Letters: A Mexican charade
[Re: UK kicks off negotiations with Mexico for £4bn post-Brexit trade deal, April 20]
It’s quite striking that we’re bragging about trade deals with Mexico as some kind of farcical “post-Brexit” boost.
We never saw a real trade deal with the US even if we are now negotiating state-by-state. Our trade deal with Australia was never going to make up what was lost – and even now, we barely hear anything about what we’ve gained.
With food prices going up, it’s hardly as if we’ve seen cheaper Australian meat that’s going to help people get through the cost-of-living crisis.
And at the same time, we’re now also fighting with the EU – our genuinely biggest trade partner – and threatening to kick off a trade war over the rule in Northern Ireland. It’s not to say that it’s wrong we should ensure Ireland isn’t split up, but we do need to align our priorities. Spitting out lines about having a trade deal with Mexico which will save us £57m a year in tariffs seems ridiculous and completely out of touch with what people want from Brexit.
We should be focussing on keeping trade with the EU on an even keel and making sure we have the right immigration rules in place post-Brexit to allow talented people from across the world to easily move to the UK.
John Denver