"John Rumm" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 22/07/2016 11:41, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tim... wrote:

"alan_m" wrote in message
...
On 21/07/2016 14:32, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
harry wrote:
http://www.theunituk.org.uk/2016/07/...els-over-ceta/

And it's going to be ever so easy for the UK to make deals with all
the
other countries in the world, we've been told, as we don't need the
EU.


Recently the Canadian official in charge of the negotiation said that
the UK would be part of CETA because it would still be in the EU when
it was ratified within the next 1/2 years and hinted when exiting the
EU the trade deal would may still be valid between Canada and the UK.

There would be nothing to stop us unilaterally withdrawing from it, if
that were to be the case.

(Whether we might want to, or not, is another matter)

The thing so many don't seem to appreciate is just how long trade deals
take to set up. You're talking about 5 years plus of intensive
negotiations. And if anything important changes in either country's
circumstances (like a deal with another country), you may well have to
start again. It is simply not just a handshake over a pint one night.

Oh - May has admitted the UK simply doesn't have anything like enough
trained negotiators for new trade deals. Not surprising, as they've all
had to be done in conjunction with the EU before. And doing a deal with
inexperience negotiators is a sure way to get stitched up.

I find it laughable just how naive so many are on here. That they reckon
the entire world is queueing up to be nice to the UK in any deals.

I don't think anyone is under any delusion that it will not take
significant time and effort. However, if done right, there is no reason
the final result can't be as good or better than what the EU has achieved
thus far.

The key point is there is no point wasting time and energy worrying about
all the reasons we can't achieve the results the nation needs, when it
would be far more productive working out the best way to actually go out
and get them.

So, there are not enough negotiators? Work out how to fix the problem,
how to recruit experienced negotiators from the private sector - people
with years of experience of international negotiations. Start training the
brightest and the best selected from the ranks of the civil service. Start
making use of our remaining links to the commonwealth, and former
colonies. Behave like an entrepreneurial outward looking nation again.

Spot on but I think Dave's thrown up his arm already.