SO JOE IS MORE ISOLATIONIST THAN BORIS?:

Anyone who has lingering doubts about the benefits of cutting the EU's protectionist apron strings and embracing Global Britain should consider the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). 

More than just another acronym, the CPTPP - to which the UK has begun the accession process - is a free trade partnership with 11 signatories from Asia and the Americas (including Japan, Australia and Canada). It is home to half a billion people and amasses a total of $13.5 billion in GDP; that's 13.4% of global GDP.

The deal eliminates or reduces 95% of import tariffs. Countries are free to have their own standards and regulations, allowing the nations to trade freely without sacrificing quality or sovereignty. Members are also free to strike separate trade deals with non-member nations without permission from the bloc; the arrangement is thus far superior to the European Union.

There are many tangible benefits from CPTPP for the UK. We would become more secure as a nation through diversifying our supply chains, rendering us more robust in unprecedented situations such as the pandemic. It would also likely boost foreign direct investment into the UK, as it would mean treating investment from member nations' companies the same way as investment from domestic firms. And finally, we would see an increase to GDP of nearly £3bn, according to the Government's conservative estimate.

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