Helen Goodman
Brexit has pushed trade policy to the forefront of British politics and, because I represent a constituency in the northeast of England, which is the most successful exporting region outside London, I take a particular interest. The northeast is still a substantial manufacturing centre, developing sophisticated products which require intensive research and development, such as pharmaceuticals and chemical products, as well as automobiles. This makes the region especially vulnerable if the government can’t get a good Brexit agreement.
I am often struck by how many people forget about Britain’s manufacturing strengths and assume ours is an economy made up exclusively of services. It is not.