Campaign for an Independent Britain

Britain now has an ‘empty chair’ at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), where we are a member but cannot do any of our own trade deals, as we have surrendered to the EU the power to negotiate all trade deals on our behalf.

The EU is at heart more protectionist and interventionist than the UK and we are unable to negotiate trade agreements with other nations, including emerging economies such as Brazil and China and 13 of the fastest growing world economies in the Commonwealth which would provide more free trade and be better tailored to the needs of the British economy and our exports. The EU’s semi-imperialist ‘Economic Partnerships Agreements’ (EPA’s) have drawn withering criticism from developing nations particularly in Africa and Caribbean and are unfair to these emerging nations.

We are no longer able to set up our own trade agreements with the countries of the Commonwealth which will go from strength to strength. Currently, the Commonwealth numbers nearly 2 billion people and includes 13 of the world’s fastest growing economies. By 2015, the Indian middle class alone will number a staggering 267 million people. Indeed, leading economist Willem Buiter of City Group predicts that India will supplant China to become the world’s biggest economy in 2050. Because of our EU membership, we are unable to seek far more advantageous globalised visions, for example, to pursue the concept of a Commonwealth Free Trade Area.