Category Archives: Brexit

Writing in the Brussels Times, EU advisors Alexandre Krauss and Nuno Wahnon-Martins referred to

Turkey's position in NATO and Ankara's bid to join the European Union.

Turkey's potential membership of the Brussels bloc played a somewhat significant role in the UK's 2016 Brexit referendum.

In a pamphlet produced by the Vote Leave campaign, Brexiteers warned Turkey was among five countries "lined up to join" the EU.

A separate poster said: "Turkey, population 76million, is joining the EU. Vote Leave - Take Back Control."

Even Boris Johnson, who proudly talks about his Turkish ancestry, made comments about Ankara's bid.

Speaking to then BBC host Andrew Marr, the Prime Minister said: "Frankly I don't mind whether Turkey joins the EU, provided the UK leaves the EU."

He added: "It is the Government's policy that Turkey should join the EU."

However, Mr Johnson has since denied making any remarks about Ankara's plans to join the Brussels bloc.

Writing about Turkey, Mr Krauss and Mr Wahnon-Martins said: "It is almost two decades since Recep Tayyip Erdoan became Turkeys strongest political actor.

"[It] all started with a then committed Prime Minister bridging and enhancing Turkeys challenging relations with the European Union seeking, ultimately, the golden prize an EU membership."

They added: "However, corruption, freedoms obliteration or democratic backlashing followed by an unprecedented purge across Turkeys military, judicial and bureaucratic dimensions after a failed coup, helped to flatten what Erdogan had achieved over one decade at the eyes of Turkeys international partners."

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Brexit: Furious row over eating INSECTS as companies fear being shut down - Express

According to the latest data release from Eurostat the European Commissions official statistical branch exports to the United Kingdom grew more between 2021 and 2022 than any other country, making Brexit Britain arguably the EUs most important growing trading partner.

The data shows that only the United States spent more onEUgoods and services for that period, but the rate of growth was slightly slower, showing the potential for further growth in trade with the UK.

The figures show that, in January 2021, the EU exported 18.5billion (15.6billion) from the UK, but by January 2022, that figure had risen to 23.3billion (19.6billion), a leap of 25.9 percent.

Comparatively, the US spent 28.2billion (23.7billion) on EU goods in January 2021, and 35.4billion (29.8billion) in January 2022, a growth of 25.5 percent.

On imports, the figures are even more startling.

In January 2021, EU imports from the UK measured at 6.5billion (5.4billion), and by January 2022, that figure had grown a staggering 112.3 percent to 13.8billion (11.6billion).

EU imports from its main trading partners were up across the board, the figures show.

In terms of net worth, the largest chunk of imported goods comes from China, a trend which has been evident for many years, with 50billion (42.1billion) worth of goods imported in January 2022.

But in terms of import growth, the UK was second only to Norway for the 2021/22 period, with Norway seeing a 160 percent increase in imports to the EU.

READ MORE:Brexit: Furious row over eating INSECTS

Dr Robin Niblett, director of the UKs leading foreign policy think tank, Chatham House, criticised Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his role in the animosity between the nations.

Dr Niblett said that continuing to fuel a fractious relationship with this major neighbouring institution carries clear risks for the UKs economy.

He said that inconsistencies in the pursuit of new trade deals have opened the Government up to damaging accusations of hypocrisy and are out of step with the UKs role as a champion of liberal democratic governance.

He added: As a newly minted solo power that is still reintroducing itself on the world stage, justifiable accusations of double standards and evidence of hypocrisy will be deeply damaging.

There will be no more precious asset in the future for Britains influence in the world than a reputation for consistency.

Meanwhile, separate data has shown that the UKs goods exports have underperformed when compared to the rest of the globe for the same period.

Last week, the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, known as the CPB, published its world trade monitor, which incorporates data from the Office for National Statistics in the UK.

The report showed that the volume of UK goods exports fell 14 percent in the three months to January 2022, in stark contrast to the global average of an 8.2 percent increase over the same period.

The analysis also showed that the UK was underperforming over the long term as it was the only country tracked by the CPB where goods exports remained below the 2010 average.

Commenting on the trends, the UKs Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said this week that the UK lagged behind the domestic economic recovery and had missed out on much of the recovery in global trade.

As a result, the UK had become a less trade-intensive economy, which was expected to knock out 4 per cent of its productivity over the next 15 years, it added.

The OBR noted that none of the new free trade agreements or other regulatory changes announced so far would be sufficient to have a material impact on its forecasts for UK trade.

Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said the UK trade data was complicated by changes in methodologies but the bigger picture [was] that exports [were] still struggling to recover from Brexit and the pandemic.

However, the UKs Brexit opportunities minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has sought to assure the public that negative impacts from Brexit were few and far between.

Asked about negative OBR forecasting in February, Mr Rees-Mogg told the BBC that Covid was to blame for the most enormous disruptions to supply chains".

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He added: "We've had containers simply being stuck in the wrong place, being stuck in Chinese ports, being stuck in the port of Los Angeles.

"This has been a global trade issue and we do have to recover from the problems of Covid".

Asked whether Brexit had reduced UK trade, he replied: "I think Brexit has been extremely beneficial for the country.

"I think the evidence that Brexit has caused trade drops is few and far between."

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Brexit Britain is VITAL to a flourishing EU: New figures reveal startling trade realities - Express

More than 7,000 finance jobs have moved from London to the EU as a result of Brexit, down 400 from the total anticipated in December, the consultants EY have said

While the total is well down on the 12,500 job moves forecast by firms in 2016, when Britain voted to leave the bloc, more could follow, EY said in its latest Brexit tracker.

EY said that new local hires linked to Brexit totalled 2,900 across Europe, and 2,500 in Britain, where just over 1 million people work in the financial services sector.

Further relocations could result from European Central Bank checks on whether Brexit hubs in the EU opened by banks that used London as their European base had sufficient staff to justify their new licences, EY said.

The Bank of England is scrutinising these to avoid banks in London being left with too few senior staff.

Staff and operational moves across European financial markets will continue as firms navigate ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, post-pandemic dynamics and regulatory requirements, Omar Ali, the EMEIA financial services leader at EY, said.

Dublin is the most popular destination for staff relocations and new hubs, followed by Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Paris.

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EY said Paris scored highest in terms of attracting jobs from London, totalling 2,800, followed by Frankfurt at about 1,800, and Dublin with 1,200.

The transfer of assets from London to EU hubs remains about 1.3tn, EY said. It added that Brexit staff moves were part of a broader view of strategic business drivers and operating models.

Bankers have said privately that in the longer term, it may not make commercial sense to have big hubs in London and the EU.

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Brexit: more than 7,000 finance jobs have left London for EU, EY finds - The Guardian

The Lib Dems passed a motion at their spring conference this month for the UK to rejoin the EU single market for free trade, calling for Government to stabilise the UK-EU relationship and strengthen ties of trust and friendship. The policy paper, backed by party leadership, states: The best option, bringing most benefits to the UK economy and society, is to seek to join the single market.

Liberal Democrats MP Layla Moran, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, discussed the topic on Politics Live today.

She noted that trade has been disrupted as a result of a hard Brexit and attributed this to "the fact that we haven't got a trading relationship that is giving us best value for money in this country.

Last week, the Office for Budget Responsibility the UKs fiscal watchdog released its latest fiscal output report, which forecasts that Britains independence from the EU will continue lead to a 15 percent fall in trade.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said it was too early to be definitive on the exact cause for falling trade.

He said it was inevitable that changing the relationship with the EU would impact trade flows.

The Liberal Democrats claim that rejoining the single market would give the UK full access to the European Economic Area, reintroduce freedom of movement and resolve the Northern Ireland Brexit deal.

Ms Moran added that the UK rejoining the single market was part of a four-step plan which would not come into effect until a generations time.

So what do YOU think? Should the UK rejoin the single market from outside the EU?. Vote in our poll and join the debate in the comment section below.

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Brexit poll: Do YOU think the UK should rejoin the EU single market? - Express

More than two million EU citizens and their families hold a temporary immigration status that could see them lose their UK residence rights and be removed from the country, Oxford academics have warned.

A new report from Oxford Universitys Migration Observatory has sounded the alarm on pre-settled status, which requires people to reapply within five years or become irregular migrants.

The status was given to people who were resident in the UK before the end of free movement in December 2020, but who could not produce evidence that they had been in the country for more than five years by that point.

People who do not reapply in time will lose their right to live, work, access housing and claim benefits and they could be removed by the Home Office.

But the researchers say many people are likely to be unaware of their situation and that the design of the scheme presents challenges for stopping people falling under the radar.

People often look at the fact that over five million EU citizens have applied successfully to the EU Settlement Scheme, and assume that the job is basically done. It isnt, said Dr Marina Fernandez-Reino, senior researcher at the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford and author of the report.

