'Brexit is WIN-WIN' Economist insists Remaining would have 'cost economy badly'
A LEADING economist has insisted Brexit is a “win-win” scenario and that it would be “wrong” to dismiss the UK economy before blasting “inward-looking” Eurocrats.
Gerard Lyons: Benefits of leaving EU are clear
Gerard Lyons, a co-founder of Economists for Brexit, called on the UK to “make Brexit a success” after predicting that an "unreformed" European Union would have “cost the economy badly”.
The expert on global financial markets said the success of the UK’s divorce from the EU would be down to having a positive “perspective” going forward.
He told Express.co.uk: “I think it would be wrong to talk down the London or the UK economy. I think we need to highlight the benefits.
“The country has voted, we need to make this a success and once we start to approach it from that perspective, there are more opportunities.”
Gerard Lyons said the benefits of Brexit are "quite clear"
Gerard Lyons: UK cannot have a MESSY Brexit
The country has voted, we need to make this a success and once we start to approach it from that perspective, there are more opportunities
He said the benefits were “quite clear” and praised lobby group TheCityUK for reversing its pro-Remain stance.
“TheCityUK, which before the referendum had strongly supported Remain, came out with a report saying that they now saw opportunities and benefits from leaving.
“And my perception is that the more people start to look at the true implications of leaving versus the alternative of staying in an unreformed, not-changing, inward-looking EU, the benefits are quite clear.”
Mr Lyons, who worked as Boris Johnson’s chief economic advisor while he was the Mayor of London, responded to the Foreign Secretary’s successor Sadiq Khan, who said leaving the single market and the customs union would be a “lose-lose” situation.
The economist slammed the European Union for being "inward-looking"
“My view, became very clearly at the end of it, having spoken to not just people in Brussels and across the globe, more particularly to sectors across the whole UK and the London economy, that Brexit was a win-win for both London and the UK,” he continued.
“An unreformed EU would have cost the economy poorly, badly, hit it hard relative to leaving and being outside.”
He said the UK would still be able to reap the rewards of having access to the single market while not being members of it.
“Clearly, most countries across the world – all of them with the exception of North Korea have access to the single market,” he said.
“We can be outside the single market, gain from that and at the same time have access to it.”