Abstract

The Brexit process was mired in populist ideology, fanned by political lies and unmet promises, such as the creation of a Global Britain that would, somehow, become an international economic powerhouse. The fabrication of illusion has continued after the completion of Brexit, with government claims of gargantuan trade deals that, in reality, amount to marginal gains in the future, as evidenced by the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, estimated to bring less than 0.1% gross domestic product (GDP) growth. This article aims to provide a summary of the most significant Brexit issues and their associated political lies, before briefly analyzing the United Kingdom’s performance in free trade agreements since its “unshackling” from the European Union (EU). The article concludes that Brexit created self-imposed sanctions on the UK and that, in future, there is a need for truth in politics to be legislated, in order for people to be provided with facts on which they can cast a genuine vote. Additionally, some thought should be given by the UK government to either rejoin the EU, or if politically unpalatable, negotiate to join the European Free Trade Association, currently comprising the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway in order to improve bilateral market access.