President Barack Obama says that if the UK left the European Union in this month’s referendum it would go to the “back of the queue” for trade deals with the United States.
His reference to “queue” rather than “line” prompted speculation that his anti-British message had actually been scripted for him by the British Government.
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The theme was added to by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, saying that Brexit would mean the UK would be “friendless”.
Yet the whole point of trade is that it is mutually beneficial.
We could default to the (increasingly modest) World Trade Organisation tariffs but it would be in the interests of other countries to agree free trade deals with us.
However, the UK’s relationships with the rest of the world are not just about trade. There is the “special relationship” with the United States which will endure – despite the best efforts of Obama to sow ill feeling with his bluster.
But, of course, this is not the only special relationship that the British benefit from. There are also Britain’s relationships with the 52 other nations that make up the Commonwealth.
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As with the USA, we speak the same language. The Commonwealth’s strength can be seen by the warmth of the welcome for The Queen, as the the Head of the
Commonwealth, and other members of the Royal Family when they visit
Commonwealth countries.
Yet the relationship has been neglected as a result of UK’s members of the European Union.
Lord Howell, the former Commonwealth Minister, complains that the Foreign Office “kowtows” to the United States and is “craven” to the European Union, while neglecting the Commonwealth.
Immigration policy means that Commonwealth nations are discriminated against – while there is an open door to those from the EU.
The EU means the UK is specifically prohibited from negotiating trade deals
with Commonwealth countries such as Canada, India, Nigeria, Jamaica and Australia.
Yet far from being outdated, our Commonwealth links have the potential to be more important than ever. The Commonwealth is an expanding club with new members – some like Mozambique without even any historic links to Britain.
Rather than being shackled to the corpse of the Eurozone with low rates of economic growth, the Commonwealth is becoming rapidly richer. It has two billion citizens – around a third of the people on the planet.
Yet while the Commonwealth is a big club, it does have certain
standards – unlike the United Nations which will let anyone in.
Thus while Zimbabwe was expelled from the Commonwealth, it was allowed to
remain in the UN.
Michael Savage,the Prime Minister of New Zealand, issued the following statement in 1939 when Britain declared war on Germany:
“With gratitude for the past and confidence in the future we range
ourselves without fear beside Britain. Where she goes, we go; where
she stands, we stand. We are only a small and young nation, but we
march with a union of hearts and souls to a common destiny.”
A telegram had arrived in New Zealand on the night of 3 September 1939 with the news that Britain was at war. At that point New Zealand not only followed suit – but, in a symbolic and powerful decision – backdated its declaration to the same moment when the United Kingdom had declared war.
It is wrong that when New Zealanders arrive at Heathrow Airport, they are put
in the slow lane as “non-EU citizens”.
As an outward looking independent global nation, the United Kingdom
would not be “friendless”.
With the help of the Commonwealth we would have the power to make new friends and to renew some important old friendships.
