A “Bye-bye-Basel” that frees Britain from dangerous credit risk aversion, would more than compensate Brexit costs.

Sir, Wolfgang Münchau describes a much constructive position with respect to the possibility of a Brexit. "In the event of Brexit, let Britain go in peace", June 13.

With respect to the long-term consequences of a Brexit, Münchau writes: “There are, of course, a number of specific negative economic effects, but also offsetting ones… Economic theory tells us that the wealth of a country ultimately depends on its skills, resources, and the quality of its policies. It is hard to see how Brexit would change that”

If Brexit would allow Britain to also wave goodbye to those stupidly dangerous credit risk adverse capital requirements for banks imposed by the Basel Committee… then Britain could also recover much of that go get it spirit that once made it an Empire.

“Stupidly dangerous”? Yes! First it pushes banks to create excessive exposures to what is ex ante perceived as safe, precisely the stuff major bank crisis are made of; and second it hinder banks from lending sufficiently to “risky” SMEs and entrepreneurs, precisely what makes an economy stall and fall.

@PerKurowski ©