The new trade department has exciting scope for free-trade agreements. For 43 years trade has been the ''exclusive competence’’ of the EU. During the referendum we were told that no one would want to do deals. But countries are queuing up.

The most worthwhile agreements are with fast-growing emerging economies that have high tariffs. As long as we remain in the EU there is no chance of deals with the two biggest countries – India ended talks with the EU in frustration at 28 member states demanding exclusions and China will not accept the EU’s political conditions for talks. But China has a deal with Switzerland, and India is negotiating one. Both would be keener still for one with us. Deals involving 28 countries take forever but bilateral trade deals typically take less than two years. And we can ensure they cover crucial UK industries such as services, which many EU deals exclude.

And:

Every week that we delay Brexit costs the British taxpayer nearly £200 million in membership fees. So both the Treasury and Health (which will have first call on extra spending) should be pushing for a speedy exit.

Although we will still be able to recruit EU nurses if we wish, leaving should be a stimulus to the NHS and our universities to expand training. At present we turn away up to three quarters of British applicants for nursing courses.

The new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will want to incorporate all EU law and regulations into UK law to give business certainty and enable it to prune, amend and replace items which are unnecessarily burdensome. Assuming the UK retains the Climate Change Act commitment to reduce emissions by 80 per cent it will be able to reduce the cost of doing so by scrapping EU renewable targets.

David Fuller's view

Full-Brexit will be the most promising step the UK has taken in decades.  Mrs May’s government will lower taxes to confirm to the world that we are open for business and the most entrepreneurial economy in Europe, with the world’s leading international financial centre. 

What about our current trade partners in the EU?  In the days immediately following full-Brexit we should not be surprised if Germany and our other trade partners within the EU signal that they remain open for business.

Here is a PDF of Peter Lilley's article. 

(See also: May Spells Out Immigration Limits as the First Brexit Red Line, reported by Bloomberg)