We have already paid a price for complacency so let’s get cracking on new trade deals

THE clearest sign of a real Brexit bounce came yesterday as our Aussie mates led the queue of nations eager to do trade deals once we are free from Brussels.

Freshly re-elected PM Malcolm Turnbull phoned Downing Street, promising to rebuild the ties severed when Britain joined the Common Market in 1973.

“It is very encouraging that one of our closest international partners is already seeking to establish just such a deal,” said Theresa May. “This shows we can make Brexit work for Britain.”

Meanwhile, International Trade minister Liam Fox is busy “scoping” deals with another dozen countries, including India, Canada and even the USA — despite threats to send us to the back of the queue.

Ex-SAS bruiser David Davis is preparing to toss in a few grenades and Boris Johnson is spreading Brexit sunshine wherever he goes.

Interest rates remain low, exporters and holidaymakers have been given a sugar hit by the free-floating Pound and the stock market is booming. Thousands of EU migrants are leaving the sinking ship before we cut loose.

Each story tells us why we were right to ignore scaremongers on June 23 — and why Theresa May is so thoroughly cleaning out the Cameron stables.

Cheerleaders of Project Fear not only distorted the truth about Britain’s prospects outside the EU, they also blocked any move to make Brexit work.

In what can only be seen as dereliction of duty, David Cameron did precisely zero to prepare this country for life outside.

It was an arrogant refusal to contemplate defeat.

The task of the Treasury and the Cabinet Office is to draw up plans for almost any foreseeable eventuality.

Thanks to hapless Cabinet clown Oliver Letwin, we now know the Government sat on its hands ahead of the most momentous peacetime convulsion in modern history.

Neither Letwin nor Cabinet Secretary Jeremy (“Sir Cover-up”) Heywood lifted a finger to plan for the complex disengagement of the UK from a maze of EU laws.

There were no charts to navigate the still-treacherous waters of withdrawal, no key to unpick the regulations binding us into “ever-closer union”.

David Cameron’s failure to spot danger signals until the last moment was characteristic of his years as Prime Minister.

But his breezy assumption that voters would swallow the EU’s meaningless concessions on mass immigration tops them all. It cost him the vote and it killed his premiership.

There will be a price to pay for this complacency — not least the six years of hard wrangling predicted by Chancellor Phil Hammond before we break free from Brussels.

The Government has NO experienced trade negotiators to build commercial ties with EU states. Such skills take years to acquire.

The rules may be straightforward but, like chess, it takes years to become a Grandmaster. So we are now recruiting off-the-peg experts from the City.

They will be crucial in protecting a financial hub worth billions to this country.

But it must not take six years. Brussels moves at the pace of its slowest member state. Why should we wait upon 27 other parliaments to decide individually how we proceed?

Playing for time is the hallmark of the EU’s sluggish economy. Kicking the can down the road is why Greece is sinking and why Italy may follow suit.

EU trade talks with Canada have failed because Romania is at odds over immigration.

Negotiations with Morocco are stalled because Spain won’t accept their oranges.

Given a chance, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker will thwart Britain’s democratic vote by dragging his feet.

Theresa May has picked three stalwart Eurosceptics — Boris, Davis and Liam Fox — to lead the process.

They will want to proceed as painlessly as possible with a surgical amputation.

But if Brussels won’t help us escape this tangle of bureaucracy in a process of mutual co-operation, we must be ready to wield the axe.