The Conservative party has been torn apart because of division amongst themselves over EU. Thatcher and Major were ousted. Voters for leaving could not have known the then government was so weak.
Yup I do know about the CPTPP I’ve mentioned it numerous times on this thread. Yes I do know that Trump pulled out of it. The UK is hoping to have it finalised at the end of the year. Just because Trump pulled out of it doesn’t mean that they will rejoin at some time in the future.
… 
Here is where the UK is at with CPTPP and the possible benefits it might give the UK. First, it is true that UK joining CPTPP would not have been possible while the UK was in the EU. Fair point, but not yet a tangible benefit, only a potential future benefit. Second, the UK is now negotiating the details of joining CPTPP - what is cedes, what it offers, what access it gives, etc. These are going to be a mix of pluses and minuses as no trade deal is a one-way street of benefits. Again possible potential benefits. Then all this needs to be ratified by the existing CPTPP trading bloc members.
So if this, when it eventually is put in place, ends up like the Australia trade deal then it will be hard to justify this as a great benefit for the UK. And again would involve shipping goods half way round the world.
Small mixed loads are not harder and more complex in the same way mixed loads from different countries into the EU are complex (such as those from Morocco and the like). Its no different now to what it was when we were in the EU, inspections were the same then as they are now. A large small mixed load is declared the same way as a large mixed load - smaller companies and larger companies use the same declarations.
The UK benefited least from the single market because our exports are overwhelmingly in services, of which the single market rules do not apply - the same with tariffs.
Since leaving the EU, however, the UK has increased its level of exports to the EU in goods (my previous point), so quite simply your comments are way off.
Your last comment regarding UK exports to do with selling to non-english speaking countries is also silly. The UK exports all over the world no problem at all - of our top 10 export markets, only 2 of them are English speaking (Ireland and the USA). If your language barrier comments were right the EU 27 would have even greater difficulty as there are 27 different languages to deal with within the EU single market - unless ofcourse they deal in English or sign language. The same with the rest of the world.
English is the common language of the world, I spent many years in Switzerland, France and Germany and always spoke English with them.
The single market specifically was the free movement of goods, services, people and capital. Free movement of services. The UK benefited hugely as so much of the UK economy and its exports is services.
Again, given the UK consumers loves their high quality German cars, etc. how would not being in the single market improve the trade balance? We would still import the goods we want and still not be exporting as much. This lack of exporting is not about being in some disadvantaged by the single market. It is about the UK not having sufficient stuff that can be sold in the EU, about the UK not being great at selling into non-English speaking countries, about the UK not being great at long term strategic investments to establish markets in the EU.
Your point about language actually proves my claim. You say that in the EU / EEA countries you’ve spent time in they spoke English. Yes, management is frequently multi-lingual and English is often the go-to business language. So your other claim that the language barrier the EU countries face would be as great is without substance.
The single market is for goods not services, the UK trades overwhelmingly with services which is why the UK benefited least from it.
The balance of imports/exports for the EU (your second paragraph) is also complete bollocks.
The reason the UK imported more than it exported was because of the following reasons…
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The CAP which meant that UK farmers were paid stupid amounts of money not to produce fruit, veg and livestock, so that French farmers were protected from mass unemployment.
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EU government contracts where UK manufacturers were sidelined in favour of other EU countries supplying them at lower rates.
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EU grants in the 1980’s and 1990s which paid for UK manufacturers to relocate to other EU countries.
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Single market rules which almost bankrupted small business through CE approval applications and restricted a lot of supply into the EU, meaning that their markets were limited to UK domestic markets only.
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EU CAP rules on animal slaughter which meant thousands of farms in the UK went bankrupt in the 80s as they could no longer afford the long transport costs to EU registered slaughter houses when they had to mothball local slaughter houses due to the high employment costs of resident EU veterinary supervision.
