home for French agricultural exports; Germany sells a million cars a year to us at the best margins they get anywhere; Italy flogs us half a billion quid's worth of fashion goods every 12 months! London is the capital of the world right now! There's not another country like us. Are we arrogant at times?
Sadly yes. Are we too slow? Absolutely. But we do get it. We "do" globalised trade like no other. So let's do a deal that creates a mutually-beneficial unique trading relationship (they are still our trading and investment partners remember), but leaves us in control of our borders. That may well mean some good quality immigration from the EU, but only when we say so and on our terms. Be strong! Be bold!
My friends, an oyster has been delivered to us by what happened on 23rd June 2016. This is Asia's century and if we are to provide healthcare, welfare and pensions for our grandchildren, then it is for us, right now, to take the pearl out of that oyster.
Our belittling lack of belief in ourselves and our lack of understanding of our place in the world are the only things that will stop us. So no celebrations on the one side or sulking on the other, let us, together, unified, as one amazing country, meet the challenge, buckle down and get on with the job.
Lord Digby Jones
STOP PRESS: Brexit & new PM! Read all about it in September!
Lord Digby Jones was a Corporate Lawyer for 20 years, then Director-General of the CBI from 2000-2006 and Minister of State for Trade & Investment 2007-2008. He sits as a non-aligned cross-bench peer in the House of Lords and is Chairman or adviser to many internationally-focused businesses, large and small.
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