Professor David Phinnemore:

On the trade flows question, it is probably too early to say, partly because one of the things, as we heard earlier, that has been absent from the negotiations is reliable data. It is very difficult to know these flows. Consider goods that are going from south of the Border, across the Border and into Great Britain, there are no checks on these goods. As a result, data flow questions are difficult to answer.

On the question of the responsibility of Brexit for the economic woes, by its nature, it was always going to be disruptive. The UK actually took the hardest form of Brexit available in terms of leaving the Single Market and the customs union. It got a zero tariff, zero quota agreement with the EU. In those circumstances, there is bound to be an economic effect. However, caution is needed here about identifying one sole source of responsibility for economic outcomes. Covid has played a part and there have been general economic structural changes within the UK. Brexit is there but I think it will take some time to determine exactly what proportion of responsibility it has for the economic situation the UK finds itself in.