The timing of Mark Carney’s intervention in the Brexit debate is unlikely to be coincidental. It would have been too provocative for the governor of the Bank of England to try and cut the legs of Boris Johnson’s wilder Brexit assertions during the ballot. However, by intervening now he hopes to set the terms of the debate ahead of the final round in the contest. He is warning both candidates: have a debate on alternative Brexit strategies, but make sure that it is grounded in fact. On the question of tariffs, Mr Johnson has been adopting some of the misconceptions common among Brexiteers regarding using the World Trade Organisation’s rules to keep tariff-free trade.

Source: The Times June 21, 2019 10:52 UTC