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Former Bank of England economist thinks ‘even Wales’ could leave union

05 Jan 2021 2 minute read

A former Bank of England economist believes “even Wales” could leave the union.

Danny Blanchflower, who was an external member of the central bank’s interest rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee said the country could “separate from the little Englanders and their dreams of empire”.

The tenured professor at US Ivy League university, Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire, who received an MSc in economics from the University of Wales, Cardiff thinks Brexit could break up the UK.

Mr Blanchflower, a fierce critic of what he calls “austerity economics”, said: “I think major issue now is whether in order Scotland Northern Ireland and even Wales separate from the little Englanders and their dreams of empire.”

“I suspect support in Wales will be impacted by what happens in Scotland,” he added.

 

‘Welsh independence’ 

Welsh consultant Tegid Roberts replied: “I would say that given support for Welsh independence is growing as rapidly as it is here the ‘even’ is now superfluous.

On Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal with the EU, Mr Blanchflower said: “I called it the worst peacetime agreement a country had signed in 1000 years. It is also the first free trade deal that reduces free trade. It will lower living standards a lot and likely break up the Union. My Scottish friends want to be in the EU.

“The only free trade deal in history that reduces the amount of free trade. It is clearly a thin deal that is bad and better than a much worse deal. It is like the guy who had to have his leg amputated and celebrates that post-op the wound is not infected.”

Mr Blanchflower also said that the thinks an independent Scotland would be welcomed back into the EU.

He said: “My assumption is Scotland would be welcomed including by countries like Spain who last time were unhappy about independence due to Catalonia but this time would support Scotland rejoining the EU club as a much put open friend who also dislikes extreme right wing Little Englanders.”


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