special partner

Paul was a remarkable pioneer, a generous philanthropist and a special partner for us.

He added that he assumed the UK would be able to get an Brexit agreement with the EU, saying: “I cannot imagine you will not and I just want you to know that as your special partner and greatest ally, we are going to stand with you through all of this. We want you as soon as the UK is ready and able to do a bilateral trade agreement.”

There is a magical logic to it: the more desperate our predicament, the more we must cling to our very powerful ally; at the same time, the worse the behaviour of our special partner, the more we must hold it close to ensure our continued influence.

Another implication of leaving the single market and the customs union would be Britain’s desire to negotiate a new trade deal with the European Union as a special partner of some kind, but one different from those held by countries like Norway and Turkey.

At a minimum, our special partner will be distracted for years in managing these internal challenges and the negotiations with Brussels over its exit.