A "British-shaped deal".

This is where we are. This is the degree of respect your government has for you, Brits. They think they can use a phrase like "British-shaped deal" and you& #39;ll assume it means something.

It doesn& #39;t mean something. https://twitter.com/tradegovuk/status/1320841865613217794">https://twitter.com/tradegovu...

Quite aside from that, the desperation just drips off this thread from this "government" department.

"Japan agreed to a deal and it& #39;s MUCH BETTER than the one we walked away from. Japan agrees to not call its clotted cream products & #39;Cornish& #39; in Japan."

Which is lovely! Thank you, Japan.

I mean, I& #39;m jumping the gun a little, because obviously Japan hasn& #39;t actually agreed to recognise any of these 70 GIs we& #39;re yet to put forward. Tbh, I& #39;m assuming they will, and the Department of Scrabbling Around Begging For Trade obviously >

assumes they will... What Japan actually does is, of course, up to Japan. After all, don& #39;t forget, *we desperately need this deal*. They don& #39;t. They have lucrative agreements with markets all round the world - not least the EU. We have nothing. And this isn& #39;t me "talking >

Britain down" - these are the facts, and you don& #39;t need to be an economics expert to see them.

Japan may well choose to indulge us on this, as it may with any number of little things. But don& #39;t be distracted here. This is token. A show of good will, if anything. Japan loses >

nothing from agreeing to recognise these designations within its own internal market. And it& #39;s no bad thing in itself. Better to have it than not. But let& #39;s not pretend that one country agreeing to indulge us on GIs within its own market is a tangible economic benefit, or that >

it signals some substantial UK influence. Don& #39;t let& #39;s lose sight of the fact that this is the first hint of a trade deal with anyone (at least one that doesn& #39;t require us to sacrifice the NHS), and all the Department of Cap-In-Hand can present to us is GIs on cheese.

Like I said, I& #39;m sure some brexist or other will accuse me of being dismissive of a demonstrable success. But remember what we& #39;ve lost. I& #39;ll give the Department of Humble Pie credit for a job well done when we& #39;re in a better position than we were before brexit.