For some of the two million people with pre-settled status, the process will actually be harder than it was the first time around

While most applicants will find the process very straightforward, more vulnerable groups could struggle. Over the past three years, the evidence has become clear that some people find it much harder to engage with the scheme, including such as victims of abuse, people with poor English skills, or those with health problems.

Many of the same groups will struggle to secure permanent status, especially if there is less support available to them in the coming years.

The five-year requirement was imposed by the government for full settled status despite Brexiteers promising that nothing would change for EU citizens during the Brexit referendum.

The researchers warn that the second application to move out of pre-settled status is more onerous than the initial application because it requires more documentation and that there is uncertainty about the level of support available to people.

Crucially, they point out that unlike under the original settlement deadline, every individuals deadline will be different under this phase of the scheme presenting difficulties for public awareness campaigns.

A system with two different status outcomes instead of one inevitably increases the complexity of the scheme and the risk that some people fail to understand the differences between the two statuses, including the need to reapply if they hold pre-settled status, the report says.

It adds: Some applicants will not be aware of their pre-settled status expiry date nor their settled status eligibility date, however.

In fact, support organisations interviewed for this project expressed concerns that some of those receiving pre-settled status have not properly understood that it was temporary and that they needed to apply a second time to be permanent residents.

US actor Will Smith (R) slaps US actor Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California

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Volunteers cover with sandbags the Monument to Princess Olga, Apostle Andrew, Cyril, and Methodius to protect them from Russian shelling, in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, Ukraine

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U.S. President Joe Biden, flanked by Polish Prime MInister Mateusz Morawiecki, holds a child as he visits Ukrainian refugees at the PGE National Stadium, in Warsaw, Poland

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A man holds a mobile phone while smoke rises after Russian attacks hit a fuel storage facility in the city of Kalynivka

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Britain's Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge ride in a vintage Land Rover used by Britain's Queen Elizabeth during her visit to Jamaica

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The moon sets behind the Great Giewont peak in the Tatra Mountains, in Zakopane, southern Poland

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A man holds his breath while he swims inside hot spring on the occasion of World Water Day outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Students hold white balloons during a demonstration against violence, after recent incidents between Thai rangers and suspected separatists, in Ra-ngae district in the southern Thai province of Narathiwat

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Festival participants known as Gilles, wearing traditional costumes and hats made of ostrich feathers, are dressed up for carnival celebrations in the streets of Strepy Bracquegnies, Belgium

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Visitors dressed in period costumes walk near the Gate of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing

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Twins are prepared for a newborn photo shoot by local photographer Fanny Nurdiana in Banda Aceh

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President Joe Biden meets virtually with Irish Prime Minister Michel Martin in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington

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The moon sets behind a statue of William Penn atop of City Hall in Philadelphia

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Indian widows participate in the Holi festival in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India

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A farmer works at a poppy field in the Zhari district of Kandahar

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with an injured man during a visit at a military hospital following fightings in the Kyiv region

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'Choke on it !!!' says the slogan of a carnival float showing a depiction of Russian President Putin as he swallows an object in the form and national colors of Ukraine

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A young man kisses goodbye his girlfriend at Kyiv Main Railway Station as she tries to flee from Kyiv, Ukraine

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The pack rides during the 5th stage of the 80th Paris - Nice cycling race

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Houses inundated with floodwaters from an overflowing Hawkesbury River are pictured in the Windsor suburb of Sydney

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People shelter from fireworks before the traditional "torito" (little bull) made of paper, wood and fireworks during celebrations of San Juan de Dios in Tultepec on the outskirts of Mexico City

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People cross the destroyed bridge as they flee from the frontline town of Irpin, Kyiv region, Ukraine

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A local resident reacts as a house is on fire after heavy shelling on the only escape route used by locals to leave the town of Irpin, while Russian troops advance towards the capital, 24km from Kyiv, Ukraine

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Austrias Roman Rabl competing in the mens downhil sitting para alpine skiing during the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Yanqing

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People remove personal belongings from a burning house after being shelled in the city of Irpin, outside Kyiv

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An aerial view shows a residential building destroyed by shelling, as Russias invasion of Ukraine continues, in the settlement of Borodyanka in the Kyiv region

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A man with his newborn child takes shelter in the basement of a perinatal centre as air raid siren sounds are heard amid Russias invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv

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Members of an Ukrainian civil defense unit pass new assault rifles to the opposite side of a blown up bridge on Kyivs northern front

