I like to keep a record of the more outrageous hostages to fortune uttered by the pro Brexit simpletons like Daniel Hannan (HERE) on Britain joining the Trans Pacific Partnership. Of course, he thinks it's a great idea and sets out cogent reasons why he thinks we should develop closer ties in Australasia, mostly because the area is growing faster - at the moment.
Presumably, if countries in the Pacific region slowed economically, he would advocate quitting the trade bloc and rejoining the EU?
He disdains, among others, Lord O'Neill who described the idea as cloud cuckoo land. No one objects to us trying to improve trade, this is a given among political parties and business. What exasperates remainers is the idea that we have to leave the EU in order to do it. Germany, France, Switzerland and probably most of the leading EU economies export and trade more with Asia and the Pacific than we do. And they do it from inside the bloc.
We are leaving the closest, richest free trade area in order to negotiate a worse deal with one on the other side of the world. If Hannan actually thinks our problem is a lack of FTAs why does he think we have a trade deficit with the EU where we enjoy the most friction free trade possible?
He would no doubt tell us that Asia is growing much faster and this is true - at the moment - and our exports to non EU countries is also growing more quickly. It is the notion that the EU is somehow holding us back that grates because it is patently not true.
I'm not sure if Hannan realises the amount of stuff people have collected on him and which they will be able to use against him later (or sooner, let us hope).
