Here is the way I would make the case for Brexit, and shape the trade negotiations:
1. As a free trade entity, the EU has been a tremendous success.
2. But as a pseudo-state, it has been a failure, and there is no sign of any structural change that would fix its problems. There is no such thing as a European citizen. The Germans won’t lead, and the French can’t. Enlargement has made effective governance impossible. That is why the euro crisis was so intractable, immigration continues to be a serious problem, growth is so slow, the CAP is so wasteful and corrupt, and illiberal democracy is on the rise. Next, an Italian crisis is just around the corner–who wants to be a part of that?
3. Just as we were wise to stay out of the euro, we are better off avoiding responsibility for a sinking ship. We should take advantage of the part of the EU that works, however. Let’s try to get an agreement which maintains our involvement with the single market to the maximum extent possible. If that means continuing to accept a substantial number of EU regulations, it’s worth it; complete sovereignty in today’s world is a myth, anyway. Don’t choose symbolism over growth.