• FOR “Global Britain” Brexit has already happened. Exporters to the Far East have no idea whether the goods they have shipped will arrive at their destination or what price they will be.

No one knows what the terms of trade are, whether the importing countries will require customs checks or levy tariffs. The reason for the uncertainty is that it takes about six weeks to ship goods across the world and no one knows what kind of Brexit we will have.

Will the some 800 trade deals and agreements we currently “enjoy” as members of the EU carry on or will exporters be hit with World Trade Organisation terms immediately because we have not agreed a transition deal with the EU? Nobody knows. It’s said that business is about taking risks, but I doubt that crossing your fingers is in the top drawer of modern management techniques.

On St Valentine’s Day we had a meaningless vote on Mrs May’s “alternative arrangements” in Parliament. Had it been “meaningful” Mrs May’s defeat by 45 votes might have been seriously serious. But it was serious enough because it showed the EU that Mrs May is powerless: not the full St Valentine’s Day massacre but not far off.

The bright point came from Anna Soubry, the acerbic member for Broxtowe and a leader of People’s Vote. Ms Soubry had placed an amendment requiring that secret cabinet papers on the effects of a “no-deal” Brexit should be published.

She had been told the papers “… identify in stark terms the very real dangers to our economy, to trade and to business of a no-deal Brexit”. How can members make an informed decision if they aren’t properly informed? So, we have ignorant MPs led by a powerless PM: excellent!

Meanwhile, our exports bob along the ocean waves to an uncertain reception and we still have no idea where the Brexit Mystery Tour will take us. But we can at least give a big hurrah for Liam Fox’s deal with the Faroe Islands (pop. 49,290). Fear not. We are in safe hands. We have invisible ferries.

RICHARD ROSSER
Richmond Grove, N1