Thursday 27 October 2016

What a differencea few months make...

From The Guardian, shortly before the referendum...

Negotiations about the shape of the UK’s post-Brexit trade arrangements would have to start from scratch after a leave vote in the EU referendum, the head of the World Trade Organisation said as he admitted there had been no preliminary discussions with the UK government.

Roberto Azevêdo, the WTO director-general, said he expected any talks to be long and difficult, adding: “We haven’t had any discussions about the process. We don’t know what the process would be. We do know it would be a very unusual situation.”


From City AM, yesterday...

UK's transition out of the European Union will be fast and smooth and there will be no disruption to trade, the head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said today.

Roberto Azevedo vowed that the UK would not face a vacuum or a disruption when it leaves the bloc and it would continue to be a member of the WTO.

Azevedo has been in discussions with the trade secretary, Liam Fox, and vowed to make the transition as smooth as possible. His comments will reassure some who fear uncertainty and repercussions on trade if Britain did not secure a trading arrangement quickly.


9 comments:

Lola said...

All bureaucrats lie. See Teasley https://mises.org/library/seven-rules-bureaucracy

Bayard said...

"Roberto Azevêdo, the WTO director-general, said he expected any talks to be long and difficult,"

I wonder if George Osborne asked him to say that.

Mark Wadsworth said...

L, the more senior the bureaucrat,the bigger the lies

B, that was my first thought.

Graeme said...

Will anyone be called to account for the lies amassed by Project Fear? The Bremoaners are still banging on about the NHS thing, blind to the lies that they managed to persuade everyone from Mark Carney to Obama to the WTO to promulgate.

Bayard said...

"Will anyone be called to account for the lies amassed by Project Fear?"

Of course not. "Project Fear: news media and politicians told lies" is a real "Dog bites man" sort of headline.

Lola said...

G and B. What's worse they are still at it. The BBC six o'clock news on R4 was particularly dire today.

DBC Reed said...

@l
From the point of view of those who believe that if you make a single market agreement, you should honour its conditions, and not turn on migrants from Europe, the BBC seems to be oozing with Leaver propaganda.
Which tends to indicate that the BBC has got the balance about right.

BTW Theresa May seems to have mollified Nissan.Probably told them not to worry, we're not leaving the Single Market.If so her next job is to pacify all the bootboys who will be disappointed that Britain is not great again and terrifying women.Goodluck with that one.

Bayard said...

"BTW Theresa May seems to have mollified Nissan.Probably told them not to worry, we're not leaving the Single Market."

I expect the fact that it's now a lot cheaper to make cars for Britain in Britain had much to do with it, however much the Tories try and claim the credit.

Mark Wadsworth (YPP) said...

B, indeed . 20% cheaper, so the threatened 10% tariff is no longer an issue.