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Not to mention the CFP, which, in the 70’s and 80s ruled that by law the UK fleet had to incinerate its boats in order to provide France with more stock quotas, then in the 90s for Spanish quotas. Funny how compensation was paid by the UK government and not through EU funds though …
The single market never worked for the UK - it was designed to benefit German manufacturing and French farming and acted as the biggest non-tarrif barrier to manufacturers in the UK and outside the EU.
The UK single market is far more advanced than the EU’s if you compare them, but there again the UK union is way more advanced than the EU’s anyway as a whole.
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I can’t read a post that starts with a basic and fundamental error. The single market included specifically the free flow of services. Please, don’t expect people to read your contributions when you can’t even check the most basic facts. It makes me near certain that everything else you’ve written is either simply your own unverified opinion or simply just based on something untrue.
Even without membership of the single market, as we have now, our imports from the EU are higher than our exports. We buy more of their stuff because they make stuff we want to buy. That is the fundamental issue.
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Well rather than rabbiting on, we would be best be minded to get off our arses and start domestic production of the stuff we need, just like we used to!!!
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Services are regulated - thats not the same thing as the single market rules which are for goods.
At least try and get the basics right.
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Get rid of wimpy politicians. David Cameron in resignation speech, UK will require a strong, determined and committed leadership. Who! is there anyone?
“I will do everything I can as prime minister to steady the ship over the coming weeks and months but I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination”.
Meanwhile the country is adrift, where is the next destination?
Your right there.
No leadership at all, just following the herd of WEF, UN globalist donkeys.
Mid terms in the USA this week, let’s hop the dems get crucified. That should speak volumes for the mood of the silent majority and hopefully put an end to all this left wing, socialist, green, woke nonesense
Regulated? And here was me thinking that when the EU presented the four freedoms as being free movement, what you are saying is that for services this was not true. You are saying that services worked different from the other single market rules as all services were regulated. Thanks for that clarification.
Perhaps you could tell me about the regulation of, say, forestry management should a Swedish company be providing such forestry services to a Finnish business? Or the regulation of a Dutch company that maintains production line equipment under contract to German factories? Or a French consulting firm providing managerial services to a Spanish telecomms company? I had not been aware of strict limitations and constraints in these fields
I mean, I knew all about financial services regulations - both European and US. But the other services? No, I had genuinely not heard of this regulation you talk of. More details please.
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That’s the polite version he put in his speech! 
rumour has it that behind the scenes, his reason for resigning after the Brexit vote was expressed more succinctly as -
“I’m not dealing with this sh*t!”
What on earth are you on about ?
Do you actually know what the single market rules are ? They apply to goods not to services just like tarrifs do not apply to services.
Free movement is part of the single market but it is not THE single market.
Honestly, you should know this. As for your forestry services these are EU regulations - nothing to do with the single market. The same as if a USA company cone to do forestry work in Sweden ’ they would have to follow EU regs just like Sweden would have to follow USA regulations if it was the other way around. The USA is not in the single market providing these services - totally different to goods which come under things like the common external tarrif and free movement of goods
I’m anxious to know where you get your info.
I find from the EU own website: The four fundamental freedoms have been legally guaranteed since 1986: They state that goods, services, capital and persons can move without restriction within the EU.
Curious that your information says that this is wrong.
Elsewhere in the EU directives on the four freedoms we find:
Freedom to provide services applies to all services normally provided for remuneration, insofar as they are not governed by the provisions relating to the freedom of movement of goods, capital and persons. The person providing a ‘service’ may, in order to do so, temporarily pursue their activity in the Member State where the service is provided, under the same conditions as are imposed by that Member State on its own nationals.
I think this all says that you are wrong. Sorry.
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I think you just want an intellectual exchange, so does Bread, crumbs. 
I’m hoping that you. me and Bread aim for an exchange that is intellectual and informed. For me, if there is something I’ve missed, not understood, or been unaware of - then please correct me. I’ll fully acknowledge a mistake.
Brexit was a long time ago, and hasn’t changed the natural progression, there is no turning back on the road.
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Now I remember 
