The Weeping Angel wrote: ↑Wed May 07, 2025 11:36 pm
I think Duncan might be on to something here.
Doubt Rees Mogg is the only Tory who finds Badenoch’s knee jerk opposition tedious.
Of course the likes of Mogg and Hannan want to jerk off to their Victorian mercantilist fantasies but the truth is that FTAs aren't that exciting or significant economically if you already trade on WTO schedules.
This deal reduces tariffs on UK spirits and cars in exchange for removing negligible tariffs on some Indian imports in sectors that the UK doesn’t much play in. Ironically there would have been no deal if that fool Rees-Mogg had his way and unilaterally removed all tariff barriers to the UK. As the country would have no cards to bargain with.
The diplomatic signals that these series of deals the RoW is making send to Trump is however significant and hugely welcome.