Global trade

A bit of personal history and a point to ponder while you think about our links with Europe.

During my time in Government I supported bioscience companies from small to multinationals, Research Institutes and Universities in areas as diverse as medical technologies, bioinformatics and botanical research. 
Later I and my teams helped innovative companies, Research Institutes and Universities to trade overseas, and helped colleagues in the UK and our Embassies overseas support investors into the UK, and UK trade globally. 

I sent missions throughout the globe,  personally leading trade and science delegations to India, North America, Australia, Brazil and throughout Europe. While welcoming missions from Russia, China, South east Asia, with companies and Government bodies from many other countries. With this background the hot air put about by leavers in the Europe debate was ludicrous, and the Remain campaign was frustrating.

It is impossible to replace our easy trading, close physical, cultural and business relationships in Europe with other countries. India doesn't want our services, China wants our trade and knowledge and we can see how they use our technologies to build their industries. Brazil is still mired in its social structure of ultra rich, comfortable middle classes, a vast underclass and a corrupt political setup. As for North America we can see how President Trump is completely focussed on America via threats and trade wars with all and sundry.

And if we look to the Commonwealth countries? Canada has a major trade agreement with us, but via the EU. Australia and New Zealand have pivoted away and look to China and Asia. I could go on but you might now understand why over half our trade is with Europe. If we put up barriers they will be slightly less well off, and we will be significantly poorer than we should be. 

UK has some 140 Universities including more leading world Universities than the rest of Europe with London the pre-eminent Science city in the world. All utterly reliant upon global talent, In some of our leading groups nearly all the scientists come from overseas, and Europeans make up many of those. Funding also flows from Europe. While Universities are a massive cash earner for the UK in terms of students, technologies and intellectual property. Most importantly they produce well trained students eager to work in our companies, the NHS and our environmental opportunities. A split with Europe however mild will damage all of these things. On the island with some 1/5 of staff in the NHS from Europe the possibility of those people starting to drift away is scary.

The Europe debate was farcical and many people are now aware of the economic decline, before we have even left.
You may think the economic pain is worthwhile. You may believe that major industry damage, less money for the public sector, lower spending for pensions, NHS defence and local Government is OK. In which case I will listen to your views very politely, but don't expect me to agree to beggaring my children and grandchildren.