It will be trade that powers Britain’s resurgence after Covid-19
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Britain is at its best when we act together. History has shown us to be the most successful of unions. Yet we now face an enemy that knows no national boundaries. Once defeated, as it will be, the successful rebooting of the global economy will require us to work as one.
I am proud that the UK is already gearing up for the recovery. Formal negotiations with the US are kicking off, with over a hundred trade negotiators on each side. Using video-conferencing at first this common-sense approach to negotiations will ensure that trade negotiations can continue during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a great trading nation we will not heed the siren voices of protectionism. We know that self-sufficiency is a fool’s paradise. A US trade agreement could deliver an extra £15bn a year in increased trade and a £493m cut in tariffs, with Scottish businesses being one of the biggest beneficiaries.
Trade is not a threat to our country. It provides us with security at home, and opportunities abroad. By being forward looking we can open new markets and secure investment that will result in better jobs, higher wages, and lower prices just when we need them most.
By diversifying our trade beyond the EU and China, by reaching out to allies such as the US, we can increase the resilience of our supply chains and the security of the economy. A trade agreement with the US will let us sign up to advanced data and digital chapters, boosting Silicon Glen’s thriving tech centre and companies across the UK.
Our expert teams will work around the clock to deliver greater opportunities and higher living standards across the UK. They will drive a hard bargain for all industries and people. In Scotland we produce the best beef and lamb in the world. With US beef already 6% more expensive than EU beef this is a growing market for our amazing farmers.
Though let us be clear; if a deal isn’t good enough we’ll walk away. The NHS, the price it pays for drugs and its services are not on the table. There will be no compromise on high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. But new Free Trade Agreements can open up market after market to sell the best of British products.
Scotland is proud to be a vital part of a successful Union and a wider world. Our exports are the best in the world. What is better than a dram of whisky to finish a meal? A sliver of Scottish salmon represents the gold standard. Under a Conservative government trade in these will be locked-in.
We will use our influence at the WTO, the G20, and G7 to push for lower tariffs for UK exporters all over the world and enable more free flowing trade.
We will, as the Prime Minister said in Greenwich, “make the case for powerfully for the freedom of exchange … of the right of the populations of the earth to buy and sell freely among each other.” To ensure our future prosperity we must adapt, and rather than look inwards, trade more with every part of the world to ensure we are not overly reliant on one.
Britain is a great trading nation; a Union at its best when we embrace hard work, aspiration, and our role in the world. Now is not the time to retreat, to cower within our shorelines, now is the time to embrace liberal, open, rules-based trade.
In doing so, together with our friends and allies across the world, we will emerge from the current crisis stronger and deliver a more prosperous and better future for our children.