Brexit has failed to deliver any notable economic benefits, more than six years after the vote to leave the EU, David Davis has admitted.
The former Brexit secretary – a key figure in the push for withdrawal and the negotiations that followed – blamed the Covid pandemic for the absence of any gains from the upheaval.
Asked if, amid growing calls for a change of course, he accepted “we haven’t seen any economic benefit for having left the EU,” Mr Davis replied: “No major ones.”
He pointed to “minor ones” such as the UK beginning delivery of Covid vaccines in 2020 before the rest of Europe – although it is strongly disputed that this was a Brexit freedom.
Mr Davis went on: “There’ll be more of that. You will see our medical based industries and our software based industries grow significantly.”
Speaking to Times Radio, he argued: “Just easing our way out of a Covid crisis, you can’t make any sensible economic measures at the moment.”
Mr Davis, now a backbencher, also echoed Rishi Sunak in insisting the head of the CBI, Tony Danker, is “wrong” to believe looser immigration rules would help rescue the economy.
The comments come amid evidence of disagreement at the top of government about how to mitigate the forecast 4 per cent hit to GDP, with a 15 per cent loss of trade, from Boris Johnson’s hard Brexit deal.
The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, argued last week that the “vast majority” of cross-Channel trade barriers can be removed, without explaining how.
But Mr Sunak’s official spokesperson declined to repeat the claim, after the prime minister stamped on suggestions he will pursue a closer “Swiss-style” agreement with Brussels.
The prime minister insisted: “Let me be unequivocal about this. Under my leadership, the UK will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU laws.”
The “Swiss-style deal” rumour has threatened to reignite the Tories’ Brexit wars – despite it being highly unlikely the EU would offer such an arrangement, even if the UK wanted it.
Nigel Farage has called it a “betrayal”, claiming the Conservatives would be “destroyed at the next general election in a way that they cannot begin to contemplate”.
The CBI has pointed to a lack of workers as a key reason for its warning that last week’s autumn statement – while reversing Liz Truss’s blunders – had no plan for growth.
But Mr Sunak told its conference: “The number one priority right now, when it comes to migration, is to tackle illegal migration,” – pointing to the small boats crisis.
Asked if, despite the clashes over Brexit and migration, he would still say the Tories are the “party of business”, he replied: “Yes, unequivocally, unequivocally.”
Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, said: “People will be aghast that, while living standards plummet, Conservative MPs are yet again fighting amongst themselves over Europe. Their pointless red tape is strangling trade with our closest neighbours.”
*waits for the inevitable brexiteer to come in foaming at the mouth with anger*
> There will be no downside to Brexit, only a considerable upside.
Covid isn’t an excuse. We have been expecting a pandemic for decades. A mark of independence is how well we deal with crises.
Is media literacy taught in schools? Because my main takeaway from this whole debacle is that people are far too credulous of corporate media influence.
So immigration won’t help but the benefits will come from our growing medical and software industries?
Lol I doubt Davis even knows about anything more complicated than sugar.
I was told there would be many economic benefits. They didn’t lie did they?
Makes the whole Russian interference thing seem real in hindsight – has worked great for them to weaken the EU and UK
I’m shocked. I mean why did no one warn us this was a possibility?
I mean, I might have said something about it at the time…
Is that it?
> medical based industries and software industries will grow significantly
To make that claim, you’ve got to show that, 1 – it wouldn’t have happened without Brexit, and 2 – that it outweighs any detriment to the rest of the economy.
They’re not even trying to make those arguments, it’s pathetic.
Tories have failed to deliver Brexit. He is being disingenuous saying “no economic benefits from Brexit”, because the real reason is that the Tories have done nothing to make it a success, they actually set it to fail, so the true headline would be “No economic benefits from Tory rule.”, Brexit is just a scape goat in that context.
Obviously Brexit is an abject failure, but it was never meant to be more than a gamble by David Cameron, so it was pretty doomed from the start.
This is one of the cunts who said that on day ONE after brexit we’d all be better off. Someone needs to invent some more extreme swears to describe these motherfuckers.
So far? Or ever? Never is the correct answer. They need to find new people to ask though as this guy is a pool of coagulated mud on the playing pitch of history.
> He pointed to “minor ones” such as the UK beginning delivery of Covid vaccines in 2020 before the rest of Europe – although it is strongly disputed that this was a Brexit freedom.
That isn’t disputed. It is a fact the EU had no competency over health prior to the pandemic, it was a new power created solely for the pandemic we could have veto’d completely or arranged for an opt out in.
I think it’s inevitable that the UK will rejoin the EU, it’s just a question of timing and terms.
The Bank of England has shown itself to be a clown show of incompetence, so even giving up the £ will be more palatable than before.
We got our country back. I don’t know what that means but I’m told it’s a good thing.
I mean it’s great that they are finally admitting what we can all see with out own eyes.
