Politics POLL: Brexit Withdrawal Agreement

[Exioce]

Looking to disavow their own looming catastrophe. Won't be the last.

 

[Ormorof]

It's a smaller pro-leave group yes.

I guess they are only four years late to the party

 

[Wij]

Wtf?


View: https://twitter.com/newschambers/status/1167373395983577088

 

[caLLous]

Reality punctures Britain’s Brexit balloon

Costly border plans undermine the economic case for leaving the EU

A new UK government promotional film urges Britons to “get going” in the preparations for the sunny uplands of Brexit. With upbeat music and forward arrows, the film urges businesses and individuals to prepare for the nation’s new start, now less than six months away. And yet anyone looking into the details of the proclaimed economic advantages will see that what is most on offer are rising costs and extra bureaucracy.

In truth, Brexit was never an economic issue for those who championed the cause. It was about political sovereignty. As such it will deliver for those who wanted a new immigration system controlled by the British government. It may even — though this is far less certain — deliver for the fishing communities that were promised a new settlement outside the Common Fisheries Policy. But while these political gains, for those who see them as such, may be realised, the government has so far failed to come even close to demonstrating how Brexit will bolster the nation’s economy.

Indeed the latest initiatives demonstrate that the Brexit envisaged by Boris Johnson’s government will add costs and bureaucracy to British business. Anyone wading through the latest 206-page document on preparations will find details of new paperwork and extra infrastructure, while the supposed economic upside looks more fanciful than ever. Officials acknowledge that it will lead to 215m extra customs declarations and £7bn in extra costs — costs to be borne by businesses already struggling to recover from the coronavirus shutdown. An extra 50,000 customs agents are likely to be needed to handle the rise in regulation.

Individuals travelling to the EU face increased costs of holiday insurance, higher data roaming charges and more regulation should they wish to travel with their pets.

Much has been made of the UK’s new freedom to strike trade deals but these will do little to raise gross domestic product while the inevitable restrictions on trade with the EU can only reduce British exports to its largest market. While a US trade deal is predicted to add 0.16 per cent to the nation’s GDP and free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand will have an even more negligible impact, exit from the EU’s single market and customs union will, according to Treasury forecasts, knock 5 per cent from GDP over the next 15 years.

Even assuming the UK and EU do finally manage to secure the minimal zero tariff, zero quotas, businesses will not escape the need for checks on product standards and rules of origin requirements. This does not begin to cover other crucial deals still required around areas such as data services and finance.

Downing Street believes Brexit will force UK exporters to become more productive and competitive. But, again, this benefit is theoretical and not best served by loading businesses with extra burdens. The much-vaunted freeports championed by Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, were already possible within the EU. In any case they are less likely to boost UK GDP than displace jobs and investment from one region to another.

The more the government talks of economic benefits, the more apparent it becomes that these opportunities are conceptual while the disadvantages are all too apparent. The economic case for Brexit was tacked on relatively late to counter the arguments of the Remain side. It did the job but its hollowness is now being exposed.

Britain is about to discover the hard way that while Leavers were sincere in many of their political beliefs about Brexit, their economic arguments were, and are still, a costly and damaging sham.

 

[Ormorof]

If only someone had warned about these things earlier

 

[Wij]

View: https://twitter.com/DmitryOpines/status/1284806225956409344

 

[DaGaffer]

View: https://twitter.com/DmitryOpines/status/1284806225956409344

Well, duh.

Its a pain in the arse for us, because Ireland has always been effectively part of Amazon's UK distribution network, and shitloads of stuff is going to vanish. Its already started happening on Audible and Kindle; I've had a few books made unavailable in the last few months; the latest William Gibson is unavailable from Amazon UK to Ireland for example.

 

[Exioce]

My last two online deliveries (trainers and boots) came direct from Denmark and Italy respectively as I couldn't find UK stockists. To see that going up in smoke is the tiniest of inconvenience compared to all the rest, but still heartbreaking.

 

[Raven]

Bit of luck that Amazon are in the middle of their largest infrastructure build in their history then

 

[caLLous]

 

[Wij]

View: https://twitter.com/MattGarrahan/status/1285820257362497536

 

[Wij]

Aaaaaand:


View: https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1285679660932706306

 

[Job]

Splendid.

 

[caLLous]

Brexiteer MPs falling over themselves to say nice things about John Hume is hilarious.

 

[Wij]

View: https://twitter.com/FigandPen/status/1290175447418810369

 

[DaGaffer]

View: https://twitter.com/FigandPen/status/1290175447418810369

I've lost count of the number of times I said this type of thing would be an issue on this very forum.

 

[Scouse]

Why don't they just transpose the regime - send in their existing certs?

If they've done the testing and we're "replicating the regime" surely it's a simple question of re-registering your approvals.

I don't buy that they have to re-test.

 

[Wij]

Why don't they just transpose the regime - send in their existing certs?

If they've done the testing and we're "replicating the regime" surely it's a simple question of re-registering your approvals.

I don't buy that they have to re-test.

REACH is overseen by the ECJ. We wanted out of that remember.

 

[caLLous]

Knives are out for a Withdrawal Agreement MPs fear is not worth the paper it's written on

Mounting disquiet among Leave-supporting Members that the agreement still isn’t worth the paper it is written on

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Wij]

🤦‍♂️


View: https://twitter.com/ianbirrell/status/1292781296490618880

 

[Job]

That was one of he first things to be agreed.

Its all sorted
There are thousamds of sensible agreements in the EU.
Us brexiters dont want to hand over the keys of the country to a non elected federal dream gang to get something that can be done between countries with ease.

