Brexit is costing the economy dear, no matter what 'Brexit Opportunities Minister' Jacob Rees-Mogg says – Angus Robertson MSP

“Brexit Opportunities Minister”. How about that for a contradiction in terms? Yet, this is a genuine post created for the oft-called “Member of Parliament for the 18th Century”, Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Jacob Rees-Mogg's job title, Brexit Opportunities Minister, is a contradiction in terms (Picture: Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images)

In a startlingly unaware – yet entirely predictable – start to the role, Rees-Mogg claimed that the evidence Brexit has damaged trade was “few and far between”.

However, a report for a global trade monitor, the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, has shown that UK goods exports have underperformed the rest of the world. Indeed, Britain had a 14 per cent fall in goods exports, in contrast to 8.2 per cent rise for rest of world.

While a global slowing happened during the pandemic, the route to recovery is seen as a key monitor of economic performance. The analysis estimates that UK trade is 15 per cent lower than if Britain had remained part of the EU.

The administrative difficulties and other Brexit hurdles have meant the UK’s recovery from the global pandemic trading slump is still very much in the slump phase when countries the world over are making inroads back to normal trading.

This follows the newly released Global Financial Centres Index in which London dropped 14 points with the continued exodus of financial companies amid the more bureaucratic trading environment following Brexit.

It is at best out of touch and at worst wholly disingenuous for UK Government ministers to still claim that Brexit is offering dividends or any kind of aid to the UK economy whatsoever.

Angus Robertson is the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary

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