Baronessa Kate Artist & teacher. Reverse Brexit.

The 6,5k people who cheer this FTA as some sort of crowning achievement for Starmer are seriously deluding themselves, it really is a drop in the ocean compared to what we had as members of the EU😡 Here's a comparison of why an FTA with the EU simply doesn't compare with full EU membership.👇🏻 - A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU, as referenced in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, eliminates tariffs on goods but lacks the deep integration of full EU membership, which includes seamless access to a 450 million-person market with unified regulations. - Full EU membership grants free movement of goods, services, capital, and people, enabling UK citizens to live and work across the EU without barriers, a feature not covered by the FTA. - The EU Single Market, accessible through full membership, ensures harmonized standards, reducing trade friction, while the FTA requires the UK to navigate separate regulatory frameworks, increasing costs for businesses. - UK-EU trade under full membership was worth £800 billion annually in 2024, reflecting deep economic ties, compared to the more limited scope of the FTA, which excludes areas like foreign policy and defense cooperation. - Full membership allowed the UK to influence EU regulations directly, whereas under the FTA, the UK must comply with EU rules for market access without a seat at the decision-making table. - The European Economic Area (EEA) option, closer to full membership, could have boosted UK GDP by 4% compared to an FTA, highlighting the economic gap between the two models. xitter.cf/EuropeanPowell/status/…

My latest article for @TheCanaryUK digs into the astronomical costs to taxpayers of Labour’s 12 deregulated Freeports and 74 SEZs. Please read and share! thecanary.co/long-read/2025/…