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Members of the Ukrainian community of Rome collect basic necessities to be distributed to the Ukrainian population, at the church of Santa Sofia in Rome, Italy

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Protesters crowd around the victory column and close to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to demonstrate for peace in Ukraine

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The Swiss Air Force fly in front of the Weisshorn mountain in the Swiss Alps prior to the start of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Crans-Montana, Switzerland

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A Ukrainian firefighter walks between at fragments of a downed aircraft seen in in Kyiv

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Firefighters work on a building after bombings on the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv. Russian armed forces are trying to invade Ukraine from several directions, using rocket systems and helicopters to attack Ukrainian position in the south, the border guard service said

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A woman wearing a face mask walks next to decorations at a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand

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Anganwadi workers take part in a protest march near Delhis chief minister Arvind Kejriwals residence, demanding better facilities and working conditions for women

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An elderly woman stands in a street of the city of Avdiivka, eastern Ukraine

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Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China in action in Beijing, China

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A part of a damaged wall crashes onto the pavement during a storm in Berlin, Germany

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Syrian firefighters extinguish fire following artillery shelling by the Syrian regime on a fuel depot affiliated to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group in the northwestern rebel-held town of Dana

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Austria's Cornelia Huetter competes in the womens downhill final during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre

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A Taliban fighter directs traffic as a street vendor sells red heart-shaped balloons for Valentine's Day, in Kabul, Afghanistan

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Russian Navy's diesel-electric Kilo class submarine Rostov-on-Don sails with an naval ensign of the Russian Federation, also known in Russian as The Andreyevsky Flag on it through the Bosphorus Strait on the way to the Black Sea

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Brexit legal status leaves two million people at risk of deportation - The Independent

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The effect of post-Brexit status on clinical trial logistics - Clinical Trials Arena

UK businesses that trade with Europe are continuing to have a tough time because of post-Brexit bureaucracy, according to an investigation carried out by the Financial Times.

The problems apply to those wanting to work in EU countries as well as those who import and export goods. Russell Antram, the head of EU trade at the CBI said the multiplicity of rules across 27 countries was a real challenge for the largest of HR departments, let alone small businesses.

As the virus restrictions are removed the complexity firms are facing is becoming clearer, he said. It is essential the UK and individual EU member states make progress in bilateral talks to ease restrictions.

William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) contained more than 1,000 restrictions on cross-border trade in services.

As part of the TCA, British citizens can travel visa-free to the EU and stay for up to 90 days in every 180-day period but this does not necessarily include the right to work.

Sally Stephenson, who runs a stationery and school uniform business in Cowbridge, first spoke to us last year about the huge problems she has faced importing supplies since the UK left the single market and customs union.

She told us: I am currently in negotiation with one of my main school uniform suppliers as the prices have gone up astronomically since last year.

They are going up again in April, then again in May, and again in June! Some of this is due to rising energy prices and the war in Ukraine, but the bulk of the price increase has been coming through since before Christmas and Im sure is Brexit related.

Stock is still subject to quite high minimum order values before European suppliers will send us anything. Earlier my account manager from Depesche was here, placing our next quarterly order for childrens colouring and sticker books, toys and gifts, for despatch direct from their warehouse in Germany.

The minimum order value is now 1,000 - it used to be 250 but its just not viable for them to send orders to the UK for less than 1,000 anymore.

It is frustrating as we have 900 worth of back-ordered goods which are now available and ready to be dispatched, but they wont release them until we have ordered at least 1,000.

In the past they would have been sent out to us automatically as soon as there was 250 worth available.

Ms Stephenson said there were three problems with this: Cashflow - obviously we have to pay a lot of money out in one go now instead of paying for more frequent smaller orders spread out across the year.

Secondly, while Depesche are waiting for us to get to the magic 1,000 threshold, the goods which we previously ordered as a backorder, so that we would have our name down on the waiting list, came into stock, but because we havent reached 1,000 yet, they were sent to other customers instead.

Those lines have now sold out again and we have missed out.

In the past we would have easily been able to get to 250 worth of backorders and they would have sent the products straight out to us as soon as they came into stock.

Thirdly, our ranges are not refreshed as regularly as before, so our customers dont have as many new things to choose from as they used to.

There is then a risk that they wont buy anything at all and will leave disappointed. I had exactly this on Saturday - a customer came in and asked if I had had anything new in since Christmas, as her granddaughter had had all our horse-themed colouring books for Christmas.

She knew that if we had had any new stock since January, her granddaughter would not already have it and she would have been confident to buy. But because of the backorder situation, and because we now only order quarterly, we havent had anything new in - so she didnt buy anything and I lost a sale.

