Naomi Smith · [email protected]

February 23, 2021 at 8:05 AM

Eating its own tail

Best for Britain Dear John, Shellfish sellers face losing their homes. The government’s trade deal has destroyed fisherman’s livelihoods. Sailors Creek Shellfish has seen 99% of its business disappear since the beginning of the year, as Britain’s third country status came…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

February 19, 2021 at 3:46 PM

Your name in print

Best for Britain Dear John, Business is being battered. Small business owners are suffering from post-Brexit red tape. We want the government to take action. British businesses need a boost to recover from COVID, not extra paperwork and red tape. Would you consider writin…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

February 17, 2021 at 1:42 PM

Will there be any left?

Best for Britain Dear John, “I feel like I have to choose whether I’m British or a musician.” That’s what representatives of the music industry told the House of Commons culture Committee yesterday.  The government’s EU visa arrangements for creative workers, like musicia…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

February 4, 2021 at 8:05 AM

A stopped clock...

Best for Britain Dear John, Where was this attitude last year? Johnson argued our borders could not be shut to Europe as the UK is too reliant on EU food and medicine. During PMQs, Johnson used the fact that 75% of UK medicines and 45% of our food are imported from EU as …

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

January 28, 2021 at 4:29 PM

You did this.

Best for Britain Dear John, Government U-turns on scrapping workers’ rights. Thanks to pressure from supporters like you, our rights are safe - for now. Only last week, the Business Secretary announced plans to “review” workers’ rights, which had been protected by EU law…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

January 26, 2021 at 12:10 PM

Burning questions

Best for Britain Dear John, This is hardly free trade.  Businesses are considering burning expensive merchandise, rather than deal with the red tape and cost of returning products from EU customers.  Shoppers in Europe faced with 20% VAT charges are sending products back …

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

January 18, 2021 at 3:50 PM

Now we see what it was really about

Best for Britain Dear John, Actions speak louder than words. After promising we’d keep our workplace standards, the government plans to rip up our rights. In December 2019, Boris Johnson won the election on a manifesto promising Brexit would “raise standards in areas like…

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  Jack Monroe · [email protected]

January 14, 2021 at 8:14 AM

Thunderclap for carers

Best for Britain Dear John, Clapping for Carers in the first lockdown was nice. A sense of solidarity and standing side by side, socially distanced, with our neighbours while we got used to the shock of the strange new reality we found ourselves in. But this time around…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

January 13, 2021 at 8:03 AM

Brick by brick, step by step

Best for Britain Dear John, The barebones deal is hitting businesses and consumers alike. The double whammy impact of COVID and post-Brexit trade is just beginning. The Federation of Small Businesses warn 250,000 small enterprises will fold in 2021 from COVID plus Brexit…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

January 11, 2021 at 8:04 AM

You wouldn’t want to miss this

Best for Britain Dear John, REMINDER: Livestream event tomorrow, 6pm. Have all your trade and Brexit questions answered by a leading trade expert. David Henig, Director of the UK Trade Policy Project, will be speaking with our CEO, Naomi Smith tomorrow at 6pm.  The repo…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

January 8, 2021 at 2:09 PM

Life outside the single market

Best for Britain Dear John, We have left the single market. Businesses are starting to see what that means. We avoided a no deal exit, but the thin deal we are left with is leaving British businesses in the lurch. The UK requires traders to register with the HMRC and pay…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

January 7, 2021 at 7:14 PM

This is your invitation

Best for Britain Dear John, Would you like to better understand the new UK-EU relationship? Would you like to know how we can build on this thin deal? Trade specialist and author of Best for Britain’s new report, David Henig, will be in conversation with me on Tuesday, 12…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

December 31, 2020 at 9:11 AM

End of Year Review

Best for Britain Dear John, What a year... Despite the government's mismanagement, we avoided a no deal end to the year.  Still, this is not the deal Britain was promised or which we need. There remains much work to do.  But it's important to remember how far we've come. …

