Liam Fox is bullish about Britain’s future outside the European Union. Since being appointed international trade secretary he has been, in his words, “scoping about a dozen free-trade deals outside the EU to be ready for when we leave”.

It’s not just the cynic in me that doubts his prospects for success. He is going about his job in the wrong way. If Dr Fox seriously wants to enhance Britain’s position as an open trading economy, he needs to recognise how weak is the hand he’s playing with. He must be brusque with cabinet colleagues who imagine that Britain starts from a position of negotiating strength and must be obsequious with our present EU partners, who know perfectly well that it doesn’t.

Dr Fox says