This is what life is like outside the single market and customs union.

Anyone who is surprised has either not been paying attention or fell for the lies of Johnson and others.

A spokesman for the Department for International Trade claimed the TCA contained some of the most ambitious provisions on trade in services ever agreed by the EU.

Together with support from the Export Support Service, expanded export academies and a landmark export strategy, we are ensuring that businesses of all sizes have the support they need to trade effectively with Europe.

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Small businesses face crippling costs and barriers from post-Brexit bureaucracy - Wales Online

On Saturday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced typhoon jets and Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel are being deployed to Romania for a fourth year to join the long-standing NATO air policing mission for the Black Sea region.

The RAF deployment forms part of NATO's increased presence in Europe in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the MoD said.

It involves four Typhoon jets from 3 (Fighter) Squadron, normally based at RAF Coningsby, and 150 RAF personnel.

Armed forces minister James Heappey said: "The UK remains committed to NATO and European security in the face of Russian aggression and the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine."

Air Vice-Marshal Philip Robinson, Air Officer Commanding 11 Group said:

The arrival of our personnel and equipment in the region highlights the RAFs continued commitment and contribution to the NATO Air Policing mission in Romania.

During the deployment, we will be working alongside our Romanian and other NATO partners, enabling the delivery of the mission and protecting and reassuring our allies, whilst building confidence and maintaining deterrence.

Air policing is a purely defensive operation, the MoD said, and "ensures the security and integrity of all NATO alliance member's airspaces".

Commenting on the news in an article titled "Will the EU ever say thank you to the United Kingdom for defending its territory?", Facts4EU campaigners blasted the bloc's inefficient defence.

They wrote: "We have previously reported many times on the appallingly low levels of defence spending amongst EU countries.

READ MORE:Kremlin's move to ban Zelensky interview with Russian TV backfires

"Sadly it has not been able to supply its own armed forces sufficiently, due to insufficient federal budgets for decades."

Pointing to EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen as the main culprit for the bloc's failing defence system, they added: "Germanys Defence Minister from 2013 to 2019 was one Ursula von der Leyen.

"She was regularly described in the German media as Germanys least effective minister.

"She was then parachuted into Brussels by Angela Merkel in 2019 and appointed as EU Commission President."

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'Say thank you!' EU savaged as UK defends bloc's borders by sending RAF jets to Romania - Express

The former Brexit Secretary argued that if the European Union does not renegotiate the Northern Ireland protocol then Article 16 should be triggered. He explained that it would be "better" for Northern Ireland.

Speaking to LBC, he said: "It's perfectly sensible, it's a mechanism they should be willing to use.

"They should go the whole distance to try and get the EU to change and if they can't, Article 16 is the way out. It was designed that way and that's what they have to do.

"It's not a great outcome in negotiating terms but it's better than leaving Northern Ireland in the situation it's in now."

Mr Davis added: "We have to do the right thing by Northern Ireland that's the first thing. Not the right thing by one or other political alliance."

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Talks between the UK and EU on reducing the impact of the Northern Ireland protocol on trade are ongoing, but no major breakthroughs are expected ahead of the upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly elections in May.

Under the current deal, border checks remain between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, as Northern Ireland remains in the EU single market under the terms of a section within the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement called the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, the UK or EU are able to take unilateral safeguarding measures if either side concludes that aspects of the deal are causing serious practical problems or harming trade this clause is set out as Article 16.

Triggering Article 16 would amount to suspending part of the Brexit deal, which would lead to serious diplomatic tensions between the EU and UK.

So what do YOU think? Is David Davis right that now is the time to trigger Article 16? Or is it better to avoid tensions with war already raging on the Continent? Vote in our poll and leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Brexit POLL: Do YOU agree with David Davis that Boris Johnson should trigger Article 16? - Express

When Rishi Sunak appeared before MPs today, it was inevitable that the cost of living would dominate. He was at turns both combative and defensive, as he tried to account for just why his mini-Budget had had such a negative reaction from the public.

The Chancellor fended off ridicule for filling up someone elses car for a petrol pump PR stunt, and doubled down on his key decision not to do more on energy bills in his Spring Statement. When asked about fresh gas and electricity rises in the autumn, his answer lets wait until we get there- sounded as much a rebuff to Boris Johnson as to his Labour critics.