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  Cary Mitchell - Best for Britain · [email protected]

December 30, 2020 at 7:09 AM

Just checking you've sent it on already

Best for Britain Dear John, MPs are voting today on the deal. Help make sure every MP has seen our analysis of the UK-EU deal before they vote. I hope you saw Naomi's email yesterday, but if not you can read our new report here. We've analysed the government's deal with t…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

December 29, 2020 at 8:12 AM

Now we've seen the deal

Best for Britain Dear John, UK-EU deal 'Not fit for modern trade environment' That's the verdict of our brand new analysis of the deal. So we've avoided a January no-deal, but we'll need to build a better deal in 2021. Our report, written by trade expert David Henig, warn…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

December 24, 2020 at 3:55 PM

We’ve got a deal! Now what?

Best for Britain Dear John, We’ve done it! We have a deal with Europe. Despite the prevaricating and the bravado, the UK has reached a deal with Europe.  British business can breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks to the work of supporters like you, we’ve pushed decision-makers…

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  Cary Mitchell - Best for Britain · [email protected]

December 23, 2020 at 1:32 PM

Stop the Clock

Best for Britain Dear John, It’s time to stop the clock. The mismanagement of COVID and the mismanagement of Brexit have coalesced into a one of the bleakest midwinters in memory. Our leaders (in their infinite wisdom) forfeited the UK’s rights to an extension in June. B…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

December 21, 2020 at 2:16 PM

Sick Man of Europe

Best for Britain Dear John, We urgently need an extension to the transition period. This is a national crisis. We must stop the clock. Chaos at the border. The government has let a mutant COVID virus run rampant. Medicine and vaccines may not make it into the country. Our…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

December 15, 2020 at 5:30 PM

How to prepare for nothing

Best for Britain Dear John, Supermarkets are told to stockpile. But the public is told not to panic. Businesses are still in the dark and consumers are rightly worried. How are we meant to prepare for a no deal, when the government won’t admit there’s any problem with a n…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

December 14, 2020 at 2:29 PM

NEW POLLING: No mandate for no deal

Best for Britain Dear John, NEW POLLING: The public overwhelmingly support a deal. Two-thirds of Brits want the government to reach a trade deal with the EU. Our new polling, featured on the front page of today’s Mirror shows two-thirds (66%) of people asked want the gove…

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  Cary Mitchell - Best for Britain · [email protected]

December 12, 2020 at 8:04 AM

One year on: 7/10 votes wasted

Best for Britain Dear John, Today is the anniversary of the 2019 General Election. It was a sad and difficult day. But that should not detract from the brilliant campaigning we did during the election, and all the progress we have made since. And we must never forget that…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

December 11, 2020 at 1:09 PM

“Not concerned”?

Best for Britain Dear John, Last-ditch crunch talks have ended without breakthrough. It is unlikely negotiations will continue past Sunday. There is a “strong possibility of a no deal”, according to Downing Street. The EU has begun preparations for a no deal end to the t…

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  Cary Mitchell - Best for Britain · [email protected]

December 9, 2020 at 10:52 AM

A big step forward

Best for Britain Dear John, The government has made a massive concession. Thanks to pressure from supporters like you, the government will drop law-breaking clauses from the Internal Market Bill. Michael Gove has agreed to “in principle” respect the Northern Ireland Proto…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

December 7, 2020 at 1:51 PM

Urgent: At a cross-roads

Best for Britain Dear John, Talks continue – just. Negotiations teeter on a knife edge, after a weekend of more deadlocks. This is a cross-road for British diplomacy, and the recovery of the UK economy. Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen agreed to further talks last n…

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  Cary Mitchell - Best for Britain · [email protected]

December 3, 2020 at 3:09 PM

Another one?

