Brexit: when rhetoric finally faced facts
Trade experts warned from the outset that Boris Johnson was putting his ambition ahead of the reality of Britain’s ability to negotiate deals, writes Geoff Kitney. When Boris Johnson set out to…
Trade, Europe and Markets
Brexit puts paid to the ties that bind
Britain’s exit from the EU, the death of Queen Elizabeth and debate about Australia’s colonial history have led to growing calls for Australia to become a republic. When the Brexit bandwagon was…
Political will is in short supply
Brexit is causing a curious stasis in UK politics in the four constituent nations. It is as though no-one really knows what to do next, writes Murray Ritchie. 2022 looks like being…
British brinkmanship is not what it once was
The Government’s “Up yours Delors” bravado could cost the United Kingdom dearly, writes Geoff Kitney. All that glitters is not necessarily gold. UK Trade Minister Liz Truss might have been well advised…
FTA’s are not always about trade
The UK and Australia may have signed a free trade agreement but how deep does the idea of shared interests run? Geoff Kitney takes a look. All sorts of spin have been…
Brexit: historic mistake that can no longer be ignored?
The effects on the United Kingdom are a slow burn but gradually the full extent of its economic damage is becoming alarmingly clear and is now rekindling political debate, writes Murray Ritchie….
Taking sides? The China conundrum
Trade relations are testing business leaders everywhere but particularly those whose governments are strongly aligned with the United States, Geoff Kitney writes. Boris Johnson’s China policy journey has come a long way…
Brexit trade wars: beware corporate America’s power
The idea that the UK after Brexit could expect to get some sort of inside running for a beneficial trade agreement with the US needs a reality check. Boris Johnson would do…
‘Free’ trade with the US could prove costly
Britain Beware! Special relationships are rarely worth much when national interest overtakes rhetoric, writes Geoff Kitney. When President Donald Trump made his recent trip to London he was full of flattery and…
Complex language of trade falls on deaf ears
The empty space that sits where detailed, comprehensive and forward-looking planning for British post-Brexit trade should be set out is arguably the most perplexing example of why the Brexit debate has been…