The UK’s goods trade is lagging far behind the rest of the G7, while services are booming.

The vision of post-Brexit Britain was one of international trade deals that would propel the country into a new era of prosperity. That vision of “Global Britain” is now dead. Thomas Sampson argues that the only viable alternative is a closer trade relationship with the EU.

“Car crash!” exclaimed managing director Andrew Varga, whose Brexit progress I have been following since the referendum. News of the latest Brexit U-turn landed on him on Tuesday out of the blue. All his years of preparation for a new UK product safety mark, all his thousands of pounds wasted, all the uncountable hours and effort were rendered pointless, at a stroke.

And why none of them actually stack up.

From NHS staff shortages to export woes, the effects of the 2016 vote are still being felt.

UN figures show value of British goods and services exports rose by 6% between 2012 and 2021, compared with 29.1% for EU.

Labour big beast Neil Kinnock has warned Keir Starmer he might struggle to meet a key election pledge without rejoining the EU’s Single Market.

The ‘remoaner elite’, the civil service, the BBC, universities, unions, refugees: anything is blamed but Brexit itself.

We were promised sunny uplands and a oven ready deal: instead we've been served extra helpings of cow excrement. As Nigel Farage admits Brexit is a disaster, car manufacturers threaten to walk and Keir Starmer calls for a renegotiation, it's time to accept reality.

Financial Times US Editor-at-Large Gillian Tett says many people in the United States “are just baffled” Britain went along with Brexit, describing it as an “act of self-sabotage”. / “Britain has got the worst performance amongst the G7,” Ms Tett told Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan.

The former UKIP leader made the surprise comment as he was presented with the mounting evidence that quitting the European Union has damaged the British economy.

Once again the lead proponents of Brexit are so divorced from reality that it borders on the comical. / Nigel Farage’s GB News show delved into the murky pits of absurdity last night as grown-ups discussed the deeply damaging effects of Brexit on a real TV channel.

It would take just a few to say that it is a "bit of a mess and we are going to have to work together to solve it" to get Britain back on track. / “I thought Brexit was frankly completely nuts,” he said.

The former MP for Vauxhall suggested an Irexit would soon be on the cards after the UK left the EU. How wrong she was!

It is increasingly evident that leaving the European Union — the world’s richest single market — was a monumental act of self-harm for the UK. African countries should take heed and cooperate to ensure the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

"The jury is in, the fat lady has sung, there is no debate anymore." / The UK is on track to be the worst-performing G7 economy this year – despite an upgrade from the International Monetary Fund.

The Mirror man called the UK's split with the EU "a disaster, a nightmare," adding that "long term it'll take 4% off the economy."

The UK economy will perform worse than any major economy this year, even worse than sanctions-hit Russia.

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), has told PoliticsHome Brexit and last year’s political turmoil may be among factors that have contributed to the IMF's gloomy economic forecasts for the UK.

Rishi Sunak's triumphalism over solutions on Northern Ireland and migrant boats ignores the fact the issues only arose because of Johnson's flawed Brexit deal - which he endorsed.

Brexit “slammed the brake on UK investment”, SNP economy spokesperson Stewart Hosie has said. / Responding to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Spring Budget, Mr Hosie argued the UK economy was “one of the weakest” in the G7.

Chris Heaton-Harris says "no", leaving the EU has not damaged the economy. / Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris was left struggling to defend the economic case for Brexit, after being put on the spot by Sky News’ Sophy Ridge.

A Bank of England policy maker has warned that a wave of business investment was “stopped in its tracks” by Brexit, dealing a blow to the UK economy worth £1,000 ($1,204) per households.

The former chancellor said the Conservatives, Labour and national broadcasters "won’t talk about it", but the split with the EU is to blame.

THE UK will be the only major economy to plunge into recession the year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned – with the finger pointed at the “economic self-harm of Brexit” on the three year anniversary of Britain leaving the EU.