Best for Britain Dear John, The Internal Market Bill will be back in the Commons on Monday.  And the government has said it will re-table the law-breaking clauses removed by the Lords.  The government has resolved to re-table the most controversial clauses of the Internal…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

December 2, 2020 at 8:03 AM

Outdated totem

Best for Britain Dear John, The OECD has given the UK a troubling warning. Failure to reach a trade deal with Europe would mean a “serious additional economic disturbance”. Fishing, which accounts for 0.12% of the overall economy, and less than 0.1% of the UK’s jobs, app…

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  Cary Mitchell - Best for Britain · [email protected]

December 1, 2020 at 12:24 PM

Patron Saint of fishing and Scotland

Best for Britain Dear John, Yesterday was St Andrew’s Day. St Andrew is the patron saint of fisherman and Scotland - and there’s big news from both camps. Nicola Sturgeon has announced every primary school student in Scotland will receive free school meals. Whether or not…

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  Cary Mitchell - Best for Britain · [email protected]

November 28, 2020 at 8:02 AM

A statute is worth a thousand promises

Best for Britain Dear John, Their promise is not good enough. Ministers pledge our protections won’t be watered down, but what’s that worth? The government conceded to a Trade and Agriculture Commission scrutinising trade deals. But a damning report by a standards watchdo…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

November 26, 2020 at 8:03 AM

A confidential crisis

Best for Britain Dear John, An economic nose-dive not seen for three centuries. Yesterday’s Spending Review uncovered the dire economic health of this country. There will be a pay freeze for the firefighters, teachers and social workers who’ve worked so hard to keep us …

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

November 24, 2020 at 8:03 AM

At any price?

Best for Britain Dear John, We should “not be going for a deal at any price”, says the Chancellor. Yet he seems more than willing to sacrifice public sector workers on the altar of a hard Brexit. The government tells us difficult decisions must be made to offset the damag…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

November 18, 2020 at 8:03 AM

Immigrant success story

Best for Britain Dear John, Is ‘global Britain’ at the back of the queue? The UK government rejected Europe’s offer to be part of a vaccine procurement scheme, back in the summer. The EU Commission secured 80 million vaccines in August, and has options for another 80 mil…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

November 13, 2020 at 8:03 AM

Six days to save

Best for Britain Dear John, The deadline to strike a deal with Europe is six days away. The EU Summit next Thursday is pegged to be a last-ditch opportunity to reach an agreement. This means the Prime Minister has six days to save British businesses and deliver the deal w…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

November 10, 2020 at 8:03 AM

Massive defeat for the government

Best for Britain Dear John, A massive defeat for the government on the Internal Market Bill. The House of Lords has listened to our campaign. We sent tens of thousands of emails to MPs about the Internal Market Bill and over 6,000 emails directly to government whips and p…

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  Cal Roscow · [email protected]

November 7, 2020 at 5:23 PM

I think you know what this email is about...

Best for Britain Dear John, This is a good day for progressive politics. Biden’s victory means one thing: the push-back against nativism begins today! Let’s make sure Britain is at the forefront of that fight-back. If we maintain a ‘Britain first’ outlook, we will face th…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

November 4, 2020 at 2:27 PM

One of the few things

Best for Britain Dear John, We are still wating to hear the final outcome of the US election. As the dust settles, Britain’s position in the world is on the brink. The House of Lords is due to vote on the Internal Market Bill next Monday. This Bill threatens to break not …

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

November 3, 2020 at 8:04 AM

No guarantees

Best for Britain Dear John, We dealt the government a massive blow on food standards.  The government has agreed to parliamentary scrutiny of future trade deals in the Agriculture Bill.  The Trade and Agriculture Commission is to become a statuary body with the powers…

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  Laura Savage · [email protected]

November 2, 2020 at 3:32 PM

Consistency is key

Best for Britain Dear John, The government has made a significant U-turn on food standards. Thanks to campaigns like the Affordable Food Deal and its partners, parliament will have scrutiny of the food we import in any future trade deals. Last time, the government rejec…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

