May to 'intensify' UK-wide Brexit work - BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38793370

Nice to know she's been taking it at a leisurely pace up to now.

but what excellent reading it makes ...

As has been pointed out, WTO is the default deal for schlubs who can't get a decent deal, so that they aren't totally kicked in the goolies and robbed blind.

Also, dealing with the EU is the bread and butter for many companies, because it is just a stone's throw away, and currently no import/export duties, so their products are competitive and can be transported fairly quickly. The only thing making them less competitive is the cost of the Channel crossing.

Dealing with other parts of the world means the goods have to be transported much further, meaning higher costs, and producing in the UK also isn't very economical, compared to Asia, then you have import duties to add to the price, that makes the goods even less attractive.

And judging by what I see on Amazon Germany, a lot of Brits make a living out of importing Chinese electronics and selling them in Europe. That business model will be hit on the head by Brexit.

There are a lot of things to be considered, especially with businesses, big and small, and how much they currently deal with Europe and how the changes will affect them - for many of these small retailers who specialise in delivering cheap goods to Europe, it will mean folding up their business; generally they are one of a dozen retailers advertising on Amazon and eBay and their prices are about equal to "local" companies. Slap on import duties and the hassles with customs in the target countries and nobody will use them.

For large multi-nationals, it is easier, they just open up a subsidiary in Europe, if they don't already have one. The UK subsidiaries will lose in importance and depending on the amount of business that the UK itself accounts for, many will be downsized or even closed.

Mid sized manufacturing businesses that survive by dealing with Europe will also be in a mess.

Then there is the anti-immigration thing, there the Brexiteers are looking to send back the skilled workers and often the EU skilled workers are there, because there are no UK workers (or not enough) in those fields. That will also have an affect on business as well.

I can see a spike in unemployment caused by a hard Brexit. Over the long term, it will probably level out, but it will be painful in the short term.

Also, what are you going to do about the sudden influx of ex-pat Brits who get kicked out of Europe, as they are no longer allowed to remain, because the UK is no longer part of the EU? Immigration in the EU works both ways, you know.

I hope that it isn't going to be as grim as it looks at the moment. The Brexiteers have won, but I still don't see anything coherent coming out of the UK about how they are going to deal with all those businesses that survive solely through their trade with the EU.