Since we left our exports to the EU, which were reducing every decade even as a member, have reduced slightly. Our imports have reduced a lot.
Rubbish! It's true that our exports have reduced slightly, but our imports, since Brexit, have rocketed to now stand at £308bn, a deficit of £140bn.
Yet our imports from the US have grown a lot.
Also true, but in doing so they have reduced our trade surplus from over £100bn to just about £66bn. Import more and the surplus keeps reducing.
It is also true that when we were in the EU our exports to non-EU countries overtook those to the EU meaning that we were not held back by being in the EU. The flip-over was in 2007.
And let us never, ever, forget that the tantrum and hissy fit were thrown by the UK in an exercise of self-harm and not by Jonee Forriner, who we were going to stick it to "Gud an' proper".
That is where we are at and what Starmer is trying to mitigate.