However why don’t they feel like they have to provide any alternative? Where was your Brexit plan, Davis? Where was your list of Brexit benefits? What have Brexiteers got to hold onto right now?
These people have had **six years** to come up with a plan. And they still haven’t. If that is not proof of the destitution of Brexit as an idea I don’t know what is.
Having worked in the software industry in a few countries including the UK nothing about Brexit will lead to it improving. And saying software is an industry is not really the correct term, software is getting used more in more sectors. There are more things that will have a bigger impact on the sector like the online safety bill, data security and privacy laws and agreements with other countries. Immigration and housing also have a big impact on these industries, but the government can’t make up its mind on what to do about them either.
David Davis….. the man who had to have the whole ‘trading bloc’ thing explained to him by civil servants because he didn’t understand even the basic mechanics of a trade bloc. THAT David Davis.
Not a fan of Dominic Cummings but he was spot on with his ‘thick as mince’ assessment of the man.
The only exception being some rich peoples’ bank account when they profited from the economic downfall of others.
Brexit, was one big lie, Wake up, and smell the resesion. lol…..
Until we stop voting for parties that promise to make Brexit work better and start voting for ones that promise to reverse it nothing will change.
Well, no shit. According to Rees-Mogg’s watch, we need to wait another ~40yrs to see the benefits.
These ham-fisted cunts should be in the fucking Tower for treason.
Davies has sobered up for long enough to twig what anyone with an ounce of intelligence knew all along?
It was never about economics, anyway; the Tories and their chums don’t give a fuck about that because they also make money in recessions by hoovering up repossessed housing and stock – it was always about tax avoidance.
It was also an object lesson in divide and rule and how to get fucking mugs to vote against their own best interests.
Hold on, let’s broaden that to what benefits of any fucking kind whatsoever?
So far, or ever, but not only no benefits massive and permanent damage.
If we rejoined the EU tomorrow, which Brexit benefit would you miss the most?
Well it better feckin hurry up we’re nearly down the drain.
Just keep beating the dead horse why don’t you? This sub is the dregs.
So now we’ve proven Brexit was a critical error is it time to think about rejoining the EU yet
Quelle surprise.
This is only half the story, of course. Brexit has failed to deliver any benefits, but it has delivered untold economic damage and misery.
And he blames Covid for lack of progress? Why? Zoom meetings could have been arranged. I think our Tory “Fiends” will be using the excuse “Due to Covid 19” for the next generation. One area i DID agree with Farage on 1>
What do you *mean* no benefits? The scum haven’t struggled like this in decades! 😀
32 comments
Brexit has failed to deliver any notable economic benefits, more than six years after the vote to leave the EU, David Davis has admitted.
The former Brexit secretary – a key figure in the push for withdrawal and the negotiations that followed – blamed the Covid pandemic for the absence of any gains from the upheaval.
Asked if, amid growing calls for a change of course, he accepted “we haven’t seen any economic benefit for having left the EU,” Mr Davis replied: “No major ones.”
He pointed to “minor ones” such as the UK beginning delivery of Covid vaccines in 2020 before the rest of Europe – although it is strongly disputed that this was a Brexit freedom.
Mr Davis went on: “There’ll be more of that. You will see our medical based industries and our software based industries grow significantly.”
Speaking to Times Radio, he argued: “Just easing our way out of a Covid crisis, you can’t make any sensible economic measures at the moment.”
Mr Davis, now a backbencher, also echoed Rishi Sunak in insisting the head of the CBI, Tony Danker, is “wrong” to believe looser immigration rules would help rescue the economy.
The comments come amid evidence of disagreement at the top of government about how to mitigate the forecast 4 per cent hit to GDP, with a 15 per cent loss of trade, from Boris Johnson’s hard Brexit deal.
The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, argued last week that the “vast majority” of cross-Channel trade barriers can be removed, without explaining how.
But Mr Sunak’s official spokesperson declined to repeat the claim, after the prime minister stamped on suggestions he will pursue a closer “Swiss-style” agreement with Brussels.
The prime minister insisted: “Let me be unequivocal about this. Under my leadership, the UK will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU laws.”
The “Swiss-style deal” rumour has threatened to reignite the Tories’ Brexit wars – despite it being highly unlikely the EU would offer such an arrangement, even if the UK wanted it.
Nigel Farage has called it a “betrayal”, claiming the Conservatives would be “destroyed at the next general election in a way that they cannot begin to contemplate”.
The CBI has pointed to a lack of workers as a key reason for its warning that last week’s autumn statement – while reversing Liz Truss’s blunders – had no plan for growth.
But Mr Sunak told its conference: “The number one priority right now, when it comes to migration, is to tackle illegal migration,” – pointing to the small boats crisis.
Asked if, despite the clashes over Brexit and migration, he would still say the Tories are the “party of business”, he replied: “Yes, unequivocally, unequivocally.”
Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, said: “People will be aghast that, while living standards plummet, Conservative MPs are yet again fighting amongst themselves over Europe. Their pointless red tape is strangling trade with our closest neighbours.”
