Beyond Brexit one thing is certain: we will be able to negotiate our own treaties again
by Matthew Lynn
Telegraph.co.uk
The job spec pretty much writes itself. A tough negotiator. Fluent in lots of languages. Good at lots of nit-picky detail. Works well under pressure. Available to start the day before yesterday. Salary – name it yourself.
The head-hunters are no doubt already scouring the world for experienced and wily trade experts who can start hammering out the dozens of potential new agreements we can strike now that we are heading out of the EU. But what principles should guide them as they start that mammoth task?
It is four decades now since the UK last needed any trade negotiators of its own. As soon as we joined the EU, we handed that responsibility over to Brussels. There are, of course, some British experts, but they have all been working for the Commission rather than Whitehall.