Liam Halligan and Gerard Lyons - Clean Brexit

We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked but not compromised. We are interested and associated, but not absorbed.

W INSTON C HURCHILL , 1930

H ow will Britain fare outside the European Union? During the Article 50 negotiations, what should the governments priorities be? Theresa Mays hand has clearly been weakened by the June 2017 general election which resulted in a hung parliament, with the government commanding no overall majority. Is Brexit still going to happen? Could there be a second referendum on EU membership? Would that be a good idea?

Can Britain and the EU maintain good relations, despite testy Brexit talks? Will EU imports and exports continue even if we leave with no deal on trade? Is the danger of the cliff edge real and is falling back on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules really the disastrous outcome that many suggest?

What does Brexit mean for UK-based car manufacturers, for the City and our farmers, for British universities and our fishing industry? Will our new immigration system mean fewer EU nationals living and working here? Can the UK itself hold together once we have left the EU, given ongoing calls for Scottish independence and concern about fresh tensions between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic?

How will Brexit affect the EU and the single currency? What does the rise of nationalism across the EU mean for the European project? Could the euro and even the EU itself collapse? If that happened, would Britain get the blame?

Clean Brexit tackles all these questions and more. Amidst the confusion, spin and rhetorical barbs, this book addresses, honestly and openly, the vital Brexit-related issues the politicians try to avoid. While a single volume cannot consider all the technical aspects of unravelling the decades-long formal UKEU relationship, Clean Brexit doesnt shy away from detailed analysis of the economic, commercial, diplomatic and geopolitical issues that the UK faces as it undergoes its most significant negotiation since the Second World War.

The British economy, having performed quite well since the EU referendum in June 2016, still faces genuine difficulties. Brexit will not be entirely straightforward we are realistic about the near-term challenges and outline how they should be addressed. But this book is, nonetheless, unashamedly optimistic. Leaving the EU will obviously cause some upheaval, with both winners and losers. But we genuinely view Brexit as an opportunity to reassert the UKs sovereignty, reinvent our economy as both more productive and inclusive, while reclaiming Britains rightful place as a premier global trading nation.

Under a Clean Brexit, the UK will be outside of the single market, but will still have access to and trade extensively with the EU as do the US and many other leading economies. They trade with the EU without diluting their democracies or making multi-billion-pound annual contributions. Also, outside of the EUs protectionist customs union, we will be able to cut trade deals with the worlds major and fast-growing economies, which Brussels has largely failed to do. The UK can then conduct more business with non-EU countries, which accounts for about 80 per cent of the world economy a share set to go even higher.

By avoiding a potentially explosive Messy Brexit that tries to trade off freedom of movement and single market membership and could ultimately end in stalemate, Clean Brexit provides the best chance of a constructive Article 50 negotiation. That bodes well for the continuation of healthy UKEU trade volumes and ongoing cooperation across a range of important areas from education and research to environmental protection, from military and security matters to cultural exchange. We are leaving the EU, not Europe, after all.

This book draws on the authors long experience in economics, business, journalism and finance, as well as extensive discussions with leading politicians and diplomats from the UK and beyond. It argues that the Article 50 process, if cool heads prevail, can be simpler and less disruptive to citizens and businesses than is often suggested.