I don't think we are allowed to negotiate trade deals until we exit the EU.
As for Armageddon, I think Eurogeddon will come first.
No, we can negotiate, we just can’t start trading without having left the EU, indeed we have been doing much negotiating with all sorts of countries and have submitted our trading terms to the WTO . Only problem is, our submission to the WTO was universally rejected by over 20 of its members (the USA was one of the first of them to oppose it) and, just to explain, only one of the 160 odd WTO members need oppose another members proposed trading terms or a trade agreement and it’s instantly blocked. Sounds familiar doesn’t it ? The WTO has all sorts of regulations and rules that must be followed and adhered to, much the same as the EU does. Its just a fact of life. It’s to create a fair and stable trading platform to prevent problems in the world markets and disputes between countries.
Of the WTO members there are none that have no trading aggreements with other members, loosely put, there are countries that have multiple trading partnerships with other countries and they look after oneanothers interests. The Eu is one such example and it’s extremely successful owing to its 28 members influence ( the UK presently being one of those 28 members)
What the UK is hoping to do it to now stand there on its own and try to form its own group ( absolutely laughable if it wasn’t so bad that o just cringe when thinking of it)
The UK is about to get so badly spanked that it makes my and many millions of people’s eyes water.
If the UK had been able to achieve multiple trading agreements with lots of WTO members and the EU is one very big one too, I’d be completely happy with the leave propositions , but the fact is that what many leave voters thought the UK could actually get has not happened and never will, never. It’s a real shame for the whole country, leavers and remainders. It’s just a fact of reality unfortunately.
The EU is primarily about trade, it’s the largest economy in the world, it’s a massive market place and has even more WTO agreements in place than anyone can dream of. We are currently one of the EU 28 and we , the UK , have great influence and power within the EU and within the WTO as members of the EU. The UK has at present have very impressive trading abilities within the EU regulations that make us a very lucky country.
Come April the first, if we drop out of the EU , we will become a very lonely little fawn in the middle of a big forrest full of hungry wolves.
This is sadly just a fact, it’s not an assumption or a prediction, it’s a reality of Leaving the EU.
I respect both sides of the referendum voters of 2016, the fact is that very very few who voted to leave or voted to remain knew how little we could end up with as a country trying to trade on WTO terms and no trading agreements .
Anyway, I wish us all a good Christmas and a happy and United new year .
Kindest regards, Olaf