Share this page!

David Henig Profile picture
Twitter logo
3 Feb, 4 tweets, 3 min read
We have two new @ECIPE blogs for you today on the UK. From me on the linkage between the UK government not listening seriously to business, and their lack of ambition on outcomes with an apparent goal of get the agreements, don't worry about the content. ecipe.org/blog/uk-trade-…
My colleague @ErikvanderMarel has been crunching the numbers on services and CPTPP, and finds the opportunities to be limited. Because distance matters in services, and the UK is already over-performing with most members. ecipe.org/blog/uk-joinin…
What should UK government trade priorities be? Removing US Scotch tariffs for sure. But beyond this, services and non-tariff barriers, since we already see with the EU how important these are. Conclude our WTO negotiation, sure add a couple of FTAs, but focused on quality.
The relationship between the UK government and business community on trade remains, to large degree, strained. Business doesn't feel honest talk is possible, and engagement opportunities are highly limited. While that isn't fixed, we have a serious problem.ecipe.org/blog/uk-trade-…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with David Henig

David Henig Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @DavidHenigUK

David Henig Profile picture
5 Feb
New @instituteforgov report on managing UK-EU relationship. I would start in a different place, and I think get to a different result - our priorities should be resolving trading issues and influencing future regulations, plus general political relations. instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/…
I think we get distracted by the elaborate committee structures set up by UK-EU treaties. The EU aim to do this with everyone. The only way we're special is we have two treaties so two sets of committees. That's actually quite revealing in its way. Image
So how do the committes help us if we have day-to-day business issues, as we do and will, or want to try to influence EU regulation? They don't, necessarily. This is going to have to be the same stuff as we do with every country in the world. Only more so, more at stake.
Read 10 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
4 Feb
Admitting Brexit has a cost?
Might start a Brexit dictionary. In this case "absurd" means perfectly normal outside of a single market. bbc.com/news/amp/enter…
Just wait until UK Ministers discover that every country has non tariff barriers to trade and the only group of countries to remove them almost completely are the EU plus EEA countries.
Read 7 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
4 Feb
Integrated supply chains like this affect all sectors of the economy, and are in turn affected by greater barriers. ft.com/content/9fb6b5… Image
Someone made the very good point to me earlier this week that even small companies can have their own global supply chains - technology raised that possibility. But now many UK companies are disadvantaged.

My paper published earlier this week. ecipe.org/publications/g…
So why don't we bring the entire supply chain back to the UK like in the 1970s? Because that will not produce the same quality of goods at the same price. And we'll be hopelessly uncompetitive compared to those drawing on a range of inputs. Image
Read 5 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
4 Feb
Dial down the politics and uncertainty and Northern Ireland has a potentially strong offer to business. Unfettered goods access to EU, mostly unfettered to GB, plus large numbers of population eligible for dual passports so can work across UK and EU.
In general the UK will do better with the EU once it stops treating those who want to negotiate better outcomes as opponents, and moves away from tried and failed techniques of bluster followed by retreat.
What is the UK gaining from this refusal to fully recognise the EU Ambassador? A good headline at the expense of an ability to influence our major trading partner and a global regulator?
Read 4 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
4 Feb
Useful. And adds to my feeling that UK negotiating hand over Northern Ireland is rather weak. Yes the Commission mucked up. And yes there are difficulties. But the UK previously made threats, and PM doesn't seem to understand what he signed up for. Needs cleverer UK approach.
If UK politics can't be honest about what has happened in EU talks particularly with regard to Northern Ireland then we face having the same conversations on repeat, to the frustration of all, leading to the same outcomes. And causing economic loss and political impotence.
This is what I mean by lack of honesty about the outcome of talks. Facilitated by the English print media and opposition not wanting to have the conversation about the way we lost negotiations then pretended it was a victory.
Read 7 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
3 Feb
Interesting thread end point end point. I hope, and I could be wrong, that the UK government knows that to actually trigger protocol safeguard mechanisms would be incredibly counter-productive in showing a total lack of good faith. I suspect this is more an idle threat.
Obviously the UK government is under pressure from the DUP to renounce the protocol. But that's been true for 15 months. They are under pressure from EU and US not to do so. And that pressure has been more important to date, and probably wil continue to be so.
Then the UK government is under pressure trying to protect the PM who denies an Irish Sea border, while trying to make things better which Michael Gove and team knows means ignoring what the PM says. All together very tricky.
Read 14 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Like this author's thread?

Get emails when @DavidHenigUK has new unrolls!

Check out other threads from @DavidHenigUK!

Read all threads by @DavidHenigUK