ROLLING OVER TRADE DEALS WITH FOX

The original swivel eyed Brexiteer, now the International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, has been answering questions in the House on EU Trade Agreements - Replication (HERE).  I assume this was a long scheduled appearance so one can only assume The Sun's decision to publish a leaked document showing how little progress has been made, was down to mischief and demonstrates he is not popular at Wapping.

THE LABOUR OF SISYPHUS MAY GOES ON

The great geopolitical arm-wrestling match over the Irish backstop continues with not even the sign of a bead of sweat on our opponents. Meanwhile, red in the face and glistening from the effort we are still giving it one last heave. The other day Robert Peston HERE was asking what the PM might be asking the EU for in the 'alternative arrangements' - he said, "Amazingly - and with just eight weeks left before Brexit Day - May has still not told anyone in the EU what she might ask for, when she might ask and who she might ask".

THE TWO FACES OF DR FOX

You can see where Liam Fox's sympathies lie with this item from The Guardian HERE. To him the EU is acting like a gang and threatening to "punish" Britain. But this morning on the radio he was heard responding to the US unilateral decision to apply tariffs to steel and aluminium imports. He says this is not time for "knee jerk reactions". I think this tells us all we need to know about the thinking in the upper reaches of our trade department. Logic doesn't enter into it. Policy is driven by prejudice and ideology.

ATTACKS ON THE BBC - These are dangerous times for democracy

It's started. The accusations of biased reporting by the BBC are starting to come in. Liam Fox, the trade secretary, has written to Lord Hall, the director general to complain about what he calls the wilful ignoring of good news arising from Brexit (HERE). To remainers and to many leavers this will seem like a poor joke given the slump in the value of the pound and the slow down in growth where we have slipped to the bottom of both the G20 and the EU leagues. Unfortunately it isn't.

THE FANTASTIC DR FOX

Anyone who thought the UK would be able to strike a trade deal with the EU while using Brexit to deregulate labour and environmental standards has not read the CETA deal with Canada (see HERE). For those people, M Barnier has again made it perfectly clear we will not be allowed to do it (HERE) and begin a race to the bottom as each country cuts standards to compete.