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| Liam Fox: globalisation needs to be championed more vigorously Liam Fox: globalisation needs to be championed more vigorously | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Globalisation is becoming “increasingly misunderstood” and needs to be championed more vigorously, Liam Fox has said after praising Brexit as a “golden opportunity” for international aid. | Globalisation is becoming “increasingly misunderstood” and needs to be championed more vigorously, Liam Fox has said after praising Brexit as a “golden opportunity” for international aid. |
| The trade secretary is calling for a more muscular defence of the benefits of globalisation, saying it is a powerful tool for reducing poverty, weeks after Theresa May said at the G20 summit in China that the scale and pace of globalisation was making too many people feel insecure. | The trade secretary is calling for a more muscular defence of the benefits of globalisation, saying it is a powerful tool for reducing poverty, weeks after Theresa May said at the G20 summit in China that the scale and pace of globalisation was making too many people feel insecure. |
| May hailed the principles of free trade, saying she wanted the UK to become a world leader after leaving the EU. But she also said: “We must recognise that for too many men and women the increasing pace of globalisation has left them feeling left behind.” | May hailed the principles of free trade, saying she wanted the UK to become a world leader after leaving the EU. But she also said: “We must recognise that for too many men and women the increasing pace of globalisation has left them feeling left behind.” |
| The rise of populist, anti-establishment parties and figures – from Donald Trump and Ukip on the right to Jeremy Corbyn and Syriza on the left – has frequently been attributed to the idea that globalisation has helped the wealthy while failing to benefit those on lower incomes in the same way. | The rise of populist, anti-establishment parties and figures – from Donald Trump and Ukip on the right to Jeremy Corbyn and Syriza on the left – has frequently been attributed to the idea that globalisation has helped the wealthy while failing to benefit those on lower incomes in the same way. |
| Arguments have also been made that the UK electorate’s vote for Brexit was a result of discontent with the consequences of globalisation, including free movement of labour, capital and trade. | Arguments have also been made that the UK electorate’s vote for Brexit was a result of discontent with the consequences of globalisation, including free movement of labour, capital and trade. |
| However, writing in the Guardian, Fox says the argument should be made more strongly that globalisation has resulted in “the single greatest decrease in material human deprivation in history”. | However, writing in the Guardian, Fox says the argument should be made more strongly that globalisation has resulted in “the single greatest decrease in material human deprivation in history”. |
| He argues: “There is no doubt that our increased interdependence can make us more vulnerable to instability in different parts of the global economy. This should not, however, obscure the tremendous benefits that can be brought to those across the globe by a free and fair global trading environment.” | He argues: “There is no doubt that our increased interdependence can make us more vulnerable to instability in different parts of the global economy. This should not, however, obscure the tremendous benefits that can be brought to those across the globe by a free and fair global trading environment.” |
| He highlights the fall in the proportion of people in extreme poverty in the developing world from 50% to 20% over the three decades from 1981 to 2010. He adds that people should “beware of conflating the drive to eliminate absolute poverty with arguments about relative poverty in already developed nations”. | He highlights the fall in the proportion of people in extreme poverty in the developing world from 50% to 20% over the three decades from 1981 to 2010. He adds that people should “beware of conflating the drive to eliminate absolute poverty with arguments about relative poverty in already developed nations”. |
| Fox says it is “counter-productive at best and downright hypocritical at worst” to pursue a foreign policy of giving aid to countries in Africa and elsewhere while also imposing punitive tariffs on their goods. | Fox says it is “counter-productive at best and downright hypocritical at worst” to pursue a foreign policy of giving aid to countries in Africa and elsewhere while also imposing punitive tariffs on their goods. |
| In a speech in Manchester on Thursday, Fox said Brexit was a golden opportunity for the UK to trade with the rest of the world, particularly developing markets. | In a speech in Manchester on Thursday, Fox said Brexit was a golden opportunity for the UK to trade with the rest of the world, particularly developing markets. |
| There has been debate about whether the UK should push for a “soft Brexit”, in which it would retain as much access as possible to the single market but have to continue to allow the free movement of people, or go for a “harder” option, leaving the single market and trading under WTO rules and tariffs, but able to curb free movement. | There has been debate about whether the UK should push for a “soft Brexit”, in which it would retain as much access as possible to the single market but have to continue to allow the free movement of people, or go for a “harder” option, leaving the single market and trading under WTO rules and tariffs, but able to curb free movement. |
| Fox appeared to be leaning more towards the option of trading on WTO terms rather than having to comply with EU trade rules. He mentioned the single market only once, and the WTO eight times. | Fox appeared to be leaning more towards the option of trading on WTO terms rather than having to comply with EU trade rules. He mentioned the single market only once, and the WTO eight times. |
| “The UK is a full and founding member of the WTO, though we have chosen to be represented by the EU in recent years,” he said. “As we establish our independent position post-Brexit, we will carry the standard of free and open trade as a badge of honour.” | “The UK is a full and founding member of the WTO, though we have chosen to be represented by the EU in recent years,” he said. “As we establish our independent position post-Brexit, we will carry the standard of free and open trade as a badge of honour.” |
| Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat spokesman on the EU, said Fox was “delusional”. | Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat spokesman on the EU, said Fox was “delusional”. |
| “Unbelievably, he claims to be taking an axe to red tape across borders,” Clegg said. “The truth is that leaving the EU’s customs union and single market will bring a deluge of new Brexit red tape down on the heads of British businesses who export to the continent. Fox needs to come clean about the true impact this will have on our exporters.” | “Unbelievably, he claims to be taking an axe to red tape across borders,” Clegg said. “The truth is that leaving the EU’s customs union and single market will bring a deluge of new Brexit red tape down on the heads of British businesses who export to the continent. Fox needs to come clean about the true impact this will have on our exporters.” |
| Senior Tories have urged May to set out a clearer plan for Brexit. Nicky Morgan, the former education secretary, and Ken Clarke, the former chancellor, pressed her to come up with more than her slogan “Brexit means Brexit” before her first party conference speech as leader in Birmingham next week. | Senior Tories have urged May to set out a clearer plan for Brexit. Nicky Morgan, the former education secretary, and Ken Clarke, the former chancellor, pressed her to come up with more than her slogan “Brexit means Brexit” before her first party conference speech as leader in Birmingham next week. |
| Morgan, who is emerging as a leading Tory moderniser on the backbenches, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that May should provide more details about when she would trigger article 50 to start the process of leaving the EU, either at the party conference or within the next couple of months. | Morgan, who is emerging as a leading Tory moderniser on the backbenches, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that May should provide more details about when she would trigger article 50 to start the process of leaving the EU, either at the party conference or within the next couple of months. |
| “There has been a lack of a plan coming from the government and, yes, there is a danger where the government will find itself in a position where other people are setting the terms,” Morgan said. | “There has been a lack of a plan coming from the government and, yes, there is a danger where the government will find itself in a position where other people are setting the terms,” Morgan said. |
| Meanwhile, the Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, said there would be an interesting debate about the single market and immigration across Europe, but “it will be impossible to give to British people more rights than other people outside the EU”. | Meanwhile, the Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, said there would be an interesting debate about the single market and immigration across Europe, but “it will be impossible to give to British people more rights than other people outside the EU”. |