Brexit: Ben Habib claims European businesses want a deal

While the UK continues its tense negotiations with the EU, the margin between leaving with or without a deal remains thin with just days to agree and then ratify a trading arrangement. Stalemate over fisheries and trading standards has left talks deadlocks for months, meaning British and European citizens are still unsure as to how their future will be affected. Global Britain – the campaign launched by the Government after the 2016 vote to leave the EU – aims to portray Britain as an outward looking nation ready to work with new partners around the world.

Brexiteers hope that leaving the EU will provide more opportunities to strike trade deals outside of the bloc.

However, Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts tells Express.co.uk that ‘Global Britain’ will fail, as the UK needs the EU to be a truly international political force.

He said: “I can recognise some people in the UK think the good old days of the empire can come back, and that Britannia can rule again. But this is over.

“The British people will soon realise they only represent one percent of the world population, and no, they don’t have an empire any longer.

“The only way to have influence is to be a part of something bigger.”

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The Co-President of the Greens in the European Parliament said the UK will even consider rejoining the EU as he predicted Brexit will not provide Britain the platform to succeed.

He added: “I can imagine the UK could realise that yes, it wants to rejoin the EU, but that could take a generation at least.

It could realise that it has too little influence out in the cold. The pathway to being Global Britain is to be part of the EU, you can’t be a Global Britain on your own.

“I think this reality will dawn on the UK especially if the cost of Brexit includes the end of the union with Scotland.

“I think what is psychologically very difficult for the ruling class in the UK is to accept that the UK is no longer the global superpower.

“Recognising that you will no longer be the hegemon of the world is something that is difficult to accept.”

However, Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told Express.co.uk earlier this year that even if the UK leaves the bloc without a trade deal, it can sign new deals with Commonwealth allies and other emerging markets to overtake the bloc post-Brexit.

He said: “If we had extended the transition period, that precludes us from doing trade deals with other countries who want to do a trade deal.

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“America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – we will get all of those – and I’m confident we will get them very quickly.

“And also that ramps up the pressure on the EU, because when you are buying off someone you only need choice don’t you?

“If we join the Trans Pacific Partnership, it will be a bigger trading bloc than the EU.

“And they aren’t asking to take our fish or for us to be governed by their laws and courts.”

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