A letter to my MP
Recent statements by industrial concerns such as Airbus, Unipart, the Freight Transport Association and BMW have drawn positive engagement and more critical comments in recent days, and periodically over the last year. The issues they raise are significant, such as the damage that concluding the Brexit negotiations without a deal would cause to the UK, Ireland and every other EU country. I don't want to push those points today, but rather to ask a single question.I hope you've seen the letter the Japanese government addressed to the UK government and every citizen of the EU, including the UK, in September 2016 (it can be found at https://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000185466.pdf and was discussed by the Independent here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/you-should-read-japans-brexit-note-to-britain-its-brutal-a7833396.html ).
We enjoy a lot of Japanese investment in this country, with the employment, technological and export benefits that spring from it, and we have had reassuring statements on new model investments from Nissan and Toyota, yet companies are still left dangling - in public at least - about what we can all really expect. By my calculations we have only 114 calendar days and 30 normal Commons sitting days before the current timetable has the Commons debating a final withdrawal agreement.
My question is: has the British government published a public response to the Japanese government's public letter?
