Quote Originally Posted by Pannonian View Post
It's not much more childish or foolhardy than Brexit. Canada with 300 specialist trade negotiators took 7 years to negotiate a trade deal with the EU. The UK currently has 0 specialist trade negotiators, and little idea what qualities are involved for such a position (according to civil servants who are recruiting for that role). Once we hit article 50, we have 2 years to negotiate a deal before WTO tariffs apply, on which our exports instantly become uncompetitive in a market where 50% of our exports go.

According to members of the EU Commission we have two years to negotiate an exit - THEN we negotiate a trade deal. I covered this a few pages back but you either skipped over it or are choosing to ignore it. Now, maybe they'll break their own rules (this is the EU) and negotiate a trade deal, but if that's the case they'll likely extend the 2-year deadline if needed.

As far as Trade Negotiators go - we don't have zero, we have an unknown number. It all depends on how many UK-born EU Commission Negotiators decide to come home to Blighty and how many seek asylum as political refugees in France - I'm half-joking.

Also - apparently Parliament was told by a Civil Servant we have 20 Trade Negotiators in the Foreign Office:

http://indy100.independent.co.uk/art...s--ZyxdleNdBrW

Clearly this is a problem, the most likely solution is that we'll borrow them from Australia and Canada, they being our largest and friendliest allies with government departments devoted to Trade.