Letter: Government should publish its estimate of the economic value of our trade deal with the EU ahead of debate
A letter from Dr D R Cooper:
You report that TUV leader Jim Allister's bill will be given a second reading on December 6 (Windsor Framework: Publication of TUV leader Jim Allister's Private Members Bill - European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) Bill - which will 'restore Ulster's place in the UK' since Northern Ireland Protocol and Brexit, November 20).
In preparation for that debate the government should publish its estimate of the economic value of our trade deal with the EU.
Nearly a year ago I made that the subject of a Freedom of Information request, but I was told they held no information on it.
Without an official UK projection we must fall back on the EU's estimate that it is worth a mere 0.75 per cent of UK GDP.
The estimate should be for the whole of the UK, because any EU retaliatory action would likely be against all UK exports.
Be that as it may, this was a very small mess of pottage for which former prime minister Boris Johnson was willing to see our country split up.
Dr D R Cooper, Maidenhead, Berkshire