A Brexiteer used Australia as inspiration for the UK and this Aussie trade expert’s takedown was brutal

John Plunkett. Updated October 6th, 2019

Pro-Brexit activist Darren Grimes – you might remember him as the founder of something called BeLeave – was moved to take to Twitter after former Australian PM Julia Gillard said this on the BBC about the UK’s future, post-Brexit.

"I do worry that people are starting to imagine that a trade deal with Australia is somehow a substitute for being on the doorstep of a market with 500 million people, it's not" says former Australian PM Julia Gillard on #Brexit https://t.co/Ebm0h4vqYW #politicslive pic.twitter.com/1S9anRfSTu

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) October 4, 2019

Grimes was having none of it, and had this reassurance for anyone worried that the UK’s trade might suffer when we leave the EU.

Last time I checked fantastic Australia seemed to be doing pretty bloody well for itself without being a part of the EU. Our trade with the rest of the world is skyrocketing, whilst that with the EU declines, let's reject this isolationism and 'little European' mentality! https://t.co/OnGlnkeG3c

— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) 4 October 2019

And there were plenty of noteworthy responses.

Australia is an Asia-Pacific power. Its main trading partners are China, Japan, S. Korea. It’s not part of the EU because unlike Eurovision geography matters in trade.

The EU is by far our biggest market. Plugging a 44% gap with the odd 1.2% here and there isn’t going to work.

— Seb Dance MEP 🌹🇪🇺 (@SebDance) 5 October 2019

Geography, Darren

— Luke McGee (@lukemcgee) 4 October 2019

Australia is 1000s of miles away from any country except NZ.
It has a rich climate with multiple regions to grow things. It's warm enough to do so. The UK is cold, wet and rainy it can't provide all food and hasn't done for centuries

— Kat 🏳️‍🌈 (@Kat_Says_Stuff) 4 October 2019

But no-one did it quite so well as this guy, Dmitry Grozoubinski who is founder of Explain.Trade.com – presumably knows a bit of what he is talking about – and is a former Australian trade negotiator.

So he definitely knows what he’s talking about.

Hi, Australian trade guy here.

Our country is 14,000km from Europe and overwhelmingly exports iron ore, coal and gold, mostly to Asia.

Unless ya'll have a secret desert full of minerals and a plan to tow yourselves to just under South East Asia, our model won't work for you. https://t.co/SX6qx6K9J5

— Dmitry Grozoubinski (@DmitryOpines) 4 October 2019

We're also working pretty hard to secure an FTA with the EU, through which we hope to attain a fraction of the full market access ya'll enjoy as EU Members.

— Dmitry Grozoubinski (@DmitryOpines) 4 October 2019

Just a reminder you can hire me to explain the key concepts of trade policy to your organisation in under 3 hours.

I hadn't previously thought of including, "Why the UK can't thrive by selling rocks it doesn't have to China" but there's a Q&A bit so… https://t.co/nzSroAAJ0k

— Dmitry Grozoubinski (@DmitryOpines) 5 October 2019

Beautifully put. But if you prefer your takedowns a little bit more industrial, then there was also this.

You fucking idiot.

— John Niven HQ (@estellecostanza) 5 October 2019