1. The car industry, eg Vauxhall and Jaguar-Land Rover, is now beginning to warn openly of serious problems ahead unless we come to a satisfactory trading arrangement with the Eu.
2. I have no doubt that some leaver in the Tory party, or even in the Labour party, will pop um soon to tell us that, if we have a free trade agreement that gets rid of tariffs, then the car industry will be fine.
3. If someone does, do not be fooled. The industry needs frictionless movement of goods between the UK and the EU. That requires the removal not only of tariff barriers, but also of non-tariff barriers. An FTA will only remove the former.
4. May’s proposal of mutual regulatory recognition would have addressed the latter, but, as indicated by Donald Tusk today, that is just pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking on her part: pure fantasy.
5. The only way to keep all those valuable jobs in the car industry is by staying in the single market, either by stopping #brexit or joining EFTA and staying in the EEA.
