Bringing goods from the EU

[Awac]

That Oxfam article is 20 years old.
The EU has developed everything but arms trade preferences which the poor regions of Africa benefit from.

UK farming is ar risk from USA not EU.

Arms trade! Welcome, come to the UK! I know all political parties have done it, but I get the feelings it is going to be a big industry post brexit now the Uk can trade with anyone....

https://www.theguardian.com/law/201...udi-arabia-for-use-in-yemen-declared-unlawful"Three judges said that a decision made in secret in 2016 had led them to decide that Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt and Liam Fox and other key ministers had illegally signed off on arms exports without properly assessing the risk to civilians".

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...g-arms-to-saudi-arabia-a-year-after-court-ban“The UK government has consistently put arms company interests ahead of the rights and lives of people in Yemen. The government has proven that it cannot be trusted to implement its own rules.”

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/high-court-blow-to-yemen"The UK High Court has dealt a deadly blow to the people of Yemen by ruling that the UK government may continue selling arms to Saudi Arabia despite what Amnesty believes is a clear risk they will be used to commit human rights violations".

 

[billw]

@Awac defence spending is a seriously contentious subject. The US economy has a bias towards reliance on it, so it's in their interest that the world isn't at peace. The UK generally lapdogs the position.

Find me an American investor who thinks a Yemeni life is more important than the quarterly profit report to their investors. *shakes head*

 

[doctor Bob]

.............................govt and media to stop lying

That would be ideal indeed, but surely we should include all politicians, maybe CEO's as well, royal family would be good. I'd like football managers too. Come to think of it, suppliers, drives me nuts when they tell me shiit. My Mrs spins a few as well about cost of things.
I'm all ears, how do you propose to stop people in important positions to stop lying, or spin as Labour called it. That Tony Blair should have his balls cut off maybe? Jeremy as well, his tax briefs were just made up goobledygook. I'm not sure we'd have any politicians left, and not a lot would take the jobs if distortion of truths was banned. However I'm all for it, good idea.

 

[RobinBHM]

Its impossible to give any economic predictions in regards to Brexit.

But it is possible to predict what problems putting significant trade barriers between the UK and it's biggest trade partner will have on UK businesses

We already know FDI has dropped 19% since 2016, so we need to see what happens this year to see what happens to FDI.

 

[Awac]

@Awac defence spending is a seriously contentious subject. The US economy has a bias towards reliance on it, so it's in their interest that the world isn't at peace. The UK generally lapdogs the position.

Find me an American investor who thinks a Yemeni life is more important than the quarterly profit report to their investors. *shakes head*

I remember an old saying when I was young (ger)"America sneezes and a week later Britain catches a cold".
Hmm, do you think Boris can ever be the man Donald was......can pupil surpass master? I bloody well hope not. Mind you Boris was born in America (immigrant???), does this make him the first American prime minister, but maybe not the last? Ouch!

 

[billw]

I remember an old saying when I was young (ger)"America sneezes and a week later Britain catches a cold".
Hmm, do you think Boris can ever be the man Donald was......can pupil surpass master? I bloody well hope not. Mind you Boris was born in America (immigrant???), does this make him the first American prime minister, but maybe not the last? Ouch!

Don't get me started on BJ. I say this without any political influence, but he's an absolute f**king moron.

 

[sploo]

Don't get me started on BJ. I say this without any political influence, but he's an absolute f**king moron.

I don't think Boris is a moron, but he is unfit for public office. If you look at his past (both professional and personal) you'll see a man that has essentially zero connection to the truth. He's lost several jobs (journalistic and political) for lying, and is a serial adulterer. I'm not making a moral judgement on the infidelity, but to be able to cheat on multiple different women (I believe even fathering a child whilst with someone else) then you've got to be comfortable with deceit.

Add to that his role in trying to have a rival journalist assaulted, and he really shouldn't be anywhere near the leadership.

 

[Jake]

Your opinions are your own Jake, if you think the pandemics effect is short term I hope you are right. Personally I think the effects will last for a generation or two.

In what sense? Economically, the evidence is their effects are very short-lived. Hurt? That's a different question but not something that Johnson gives a toss about.

 

[billw]

I don't think Boris is a moron, but he is unfit for public office. If you look at his past (both professional and personal) you'll see a man that has essentially zero connection to the truth. He's lost several jobs (journalistic and political) for lying, and is a serial adulterer. I'm not making a moral judgement on the infidelity, but to be able to cheat on multiple different women (I believe even fathering a child whilst with someone else) then you've got to be comfortable with deceit.

Add to that his role in trying to have a rival journalist assaulted, and he really shouldn't be anywhere near the leadership.

Sorry yeah I think I condensed your post into one word. He's not fit to lead a puppy on a lead let alone a country.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

In 2021 the economy is expected to be ~8% smaller than pre covid. In earlier years the economy grew by ~ 2% pa. So the economic impact of covid is to take us back to ~2016.

We will never know whether we have caught up with where we would have been had covid never happened. And I'm not sure it matters - reality is where we are now, not where we might have been.

I know the losses have not been spread evenly - some sectors have fared far worse than others. But I am an optimist - we should build back better, not regret what has been lost.

 

[Rorschach]

It's quite scary for the future generations.

Tell me about it, I was scared enough before all of this C19 nonsense started. I wasn't expecting a state pension but I thought I might at least be able to rely on the savings I could put aside and hopefully a house. Now I fully expect house prices to outstrip my earnings potential and be stuck in a rent loop and what savings I do have to be forcefully removed in a capital grab to pay for all this.

