April 26
Vote for Hubris. David Davis repeats tired old mantras of Britain as a global nation, with the bravest armed forces. Blah, blah, blah. But 85% or so of the world's countries are in regional economic, trade and policy groups for a reason, and those that are not are seeking to join them. Even China.
As an EU member, Britain is already part of over 50 off trade deals with more on the way soon. Under the Tory harsh Brexit. It will be part of none.
As an EU member, a future of negotiations between equals is possible, whether with major economic powers such as India, China, or the US, or with regional blocs such as the African Union or ASEAN. An equal, not a supplicant.
It may also have escaped the attention of David Davis that the US is prioritising a TTIP deal with the EU over any trade deal with Britain.
He talked about an agile and responsive nation. When the Tories start to chip away at workers' rights and environmental regulations, don't say we didn't warn you.
Of course, superficially the speech will play well with the 'take back control' brigade, and those who believe the media narrative about a heel dragging, protectionist EU. But this ignores the efforts the EU puts into consumer protection and environmental protection, and the influence the world's largest trade bloc can have on how the rest of the world does business, and how world trade can be more sustainable and improve livelihoods around the world. The Davis vision is of a buccaneering 16^th century world where the line between traders and pirates was thin and often crossed, and where the rights of most people were non-existent. Rights that did not exist until several centuries later.