But it was when Sunak was asked about Brexit that he looked most uncomfortable. When quizzed by two Tory MPs on just why the UKs trade had plunged by 15 per cent since 2019, much lower than other advanced economies, he suddenly was lost for words.

Whereas he had every statistic at his fingertips when grilled over his focus on pre-election tax cuts, the friendly fire from his own side on trade seemed to discombobulate him. The cost of living he could handle, the cost of Brexit he couldnt.

Asked if he had expected such a big drop in trade when he had argued in 2016 as an unknown MP for Vote Leave, he replied: Forgive me I dont have the numbers in my hand or in my head.

At first, he claimed that the Covid pandemic made things just too complicated to disentangle. The big drawback with that was the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had last week done just that.

Its 245-page assessment concluded that UK trade as a share of GDP had fallen 12 per cent since 2019, two and a half times more than in any other G7 country. In his own evidence to PMs earlier, OBR chief Richard Hughes referred to the consequences of Brexit in being a less open economy.

It gets worse. The OBR forecasts productivity the very thing that drives the economic growth that we all rely on will be 4 per cent lower over the next 15 years. Growth itself will be hit by 4 per cent, double the damage caused by coronavirus pandemic.

Eventually, Sunak did admit the damage: Without a doubt we are changing our trading relationship with the EU and that means a different set of controls. And that will obviously have an impact and that Im sure is a big part of the reason why this [drop in trade] is happening.

Its no wonder the Chancellor looked so uneasy. Whereas Covid, global oil prices and the war in Ukraine are all global events out of our control (and factors he relied on to defend his tax rises), the trade figures suggest that Brexit is a self-inflicted wound.

No major party or politician is offering to turn back the clock, but what is the Governments answer when all these facts are put to it? And, given the Chancellor opted to back Leave, shouldnt he be singing its economic benefits from the rooftops?

Well, Sunak mentioned Brexit just once in his Budget speech last week, and that was in the context of a small VAT cut on solar panels. In his Budget and Spending Review last October, the B-word wasnt uttered at all. In his Budget in March 2021, he did at least have something, as he unveiled eight new freeports and suggested new trade deals would be a boost.

But on those freeports, the OBR says bluntly: We have assumed that the main effect of the freeports will be to alter the location rather than the volume of economic activity.

And on much-trumpeted new trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, the OBR watchdog is damningly downbeat: None of the new free-trade agreements (FTAs) or other regulatory changes announced so far would be sufficient to have a material impact on our forecast.

Sunak again sounded uncomfortable when he was asked by MPs if the UK was becoming a closed economy rather than an open one. The benefit of new trading relationships takes time, they dont happen all overnight, he said.

Although the UK has seen a big drop in imports from the EU (with all the implications that carries for free trade and growth), Brexiteers take some heart from some changes.

A fortnightly ONS survey published last week showed that more than half of UK businesses that had changed their supply chain had switched to more domestic, British sourcing since the end of the Brexit transition period in January 2021.

Could Sunak deliver another Brexit bonus, by replacing the cash the EU sent to our poorer areas with something more generous Unfortunately, the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund is actually worth less than the 1.3bn a year that was spent when we were members of the EU.

What about the biggest Brexit boast of all, that the 350 million a week not sent to Brussels would be spent on the NHS? Jacob Rees-Mogg and others claim that somehow Theresa Mays 2018 NHS settlement delivered on that promise, but the UK hadnt even formally left the EU then.

In fact, Sunak and the Cabinet repeatedly stress that the reason they are whacking up taxes next month (via the health and social care levy to increase National Insurance) is to fund the NHS. That suggests the Brexit dividend is not after all funding our health service (in fact the NHSs funding sources are totally unclear once the levy is meant to shift to social care).

Many Brexiteers will rightly point out that theres no point re-interring all the debates from 2016. Yet the Chancellor so far has little concrete to show how he will use Brexit to boost the economy. Sunak produced a Tax Plan to cut taxes last week, which was skinny enough. There is no Brexit Plan at all from the Treasury.

A Benefits of Brexit paper produced by the Cabinet Office in January had a grand total of two pages on financial services and one page on international trade. Rees-Mogg is reduced to crowd-sourcing from readers of The Sun his ideas for Brexit opportunities.

Sunak often tries to persuade the public that hes a straightforward kind of guy. We are honest with people, I think people respect that honesty, he said recently. Yet so far, neither he nor Boris Johnson are being honest about the economic costs of Brexit. Even more strangely, theyre not doing much to plan for any upsides.

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Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak should level with the public that Brexit has scarred our economy - iNews