Brexit lessons from Britain's 19th-century push for free trade

Shows that principle of global free trade is often tempered by compromise and political pragmatism

As Britain prepares to enter what have been widely described as the most complex negotiations in recent history, politicians and civil servants dealing with Brexit can look to the 19th century for inspiration when it comes to securing the best trade deal for the country. Britain went through a similar process of reshaping its relationship with the world when it repealed the controversial Corn Laws and embraced the idea of free trade in 1846.

It’s a comparison that pro-Brexit economists have been eager to make, as it greatly benefited the UK economy at the time. But a closer