A year ago the Prime Minister triggered article 50 and began the formal talks to secure our exit from the European Union. As a proud supporter of Brexit I have been heartened by the progress we have made in the past year and remain brightly optimistic that Brexit will deliver significant benefits to the UK as a whole.

The Brexit doom mongers have been persistently confounded since the vote to leave the EU. The IMF, EU leaders, banks and business organisations made very specific predictions of immediate recession, rises in unemployment, a collapse in house prices and investor flight. They’ve been proven wrong. Fraser Nelson summed it up well in his article for the Wall Street Journal:

“The number of people working stands at a record high, and income inequality is approaching a 30-year low, according to the Office for National Statistics. New orders for manufacturers are at their highest level in a generation, and employers in general are struggling to find enough staff to cope with demand. Even the (relatively new) national happiness index stands at a peak.”

The doom mongers have also been proven wrong in regards to our negotiations to leave the EU. We have persistently been told that the talks are on the verge of collapse and the UK Government on the verge of a humiliating concession. Neither of these predictions has been shown to be true. The divorce bill has been agreed, citizens’ rights have been settled, the transition is agreed and talks have progressed to our future trade relationship. Whilst significant challenges remain, especially around the Irish border, the progress that has been made is undeniable.

The tangible benefits for post-Brexit UK have begun to materialise. The Government hope to have 40 trade deals with 70 countries concluded before the end of the transition. Talks have already begun with our partners in the Anglosphere including Australia, New Zealand and the US. Once the UK regains control of its trade policy the opportunities for UK business will be considerable.

The PM has also begun to talk about the reallocation of our EU contributions to areas such as education and the NHS. Given our substantial net contribution to EU funds our exit will provide a substantial windfall to a variety of public services.

I look forward to the coming year and the finalisation of our new relationship with the EU. I equally look forward to seeing the Brexit doom-mongers confounded again.