 

[dysfunction]

That was one of he first things to be agreed.

Its all sorted
There are thousamds of sensible agreements in the EU.
Us brexiters dont want to hand over the keys of the country to a non elected federal dream gang to get something that can be done between countries with ease.

It has not been agreed...it's not sorted.
Try again.

 

[Gwadien]

That was one of he first things to be agreed.

Its all sorted
There are thousamds of sensible agreements in the EU.
Us brexiters dont want to hand over the keys of the country to a non elected federal dream gang to get something that can be done between countries with ease.

I *still* don't think you understand you can't just pick and chose what you want with the EU, you're either in or you're out.

If you're out then if you want things then they need to be negotiated, which they haven't been.

The problem with negotiation is that you usually have to give something, you can't just sing the national anthem and expect them to fall in line.

 

[caLLous]

UK trade deal with Japan stalls over blue cheese demands

Liz Truss holds out in attempt to promote Stilton abroad

Talks between Tokyo and London over a new trade deal have hit a snag after Liz Truss, UK trade secretary, insisted on bringing Stilton cheese into the negotiations.

Both sides came close to an agreement in London last week, but Ms Truss is holding out for a better deal for British food, with a particular focus on attempts to boost sales of blue cheese in Japan.

The dispute reflects the “cars for cheese” trade talks between the EU and Japan ahead of last year’s agreement between the two economic superpowers. But while the UK is aiming to largely mirror that deal, Ms Truss is hoping a symbolic Stilton cheese “win” will show the UK is able to secure a better deal than the one obtained by the EU.

Britain and Japan are now rushing to secure a deal to replace the EU trade agreement that will cease to apply to the UK at the end of the post-Brexit transition period in January.

Ms Truss is passionate about British cheese’s place in international markets. She achieved cult status on social media in 2014 after an intense speech to the Conservative party conference in which she told a bemused audience that Britain’s trade deficit in cheese was “a disgrace”.
‘“We import two-thirds of our cheese: that is a disgrace!": Liz Truss at the 2014 Tory conference © Luke MacGregor/Reuters

The trade secretary’s office did not deny a report by Japanese media group Nikkei that individual food tariff rates remained a sticking point in talks, which are supposed to wrap up by the end of August, with blue cheese a particular issue for the British side.

Under the EU-Japan deal, Japanese tariffs of 29 per cent on hard cheeses such as cheddar would be phased out to zero by 2033; for fresh cheeses such as mozzarella and blue-veined varieties there would be duty-free access by 2033 on an agreed quota.

Japan has long argued that it cannot give Britain a better deal than the one agreed with the EU, whose 27 nations have a population almost seven times bigger than that of the UK. But Ms Truss wants to go further on cheese.

A symbolic concession on cheese may not cause many repercussions: Britain sold £18m of blue cheese — mainly Stilton — around the world last year, but only £102,000 worth to Japan, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. A milder version of the cheese is created for Asian markets.

Ms Truss’s department said it would not comment on “live negotiations”. Nikkei reported that both sides had agreed on the phasing out of British tariffs on Japanese auto exports by 2026, in line with the Japan-EU deal.

According to UK government figures, a “modelled” trade deal with Japan might add 0.07 per cent to Britain’s GDP in the long term, compared with the loss of 5 per cent of GDP growth associated with the UK leaving the EU single market and customs union.

 

[Wij]

View: https://twitter.com/donaeldunready/status/1292872885669892096

 

[Gwadien]

View: https://twitter.com/donaeldunready/status/1292872885669892096

Hahaha.

The rhetoric is crazy over this, some Tory MPs were saying we should stop them no matter the cost.

I mean, bringing out phrases like 'no matter the cost' is ridiculous for this.

 

[Job]

Its not commonly spoken about in Britain or taught in schools but a lot of French anti British feeling comes from our and Americas relentless bombing of France and mainly the ports to hamper German activities.
Undoubtedly important when it came to U2 bases, but still it was merciless and well remembered in the French consciousness.
These pictures might be worth remembering next time you get the Ferry to Havre.

D-Day anniversary: France's forgotten Blitz

Historians believe Allied bombardments killed almost as many French people as German bombs killed Britons during the Blitz, John Laurenson reports for BBC News.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Raven]

U2 bases? Eh?

 

[Ormorof]

Its not commonly spoken about in Britain or taught in schools but a lot of French anti British feeling comes from our and Americas relentless bombing of France and mainly the ports to hamper German activities.
Undoubtedly important when it came to U2 bases, but still it was merciless and well remembered in the French consciousness.
These pictures might be worth remembering next time you get the Ferry to Havre.

D-Day anniversary: France's forgotten Blitz

Historians believe Allied bombardments killed almost as many French people as German bombs killed Britons during the Blitz, John Laurenson reports for BBC News.

www.bbc.co.uk

The article suggests the opposite of that did you read it?

 

[Embattle]

Its not commonly spoken about in Britain or taught in schools but a lot of French anti British feeling comes from our and Americas relentless bombing of France and mainly the ports to hamper German activities.
Undoubtedly important when it came to U2 bases, but still it was merciless and well remembered in the French consciousness.
These pictures might be worth remembering next time you get the Ferry to Havre.

D-Day anniversary: France's forgotten Blitz

Historians believe Allied bombardments killed almost as many French people as German bombs killed Britons during the Blitz, John Laurenson reports for BBC News.

www.bbc.co.uk

U-boat....although I'm no fan of Bono bombing him with tallboys seems extreme.