*waits for the inevitable brexiteer to come in foaming at the mouth with anger*
> There will be no downside to Brexit, only a considerable upside.
Covid isn’t an excuse. We have been expecting a pandemic for decades. A mark of independence is how well we deal with crises.
Is media literacy taught in schools? Because my main takeaway from this whole debacle is that people are far too credulous of corporate media influence.
So immigration won’t help but the benefits will come from our growing medical and software industries?
Lol I doubt Davis even knows about anything more complicated than sugar.
I was told there would be many economic benefits. They didn’t lie did they?
Makes the whole Russian interference thing seem real in hindsight – has worked great for them to weaken the EU and UK
I’m shocked. I mean why did no one warn us this was a possibility?
I mean, I might have said something about it at the time…
Is that it?
> medical based industries and software industries will grow significantly
To make that claim, you’ve got to show that, 1 – it wouldn’t have happened without Brexit, and 2 – that it outweighs any detriment to the rest of the economy.
They’re not even trying to make those arguments, it’s pathetic.
Tories have failed to deliver Brexit. He is being disingenuous saying “no economic benefits from Brexit”, because the real reason is that the Tories have done nothing to make it a success, they actually set it to fail, so the true headline would be “No economic benefits from Tory rule.”, Brexit is just a scape goat in that context.
Obviously Brexit is an abject failure, but it was never meant to be more than a gamble by David Cameron, so it was pretty doomed from the start.
This is one of the cunts who said that on day ONE after brexit we’d all be better off. Someone needs to invent some more extreme swears to describe these motherfuckers.
So far? Or ever? Never is the correct answer. They need to find new people to ask though as this guy is a pool of coagulated mud on the playing pitch of history.
> He pointed to “minor ones” such as the UK beginning delivery of Covid vaccines in 2020 before the rest of Europe – although it is strongly disputed that this was a Brexit freedom.
That isn’t disputed. It is a fact the EU had no competency over health prior to the pandemic, it was a new power created solely for the pandemic we could have veto’d completely or arranged for an opt out in.
I think it’s inevitable that the UK will rejoin the EU, it’s just a question of timing and terms.
The Bank of England has shown itself to be a clown show of incompetence, so even giving up the £ will be more palatable than before.
We got our country back. I don’t know what that means but I’m told it’s a good thing.
I mean it’s great that they are finally admitting what we can all see with out own eyes.
However why don’t they feel like they have to provide any alternative? Where was your Brexit plan, Davis? Where was your list of Brexit benefits? What have Brexiteers got to hold onto right now?
These people have had **six years** to come up with a plan. And they still haven’t. If that is not proof of the destitution of Brexit as an idea I don’t know what is.
Having worked in the software industry in a few countries including the UK nothing about Brexit will lead to it improving. And saying software is an industry is not really the correct term, software is getting used more in more sectors. There are more things that will have a bigger impact on the sector like the online safety bill, data security and privacy laws and agreements with other countries. Immigration and housing also have a big impact on these industries, but the government can’t make up its mind on what to do about them either.
David Davis….. the man who had to have the whole ‘trading bloc’ thing explained to him by civil servants because he didn’t understand even the basic mechanics of a trade bloc. THAT David Davis.
Not a fan of Dominic Cummings but he was spot on with his ‘thick as mince’ assessment of the man.
The only exception being some rich peoples’ bank account when they profited from the economic downfall of others.
Brexit, was one big lie, Wake up, and smell the resesion. lol…..
Until we stop voting for parties that promise to make Brexit work better and start voting for ones that promise to reverse it nothing will change.
Well, no shit. According to Rees-Mogg’s watch, we need to wait another ~40yrs to see the benefits.
These ham-fisted cunts should be in the fucking Tower for treason.
Davies has sobered up for long enough to twig what anyone with an ounce of intelligence knew all along?
It was never about economics, anyway; the Tories and their chums don’t give a fuck about that because they also make money in recessions by hoovering up repossessed housing and stock – it was always about tax avoidance.
It was also an object lesson in divide and rule and how to get fucking mugs to vote against their own best interests.
Hold on, let’s broaden that to what benefits of any fucking kind whatsoever?
So far, or ever, but not only no benefits massive and permanent damage.
If we rejoined the EU tomorrow, which Brexit benefit would you miss the most?
Well it better feckin hurry up we’re nearly down the drain.
Just keep beating the dead horse why don’t you? This sub is the dregs.
So now we’ve proven Brexit was a critical error is it time to think about rejoining the EU yet
Quelle surprise.
This is only half the story, of course. Brexit has failed to deliver any benefits, but it has delivered untold economic damage and misery.
And he blames Covid for lack of progress? Why? Zoom meetings could have been arranged. I think our Tory “Fiends” will be using the excuse “Due to Covid 19” for the next generation. One area i DID agree with Farage on 1>
What do you *mean* no benefits? The scum haven’t struggled like this in decades! 😀