David,

No its not bad trade, because the imports are things we need and consumers want. Especially in a country with its own currency, a trade deficit is not bad, because it means that we get lots of nice things in exchange for currency which we can just create.

A trade deficit is a drain on a nation's wealth.

And the reason that our imports from the EU are five times greater than those from the US is that the goods produced by the EU are more desirable. Tariffs have little to do with it.

You are just making facts up. If EU goods were better they would not need tariff barriers to protect them.


Which is nonsense, UK trade with the EU is increasing, and in 2017 was the highest it has ever been:

Everything increases because of growth and inflation. As you well know the point is that it is dwindling as a proportion of our total trade which should not need spelling out.