Brexit Panel Predicts Improving Trade Relations Despite Setbacks

However, Henig believes that “things can only get better” from this new baseline.

The panel agreed that there are changes that can be made to ease trade without the UK going back into the EU single market or customs union over the next few years.

Simon Calder, the Independent’s travel correspondent, pointed out that the biggest single sin of Brexit on travel is the UK’s refusal to recognize EU identity cards, which has had a terrible impact on school trips coming to the UK, many of which are now going to Ireland instead.

Calder stated that it would be easy for the government to relax the rules.

Kate Devlin, the Independent’s political editor, believes that Rishi Sunak’s government is pragmatic and that the Windsor Framework shows that it can use better personal relationships with EU leaders to improve the Brexit deal.

Calder is optimistic that Northern Ireland’s exceptional status, being in both the UK and EU markets, will help make the case over time for a closer relationship with the EU for the whole of the UK.

Henig predicts a “slow technical process” of permanent negotiation over the next two or three years, with new customs checks on goods coming from the EU to the UK in October likely to be postponed again.

There will be agreements in different sectors that will make trade easier, and Britain might even join PEM, the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention, which would give it access to preferential rules of origin.

The panel also discussed Labour’s hardening line, with Keir Starmer stating this week that “Britain’s future is outside the EU” and why the Liberal Democrats are reluctant to become the party of Rejoin due to their “burned so badly in the 2019 election”, according to Devlin.

You can watch a video of the whole discussion, chaired by John Rentoul, the Independent’s chief political commentator, here.