Other countries would die for the traditional links we have with the bloc of countries that constitutes the Commonwealth. We have the inside track, based on a historical relationship with its members that – notwithstanding the old tensions of empire – has generally remained friendly and cooperative. Economists have suggested that due to the ‘commonalities’ of language, law and business practice across Commonwealth countries, the costs of each country trading with the other is typically 10-15 per cent lower than when dealing with other nations. Increasingly it has become clear that we’ve been running with the wrong pack.