On Fri, 17 Jun 2016 14:47:00 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

But it wouldn't be a *free* trade deal, we'd have to re-negotiate
those,

and that is where I was told I was wrong (along with others) and that
the UK would *not* need to re-negotiate any trade deals.

Of course the UK would need to negotiate any trade deals, since there
are no deals in place currently between the UK and any other nation.
We could ask for any pre-existing EU deal to be the basis of it,
assuming that's what we wanted to have, but until that was negotiated
and agreed, there would be nothing in place.

You know that and I know that and the Vote Leave campaign knows that
but sadly from the exchanges on here too many Brexit supporters do not.

Indeed we do not, because it is not true!

You don't need a trade deal to trade.

Who - apart from Whisky Dave - ever thought you did?

Of course a newly exited UK could trade without any trade deals in place,
but it wouldn't be very competitive, compared to those nations and groups
of nations between which there were deals in place.