UK businesses and government need to get their heads around the fact they are in direct competition with societies in or aligned with the EU system with skilled workers and cheaper costs when it comes to manufacturing and supply chain investment such as Romania, Ukraine or Turkey

And yes, Turkey is aligned with the EU system. One of the key factors in the dysfunctional relationship between Turkey and the EU is that Turkey's AKP government sees itself in geopolitical competition with the EU even as the Turkish economy is intertwined with the EU system

Outside of the Customs Union and without regulatory harmonisation with the EU, the UK is at a competitive disadvantage towards recent EU members or neighbouring states who worked systematically to enable their businesses to become European manufacturing and distribution hubs

Brexit is a learning process for the UK. Part of this learning process for the UK state is that manufacturing and logistics businesses have no particular sentimental attachment to the British. If business is easier and costs lower in Ukraine or Romania, that's where they will go

A UK news media scene that takes the challenges Brexit pose seriously would follow the lead of some sharp UK analysts and examine who the UK's competitors for global supply chain and manufacturing investment are and what comparative advantages and disadvantages they have.