Joshua Reynolds is the Liberal Democrats' investment and trade spokesperson and the MP for Maidenhead since 2024.
British business needs to thrive, not just survive. That is the key to achieving growth, that ever-elusive economic prospect that Britain so desperately needs.
The difference between businesses that simply get by and those that genuinely flourish often comes down to whether they can access opportunities in new markets, which government makes possible.
Yet today, we face an uncomfortable truth: while ministers announce trade deals with fanfare and headlines are packed with the government’s promise of growth, most British businesses see little tangible benefit. The question we must ask is whether we’re signing trade agreements for their own sake, rather than delivering real support that changes businesses’ fortunes.
The disconnect
The government has published a trade strategy. An industrial strategy. A small business plan. Ask the average small business owner in Maidenhead or Manchester if they have read them, and you’ll get blank looks. Most SMEs don’t even know these strategies exist, let alone that they’re supposedly designed to help them export and grow.
This is the fundamental disconnect at the heart of British trade policy. We negotiate agreements that generate press releases but not export orders. We create strategies that gather dust while businesses struggle with the basics of selling abroad. According to a report by the Federation of Small Businesses, Ready to Dispatch, SMEs not currently exporting cite a lack of general support, market-specific support and access to finance as critical barriers, hardly incentivised by what is often a bewildering maze of paperwork, regulations and costs.
The Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) Business Growth Service is a welcome development - genuine recognition that businesses need practical help. But here’s the reality: what businesses need isn’t just a helpline or a website.
They need a driving instructor guiding them across the border until they’re confident to continue on alone.
A holistic approach
The current approach is scattergun. There are multiple sources of export advice which are situated across various separate parts of gov.uk and other online portals. What SMEs need is holistic, end-to-end support: identifying the right markets, understanding regulatory requirements, navigating customs procedures, accessing finance and, crucially, understanding how different trade agreements affect their specific product or service.
Take the example of the UK-Australia free trade deal, celebrated as a post-Brexit triumph. For many businesses, particularly small manufacturers, the rules-of-origin requirements are so complex that any tariff savings are eaten up by compliance costs and consultant fees. The deal exists on paper, but the practical benefit is negligible for most firms.
This matters because Britain’s economic future depends on turning more of our businesses into successful exporters. According to the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade and Social Market Foundation report Small Business, big world, if the UK were to fully match Canada’s 1.7% point increase in SMEs exporting over the next decade, this would see an additional 25,000 SMEs selling overseas, this could contribute an extra £3.3bn to UK GDP.
Companies that export grow faster, employ more people and are more resilient to domestic market fluctuations.
Yet we’re making it unnecessarily difficult.
Clear signposting needed
Businesses need clear signposting. Which markets are the best fit for their products? What are the real practical barriers and costs? For many British businesses, particularly those in manufacturing and food production, the answer remains obvious: Europe. Our largest trading partner is also our most complex one post-Brexit, creating a situation where the natural trade corridor for UK business is clogged with red tape.
Improving our trading relationship with the EU isn’t about re-running old debates – it’s about practical economics.
When a small manufacturer in the Midlands can sell their products 22 miles across the Channel more easily, they grow.
When touring artists from Britain can work across Europe without visa complexities, our creative sector thrives.
When our farmers can export seasonal produce without it rotting in customs delays, rural economies strengthen.
This is why the Liberal Democrats continue to push for pragmatic improvements: from sanitary and phytosanitary agreements that reduce food export friction, to simplified customs procedures that benefit small businesses, to professional qualification recognition that helps our service exporters.
The way forward
The solution isn’t abandoning trade agreements; it’s being honest about their limitations and focusing resources where they’ll make the biggest difference.
That means three things:
First, less focus on headline-grabbing deals with distant markets and more work on reducing friction where British businesses actually trade - primarily Europe, but also strengthening services access in other major economies.
Second, transform the Business Growth Service into a genuinely comprehensive “export driving school”: hands-on support that walks businesses through the entire export journey, rather than just telling them where to look for information.
Third, radical transparency. Every trade agreement should come with a business-facing guide: “Here’s exactly what this means for your sector. Here’s how to use it. Here’s the contact who can help you.”
Conclusion
British businesses don’t need more strategies gathering dust or trade deals that sound good in press conferences. They need practical support, clear signposting and a government focused on making trade work for them, not the other way round.
The choice is simple: we can continue signing agreements for political optics, or we can build a trade policy that genuinely helps British businesses thrive.
That’s the trade reset Britain needs. Not ministers celebrating trade deal announcements but practical help for the small businesses who’ll actually deliver growth. They deserve better and Britain’s economy depends on them receiving comprehensive and adequate support.
[Picture credit: Joshua Reynolds ©House of Commons/Laurie Noble. House of Commons website]
