On 22/05/2017 12:55, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Tim Streater wrote:
In article , Dave Plowman (News)
wrote:

In article ,
Tim Streater wrote:
Are you too stupid to understand we already have access to that cake
without leaving the EU.

No we don't. We are constrained by having to apply EU tariffs to
imports.

Ah - right. You think our way forward is to have cheaper imports?

Would help the cost of living, eh? Last time I looked we don't grow
bananas.

But didn't you say earlier that the drop in the value of the pound after
the Brexit result was known was a good thing? Despite it putting up costs
of imported goods?

I've not been following this subthread but if Tim did indeed say that
then I agree with him. The lower pound has been a boon to the economy,
boosting tourism, exports and jobs and increasing the tax take, and is a
great thing to help us get through the uncertainties and negative
pressures of the process of leaving the EU. The downside is an increase
in prices.

But once we are free of the EU and certainty returns the pound will
likely rise. Once out of the customs union we will be able to reduce
import tariffs to bring down the cost of imported goods - especially
those we don't produce here. That would reduce the cost of living that
the EU artificially inflates just now - and has done for decades. Its
protectionism hurts all of us as consumers.

--
James Harris