One of the key arguments of the Brexiteers is that our exports to the EU have been falling whilst exports to the rest of the world have been rising. I haven't checked this to see if it's definitely true but let's assume it is. One of the reasons is probably that the financial crisis in the Euro zone impacted growth so exports were bound to fall. But now the EU is growing at a good and growing pace so he argument may not hold much longer.
But also, if we can't succeed in the EU single market with closely harmonised rules, how do we expect to succeed outside. If we have failed inside the market we will surely fail outside it. Our exports to the continent are bound to fall when we put ourselves outside the existing barriers to trade. There won't be new ones, but the old ones will do the job just as well.
When this happens (as it will) the cry will not be for more investment in higher skilled jobs. We know the leaning of the Brexiteers is towards regulatory autonomy regardless of what they say at the moment. No, in the absence of a falling pound, they will cut regulations to try and make us more competitive. As Priti Patel said, we can halve employment law and this is how we will attract multi-national companies.
Low tax, low regulation, flexible labour markets all point to reduced public services, less public investment in infrastructure and a worsening of all the issues that brought us Brexit in the first place.
