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George Peretz QC🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿BL🇮🇪 @GeorgePeretzQC
, 5 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
A harsh but justified comment on the “economists” for free trade “report” endorsed by @Jacob_Rees_Mogg. The legal analysis of WTO rules (by Martin Howe QC of @lawyers4britain) is, regrettably, as poor as the economics.
I explained, briefly, why that analysis was wrong here. telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/…. I have seen no attempt by Martin or anyone else to respond to those points.
Also lots of good legal (and other) points here. . No answer to any of this that I have seen in Martin Howe’s and @lawyers4britain’s stuff.
And getting checkable legal facts right would also be good.
And this checkable legal fact about oranges tariffs should also have been picked up.
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Not happy phrasing by @EvanHD.
The interview was disappointing (and as @StevePeers points out there was plenty of good stuff on Twitter with which to knock gaping holes in the 30 “truths”).
I appreciate that time is limited. But trying to get a seasoned operator like Lilley to criticise Gove wasted time.
Read 3 tweets
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As said at the front, I helped with the legal aspects of this report.
Like all the choices that the U.K. has in front of it, an EEA/EFTA type arrangement involves trade-offs and political judgment about priorities. Views may fairly differ (and differ profoundly) about those.
Moreover, any way forward is going to be a second- or third- best option for many. It’s no use refusing to look at your second choice option because it’s not your first.
Read 6 tweets
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David is being generous about point 26 of the Lilley list of 30 “truths” about “no deal”.
In some areas it’s hard to see how the U.K. could continue to export food more than trivially to the EU on a “no deal”.
See Welsh lamb exports.
Read 4 tweets

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As we get ever closer to Brexit Day, it feels more and more outrageous that we’re about to damage the life chances of 65 million people in the UK, and millions in the EU, based largely on the sustained, unending avalanche of lies coming from less than 100 prominent Brexiteers.
Nearly a million people hurt per lying scoundrel politician feathering their nest and bolstering their own narrow-minded interests...

That’s a mind-blowing ratio. How did it come to this? How did we become so timid, so broken, as to allow ourselves to be misled in this way?
So every time Boris Johnson blows on about building bridges, or Michael Gove's eyes light up at the though of genetically engineering our food supply, or Jacob Rees-Mogg squeals with delight about WTO, or Dominic Raab says we'll be ok despite the proximity of Dover to Calais, or
Read 7 tweets
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1/ You will all be shocked to hear I find this report deeply unconvincing.

It correctly assesses the threat of delays at the border to smooth trade, but presents three reasons why these fears are "exaggerated"

1. Legal
2. Economic
3. Practical

Let's consider them one by one.
2/ First, legal.

The report points to an Economists for Free Trade report to support its claim 'new non tariff barriers would be illegal.'

Let's leave the wisdom of relying on E4FT aside for a minute and focus on the substance.

It's pure misdirection.
3/ It would indeed be illegal for the EU to introduce new, arbitrary requirements or bans targeting UK products in a discriminatory way. That's not the issue.

Issue is the EU requiring UK goods prove they meet EXISTING requirements in ways they didn't have to before.
Read 11 tweets
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My verdict on the Economists for Free Trade Report - A World Trade Deal: The Complete Guide.

Not credible.

If you want to push me I can go further.

Not remotely credible.

Not remotely a complete guide either.

Nonetheless, let's have a little fun. 1/

economistsforfreetrade.com/wp-content/upl…
Let's start with the name. A World Trade Deal. Impressive sounding. But it actually means no deal, as we simply accept WTO rules. 2/
Now remember, this is the 'Complete Guide'. That sadly also turns out not to be quite true. For example Chequers "may" be illegal under WTO rules. I'd expect a little more detail if this really was the complete guide 3/
Read 22 tweets
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Informed prediction: The 'Economists for Free Trade' report being released tomorrow will be really, really bad.
Journalists, before taking claims at face value, some things to remember:

- Unilaterally dropping tariffs won't make up for the economic hit of Brexit, and probably won't lead to a fall in consumer prices:

ifs.org.uk/uploads/public…
- Percentages can be deceiving.

If, for example, India sells 10 sheep to the EU one year, then sells 100 the year after, India would have seen a 900% increase in exports.

If the UK sells 10,000 sheep to the EU, and next year sells 11,000, the UK would have seen a 10% increase
Read 8 tweets
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001/ [article content in this tweet series 001-180 reproduced with permission from Martin Howe QC of Lawyers for Britain @lawyers4britain]
#quote "Leaving the EU on WTO terms: pulling down the barriers to world trade
Introduction: why prices will FALL after Brexit, not rise" /002
002/ #quote "Over the past couple of weeks, the media have been full of lurid scare stories about what will happen if the UK leaves the EU on WTO terms, because negotiations with the EU do not result in a withdrawal agreement." /003
#tariffs #NoDeal #Brexit #WTO #ProjectFear #shortages #food #medicines
003/ #quote "One of the most ridiculous and UNJUSTIFIED of these absurd scare stories is that it will lead to higher prices, and even shortages, of foods and medicines." /004
Read 180 tweets
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As a #leavernow I accept the will of the people which is set in stone and soon on headstones of leave voters and embrace the future everyone knew they were voting for
No one ever said #Brexit would be easy except Nigel farage Boris Johnson David Davis liam fox Jacob Rees Mogg Ian Duncan Smith Chris gargling Michael Gove and numerous other prominent brexists however I've not encountered one leave voter who ever listened to anything they said
The people who voted leave all knew that we would face the destruction of just in time manufacturing the loss of financial service jobs not to mention food and medical shortages and I will of course stoically bear it for #Brexit
Read 11 tweets

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#fbpe #excise #pt #trade #half #product #subsidy #food #chicken #MFN #metoo #supply #jeans #customs #WTO #economy #clothing #duty #SPS #Britain #German #Brexit #ASEAN #TradeAgreements #SubstanceOverSmea

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