October 30, 2020 at 8:05 AM

We have to do better

Best for Britain Dear John, The tragedy in the Channel should be a wake-up call. The UK needs better protections for refugees and asylum seekers. The Guardian reports the shocking treatment asylum seekers receive on entry to our country. In processing sites across Kent, p…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

October 29, 2020 at 9:00 AM

Exclusive polling: failure and blame

Best for Britain Dear John, Exclusive polling reveals the public think this government has broken their promise. Two-thirds say the government has ‘failed’ in EU negotiations, while 57% think a breakdown of talks would be the UK's fault, according to our new polling. Brit…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

October 28, 2020 at 8:04 AM

So much for Global Britain

Best for Britain Dear John, The Internal Market Bill will be voted on next week. The controversial Bill will be back in the House of Lords. That means the Bill will be debated while the UK is in last-ditch negotiations with the EU to secure the deal. There will be intense…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

October 27, 2020 at 8:07 AM

Conscience by Christmas

Best for Britain Dear John, Millions of kids go hungry in the UK. In one of the richest nations in the world, there is no excuse. Even before COVID struck, food poverty was on the rise. Shamefully, the government has refused to give kids the food they need. It is simply a…

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

October 22, 2020 at 7:01 AM

Uphold the law

Best for Britain Dear John, The Internal Market Bill is being discussed in parliament.  The House of Lords are now debating and scrutinising the controversial Bill. The House overwhelmingly passed a “motion of regret” against the Bill. It’s reassuring the House has regi…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

October 21, 2020 at 5:58 PM

It’s starting now

Best for Britain Dear John, The livestream is starting now!  My Q&A with Ian Dunt is beginning now, at 7pm. If you’d like to watch our discussion live, it’s starting now, click a button below. The Q&A will be broadcast simultaneously on Facebook and YouTube – cho…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

October 21, 2020 at 7:02 AM

Today 7pm

Best for Britain Dear John, Today’s the day! I will be in conversation with my friend Ian Dunt about his new book this evening, 7pm. You can join us on Facebook or on YouTube, whichever is easier for you. A recording will stay up after the Q&A session is broadcast wh…

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  Cal Roscow · [email protected]

October 20, 2020 at 7:02 AM

Gambling with our future

Best for Britain Dear John, The Prime Minister threatened to walk away from talks. We came a hair’s breadth from a no deal.  Walking away from talks would be a hideous gamble with this country’s future. A double whammy of a no deal and COVID would be an economic disaster…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

October 16, 2020 at 5:18 PM

Early invite

Best for Britain Dear John, We are facing an unprecedent assault on our values. Have you wondered how we got here, and how we can move on?  Join me and my fantastic friend Ian Dunt for livestream Q&A on his brilliant new book, How to be a Liberal. Watch us discuss I…

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  Laura Savage · [email protected]

October 14, 2020 at 7:02 AM

You’ve been selected

Best for Britain Dear John, Can you help us? You’ve been selected to complete our functionality survey. We’re asking a section of our supporters to help us improve the way we run things. We want to know what you think about the Hey-MP messaging tool. It takes less than …

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  Cary Mitchell · [email protected]

October 13, 2020 at 7:09 AM

What kind of country

Best for Britain Dear John, Last night, the government chose to block guarantees of our standards. Conservative MPs voted against proper scrutiny of the food we import and the trade deals we make. This makes it even more important we get the deal with Europe we were promi…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

October 12, 2020 at 9:34 AM

Clock's ticking

Best for Britain Dear John, EXCLUSIVE NEW POLLING AND REPORT: Britain facing the perfect storm of COVID and a no deal exit in 2021.  A new report by Best for Britain reveals the economic disaster a no deal Brexit would mean for our economy and our communities, on top of a…

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  Naomi Smith · [email protected]

October 8, 2020 at 7:06 AM

Hold him to account - personally

Best for Britain Dear John, Today, the EU negotiating team is in London for last minute talks. Since the international law-breaking Internal Market Bill, negotiations have been strained. It’s time to hold the man in charge responsible. It’s time for Boris Johnson to step…

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