Crackednps, sorry to be so slow responding- have been in meetings.
The UK could alter tax rates to help this. There's no EU trade deal with China and their goods currently have tariffs applied. There doesn't seem to be any shortage of Chinese made goods in our shops though! Also Non-tariff barriers are not our biggest barrier because we already meet EU reg's.
This stuff all depends on whether we have a deal. Meeting EU regs (reg equ.) could be a helpful factor in agreeing a deal but it's irrelevant in a non-deal outcome, where we'll simply be a third country and treated in the same way as any other third country. If we do agree a deal based on reg equ, we then have to stay compliant with (changing) EU law, which makes a bit of a mockery of the vote to leave and "take back control"- we'll need to import relevant EU law in any event without any say over it.
We could cut corporation tax to make us more attractive as a location for FDI in a no-deal outcome but not if we have a deal (EU has already indicated that it wouldn't agree on this basis). Also corporation tax isn't relevant to people trading with (rather than in) UK- for that we'd need to cut tariffs (basically Singapore model with all the negatives that involves)
The fact that the NHS is so heavily reliant on foreign nurses is a testament to the long-term failure of management and gov in not doing anything to produce a domestic supply of people, not a problem caused by Brexit. I'm pretty sure anyone wishing to come here to do nursing can fill in a form.
I agree with the first bit of this 100% but fail to see how leaving the EU will solve the problem. I'm sure the second bit is right too to an extent- wasn't the government talking about 5y visas recently? But what nurse would choose to come to the UK in those circs? People come to start a new life, not to stay for 5y, be resented by the Brits for being immigrants and then get kicked out at the end. Not at all equivalent to FoM.
We all worry about what might or might not happen in the future, but don't forget disaster was predicted for immediately after the vote
Well, some might say that a 15% drop in the value of the £ was disastrous enough and we're already seeing job losses. I think the pound will go through the floor in the event of no deal. It's also a massive crisis for us in terms of international reputation and standing and a huge loss of influence.
As for the the brain drain..Presumably all these clever people fleeing are on the same flights as all the celeb's and luminaries who said they would leave the country if we left the EU?
Sorry, this part of your response really annoyed me. The UK is a centre of excellence for research and relies hugely on EU research funding. When that funding goes, the scientists and others whose work is affected can either give up or move. There isn't any other option. UK-based scientists are already been dropped from collaborations on the basis that it might harm funding prospects for them to be involved- I have friends in exactly this position. These people aren't stropping off and your description was way off the mark.