This week on GeoPod, Alexander Downer and Georgina Downer take a deep dive into Brexit, lockdowns and US politics with former Member of the European Parliament, Dan Hannan.

Dan is the intellectual godfather of the Brexit campaign, successfully putting himself out of a job after 21 years arguing for the UK's withdrawal from the EU. 

For Dan, Donald's Trump failed re-election bid did not come as a surprise. But Trump's influence on the Republican Party and conservatism more generally leaves a tricky legacy. Rational economics has been dumped in favour of populist economics, and the US no longer champions the trade liberalisation agenda. 

The economic consequences of Covid-19 - high debt and deficits and bigger government - will be hard to shake off long after the health impacts have gone. The Johnson-led UK Government needs a pathway out of bigger government and to tackle the unaccountable and ungovernable QANGOs if it wants to succeed. 

On Brexit, the EU is being predictably vindictive in the last stages of the negotiations for a trade agreement with the UK. It all rests with fisheries, with French President Emmanuel Macron ready to walk away from the talks for political but not economic expediency. Dan's hunch is that a deal will be done. But it's not easy.

At least the UK has the prospect of trade agreements with Australia and the 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership to look forward to!

This podcast is brought you by Tenjin Consulting, and Australian geopolitical and strategic advisory firm.