The toxic nature of the debate on the British prime minister’s statement on Brexit in Parliament this morning suggests that opinions are not being guided by economics.

At the risk of fighting the referendum again, the premise of those who advocated leaving was that the UK could have all the parts of the customs union and single market that it liked without swallowing the parts it did not like. "Have your cake and eat it" was the catchphrase.

Not much EU flexibility

However, the EU is a club of 28, now to be 27, countries that have proved remarkably closely aligned in their thinking that the club rules must be protected and there is no particular desire to go out of their way to make life easier for a departing member.

The UK now finds itself left with a choice of accepting most of the EU rules even when outside after Brexit to maintain the current favourable trading arrangements. This is an anathema to those that wanted compete separation as it is to those who believed, equally strongly, that the UK should not be leaving in the first place.

When the prime minister presents a deal that involves accepting most of the EU rules that had been in place before to maintain trade, but from outside the club, she has a deal that is not really wanted by anyone. That was the compromise required to keep commerce moving after 29 March next year.

The minister leading the UK negotiations, Dominic Raab (left), resigned from Theresa May's cabinet this Thursday.

Parallel to this, and particularly within Northern Ireland, everything is thought of in constitutional terms, not the effect it will have on farmers or industry.

Voice in wilderness

When in doubt about what is good for farming and the food industry, sometimes it helps to bypass politicians' thinking although they will point to their mandate and dominate the airwaves.

We do not select surgeons by election and in the case of the economic well-being, politicians, no matter how big their mandate, don’t necessarily have the grasp of the economic complexities. Those who definitely do are the businesses of various sizes because trade is – in a financial sense – life or death for them.

Their success or failure depends on having farmers supply raw material, sufficient labour to process that raw material and deliver it in a timely manner to markets in Britain or further afield.

Anything that disrupts any element of this production and delivery chain is a threat to the economic well-being of business across the region.

Business and farming in Ireland needs this to work to maintain trade but the reality is that this gift is in the hands of the elected MPs

That is why a broad cross section of industry in Northern Ireland is welcoming the potential Brexit deal today, although its message is buried well down the page in the rolling news coverage.

Many people at the coalface of trade will have a view that nothing beats being a member of the EU but if that is beyond reach, then this deal offered by the prime minister last night is the next best thing.

Uphill task

After the spate of resignations this morning and hostile parliamentary questioning in general, there is no guarantee that the PM will be around to present it in Parliament, never mind secure a majority for it there.

Business and farming in Ireland needs this to work to maintain trade but the reality is that this gift is in the hands of the elected MPs.