
There has always been only one way in which the UK can have a successful Brexit. It must maximise the opportunities and minimise the disruptions. The challenge for the government is that not everything we can do to minimise the disruptions can be done while leaving opportunities on the table. For example, we could have sought to stay in the customs union and single market to minimise the disruptions of the customs and regulatory processes that necessarily accompany a free trade agreement relationship. But had we done that, we would have no opportunities — no external trade policy and no capacity for domestic regulatory reform. That is why the Johnson administration rightly opted for a free trade agreement relationship. Read More.