London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Netherlands PM's scathing assessment of Brexit Britain: 'Too small to be on world stage!'

Netherlands PM's scathing assessment of Brexit Britain: 'Too small to be on world stage!'

MARK RUTTE delivered a scathing assessment of the UK's fortunes in the wake of the 2016 EU referendum, unearthed reports reveal.

Britain is trying to firmly establish its shift to the Pacific after becoming a "dialogue partner" of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab attended a virtual signing ceremony marking the occasion earlier this month. Membership of the ASEAN’s "dialogue club" allows the UK to attend annual meetings of foreign and economic ministers, as well as foster greater cooperation over trade, investment, climate change, the environment, science and technology, and education.

The bloc of 10 southeast Asian nations has a combined GDP of £2.3 trillion.

Mr Raab told the Telegraph, “the Indo-Pacific is the growth market of the future, if you take a 10-year period”.

He also said that working closer with ASEAN nations could help the UK’s efforts to “positively influence China”.

The UK has also applied to join the 11-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade bloc, which also includes ASEAN members Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

The government estimates that British exports to the CPTPP area will increase by 65 percent to £37bn by 2030.

Netherlands PM's scathing assessment of Brexit Britain : 'Too small to be on world stage!'

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)


UK trade with CPTPP members grew by 8 percent annually between 2016 and 2019.

Negotiations between the UK and Singapore also started recently on a ground-breaking digital economy agreement (DEA) to open up opportunities for British businesses to deliver their services.

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson's vision for a post-Brexit 'Global Britain' is slowly turning into a reality, an interview with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has resurfaced.

Speaking with Spanish newspaper El Pais in February 2019, Mr Rutte warned that the UK looked to be sliding off the "precipice" towards a devastating no deal Brexit.

He said: “Who will be left weakened by Brexit is the United Kingdom.

“It is already weakening, it is a waning country compared to two or three years ago.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss


"It is going to become an economy of middling size in the Atlantic Ocean.

"It is neither the US nor the EU.

"It is too small to appear on the world stage on its own.”

Mr Rutte, who claimed the Dutch would have replaced the UK in the bloc as the pre-eminent voice for free trade, also warned that hundreds of companies had plans to relocate across the North Sea from Britain.

He noted: “We can’t stop them from coming here.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte


“Every businessman I speak to from the UK is saying they will cut investments, cut their business in the UK.

"It will have an insurmountable impact on the UK."

Responding to Mr Rutte’s comments, a spokesman for former Prime Minister Theresa May said: “I disagree entirely.

"Employment is at a record high, exports are at a record high, companies are continuing to invest in the UK.

“Deloitte named the UK as Europe’s leading destination for foreign direct investment and London as the world’s top city for investment just last month.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×