 

[RobinBHM]

That would be ideal indeed, but surely we should include all politicians, maybe CEO's as well, royal family would be good. I'd like football managers too. Come to think of it, suppliers, drives me nuts when they tell me shiit. My Mrs spins a few as well about cost of things.
I'm all ears, how do you propose to stop people in important positions to stop lying, or spin as Labour called it. That Tony Blair should have his balls cut off maybe? Jeremy as well, his tax briefs were just made up goobledygook. I'm not sure we'd have any politicians left, and not a lot would take the jobs if distortion of truths was banned. However I'm all for it, good idea.

Ah, the good old "everybody lies" whataboutery.

What I want to know is why Tory MPs constantly lie about Brexit?

The UK has left, they aren't campaigning, why are they still lying?

It's constant, I fact check everything I hear about Brexit from all sides and nothing, literally nothing Tory MPs say about Brexit is honest. Ever.

I'm sorry but until they stop lying, don't expect the public to "move on"


If Brexit is so great, why the need for lies?

 

[RobinBHM]

C19 nonsense started

It is not nonsense.

You need to go and work in a Covid ICU ward....you might then shut up peddling your nonsense.

ICU staff in London hospitals are under massive pressure, they way you dismiss it frankly disgusts me.

 

[Rorschach]

It is not nonsense.

You need to go and work in a Covid ICU ward....you might then shut up peddling your nonsense.

ICU staff in London hospitals are under massive pressure, they way you dismiss it frankly disgusts me.

C'mon now, we were doing so well not going for personal insults.

 

[doctor Bob]

I'm sorry but until they stop lying, don't expect the public to "move on"


If Brexit is so great, why the need for lies?

Ok, that's cool, don't move on, I admire your commitment.
I suspect most will, people lack commitment, there really is only about 5% of the population which take a vague interest.

I'm back at work now guys, so I'm out. Happy new year and all that.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

@RobinBHM

The failure to hold government to account is entirely a failure of journalism. Of course poiticians lie, of course politicians are psychopathic, deviant weirdos - the job positively attracts them. But when the journalists lie on behalf of the establishment, to enable the establishment, then the system has failed. We live in in a post democratic world, as shown so ably by the American election farce. Brexit may have been the very last "democratic" step that will ever be taken without resorting to violence, and Brexit won't actually be any real Brexit, as understood by the people who voted for it.

Shakespeare said "Kill all the lawyers", with good reason, but my vote would be to go for the journalists first. Today is Julian Assange 's day to learn if he will be extradited to face permanent incarceration or death for the evil crime of telling the truth. Anyone followed the insanity that is the "fair and balanced" coverage provided by so called "journalists"? It is their profession they are failing to protect, which makes it all the more laughable. Bought and paid for, the lot of them.

Oh, and I am sorry that the Oxfam report is so old. Luckily it worked a treat, and the EU doesn't do any product dumping any more. Phew.

https://www.potatonewstoday.com/2020/11/18/european-potato-dumping-hurting-new-zealand/
https://www.potatonewstoday.com/202...pressed-by-the-south-african-potato-industry/
(2020 was the year of the potato, but pick a year, any year, and find the surplus product, and you will find the EU dumping it abroad.)

 

[Misterdog]

It's called "confirmation bias" but it doesn't alter the truth of whether or not a decision was a good one.

I've been researching exchange rates for a little project recently.

The USD V GBP.

The year before we joined the EEC in 1973 you got $2.6 for your pound !!!!!
(C. 1.4 today)

Yet no-one cherry picks that figure.

In February of this year the exchange rate dropped by 12 %.

Covid fears, no -one points that out.

It's all Brexit innit, to some people.
When people look beyond the end of their nose there is a whole world out there, with far more importance, to more people, than Brexit.

https://www.keycurrency.co.uk/gbp-to-usd

 

[sploo]

I've been researching exchange rates for a little project recently.

The USD V GBP.

The year before we joined the EEC in 1973 you got $2.6 for your pound !!!!!
(C. 1.4 today)

Yet no-one cherry picks that figure.

In February of this year the exchange rate dropped by 12 %.

Covid fears, no -one points that out.

It's all Brexit innit, to some people.
When people look beyond the end of their nose there is a whole world out there, with far more importance, to more people, than Brexit.

https://www.keycurrency.co.uk/gbp-to-usd

How things were in 1973 vs now as a reason to dismiss Brexit issues is not really relevant is it? I mean, how many Italian Lira did you get to the GBP in 1973 vs now (yes, I know Italy doesn't use the Lira anymore - that's my point about comparisons with 1973).

As it happens - I'm also looking into import related issues for some kit. The Danish seller can now give me a price (EUR, ex VAT) but what'll happen when it hits the UK is still not 100% understood. There is a UK Government web page that details import duties, but it "helpfully" tells me:

The Brexit transition period has ended and new rules on tax and customs on goods sent from abroad now apply. This page is currently out of date.

So, that clears things up then.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Just out of interest:

- US inflation since 1973 is 508%
- UK inflation since 1973 is 963%

Just factoring inflation into the exchange rate - $2.6:£ x 508/963 = £1.37:£

Precisely what the rate is today! Completely unremarkable, yet a complete surprise!

 

[Misterdog]

How things were in 1973 vs now as a reason to dismiss Brexit issues is not really relevant is it?

It shows how only looking at the exchange rate drop in 2016 is non-sense. The lack of understanding of exchange rate issues is as similar as the lack of understanding of trade in general.
A little knowledge and all that.
Though the little knowledge by the 2 sides has caused this whole fiasco.

The four years of argument prior to Brexit, followed by another 4 years of unravelling the leave process, will result in 8 years of having gone no where.
Merely to assuage the principles of some.

Though that is the price for democracy.