The Brexit Effect.

[Frank Blank]

5 glorious years

I’d like to see the 4th Friday in June become a bank holiday, in commemoration of our day of freedom from the EU, our version of Independence Day, maybe we could call it UKID? Or St Nigel’s day?

Replace May Day which is too close to Easter.

Yep, and much time lost as Remoaners fought a rearguard action to reverse the original result by calling for a 'People's Vote'.

Aping the classic EU/Soviet playbook - i.e. if you don't get the 'right' result first time round, vote until you do - it was Orwellian in scope.

Meanwhile, I saw the demented Heseltine on TV yesterday. He's still fighting yesterday's battles, bless him. In all honesty he should be put in a home.

Certainly agree with you that Freedom Day should be a public holiday.

[MickEdge]

I’m all for an EU Day, when we can reflect on what has been achieved for people’s well being, our economic strength and the country’s world standing. We wouldn’t want to forget the great strides, be they forwards or backwards that have been made.

[MickEdge]

It’s a shame, just as it’s a announced we can go back to Mediterranean islands, the mobile phone companies are starting to introduce roaming charges. Brexit, the policy that keeps on giving away, the benefits we used to take for granted.

[THC]

It may surprise you to know that even primitive EU countries have wifi these days.

There’s only been no roaming charges for a few years so it’s no big deal. Besides who wants to spend all their holiday on the phone, apart from the Twitter obsessed liberal metropolitan types!

[Frank Blank]

It’s a shame, just as it’s a announced we can go back to Mediterranean islands, the mobile phone companies are starting to introduce roaming charges. Brexit, the policy that keeps on giving away, the benefits we used to take for granted.

Presumably, roaming charges are for people who.....er....roam. Guess it's best to stay at home. TBH, Magaluf is pretty shit any time of the year.

[MickEdge]

It may surprise you to know that even primitive EU countries have wifi these days.

No it doesn’t, but what does surprise me is people trusting the security of public wifi, in any country.

[spectrum64]

What is useful is using the phone as a satnav in a car or on foot in an unfamiliar place. That could cost a fortune if charges come in charging data per MB. No doubt now one company starts charging, others will follow and one will have to buy an add on for going abroad.

[KeithW]

What is useful is using the phone as a satnav in a car or on foot in an unfamiliar place. That could cost a fortune if charges come in charging data per MB. No doubt now one company starts charging, others will follow and one will have to buy an add on for going abroad.

On Android at least (and on the late lamented Windows phones) you can use the SatNav off line after downloading the free maps. I use 'Here' as a SatNav, it's very good, even including the tiny lanes on Greek islands. Not that I'll be needing that anytime soon.

[Pooneil]

Yes, I believe EE intend to charge £2 per day.

[Pooneil]

5 glorious years

I’d like to see the 4th Friday in June become a bank holiday, in commemoration of our day of freedom from the EU, our version of Independence Day, maybe we could call it UKID? Or St Nigel’s day?

Yes, it's all worked out exactly as the Leavers told us it would. The NHS is getting an extra £350 million a week, Turkey's joined the EU, everything's fine in Northern Ireland, nobody kicked us out of the Single Market, and we got all the best trade deas as we held all the cards...

[Pooneil]

It’s a shame, just as it’s a announced we can go back to Mediterranean islands, the mobile phone companies are starting to introduce roaming charges.

You must be imagining it - the Brexiteers told us that the talk of the re-introduction of roaming charges was just part of Project Fear.

[MickEdge]

There was an FT article comparing imports and exports to the EU between Jan and Apr, as reported by the UK’s ONS and the EU’s equivalent agency. Curiously, for U.K. exports, the EU figures show a 25% decline from previous years compared to only 5% by the ONS. There seems no satisfactory explanation for such a discrepancy. However, the EU figures do show that many other countries have significantly increased their exports to the EU, in that period, except for the UK and USA. I don’t believe either agency are trying to manipulate the numbers, but they both can’t be right. Of course, we are talking about statistics, so just as I feared, we may never be able to count the real Brexit effect on exports, and I suspect many other things. All very convenient, if you are a politician.

[Frank Blank]

There was an FT article comparing imports and exports to the EU between Jan and Apr, as reported by the UK’s ONS and the EU’s equivalent agency. Curiously, for U.K. exports, the EU figures show a 25% decline from previous years compared to only 5% by the ONS. There seems no satisfactory explanation for such a discrepancy. However, the EU figures do show that many other countries have significantly increased their exports to the EU, in that period, except for the UK and USA. I don’t believe either agency are trying to manipulate the numbers, but they both can’t be right. Of course, we are talking about statistics, so just as I feared, we may never be able to count the real Brexit effect on exports, and I suspect many other things. All very convenient, if you are a politician.

Halligan's current piece in the Torygraph is instructive. Indeed, the numbers tell their own story.

Here are some extracts.

"The UK’s trading relationship with the EU is clearly important – and trade won’t stop, despite the inevitable scratchiness in current relations. Neither side wants that, especially the EU, which continues to run a large surplus with Britain – so a lot more French, German and Spanish jobs and wealth rely on cross-Channel trade than vice versa. The economic case for Brexit was also based on the shifting balance of the world economy. When the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973, the bloc accounted for 38pc. That figure is now just 15pc, despite the EU today comprising far more member states.

.......

"And, of course, we’re set to join the Comprehensive Partnership on Trans-Pacific Partnership – a group of 11 nations around “the Pacific Rim” – including Japan and Canada, as well as Mexico and Peru. CPTPP is a trade agreement between nations accounting for 13pc of global commerce. If Britain joins that would make 16pc – more than the EU27."

In short, the EU was becoming less relevant economically, BEFORE Brexit; a trend that will continue in the years ahead.

Also worth noting is that it isn't out of the question that the United States will eventually join CPTPP too.

[MickEdge]

I hesitate to respond with yet more stats, but where did the Telegraph get those numbers from, because this summary from a paper in the House of Commons Library says:
The EU, taken as a whole is the UK’s largest trading partner. In 2019, UK exports to the EU were £294 billion (43% of all UK exports)..
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/re ... /cbp-7851/

[Frank Blank]

I'm not totally sure why you're including figures pertaining to EU trade when I'm citing figures referring to the relative (and declining) size of the EU within the global economy.

[MickEdge]

Because the EU is the world’s largest economic trading block.

Also, something to consider about trading with people and companies on the other side of the world is that it’s a damn sight harder, for small and medium sized companies (SMEs), to initiate and manage sales to such countries compared with EU customers, however beneficial the trade deal is. SMEs account for three fifths of the employment and around half of turnover in the UK private sector.
https://www.fsb.org.uk/uk-small-busines ... stics.html

[Frank Blank]

Because the EU is the world’s largest economic trading block.

Depending on how this statement is defined I'm sure the RCEP and NAFTA might have something to say about that.

Overall, though, I think the direction of travel is pretty obvious anyway.

Source: RAND Corp: 'RCEP Forms the World's Largest Trading Bloc. What Does This Mean for Global Trade?' (December 2020)

[MickEdge]

None of which apart from the EU are remotely on our doorstep.

[chris_j_wood]

It seems that the Telegraph has now become the official newspaper of the football hooligan. How the mighty have fallen.

When I was a lad, my Dad was a mad keen football and cricket fan. Despite being a lifelong Labour voter, he always used to buy the Telegraph because he said it had the best sports coverage. I can just imagine the stinking letter he would have written to the Telegraph withdrawing his patronage if they had polluted their pages with this b******t back then. He isn't around to do that anymore so - Dad, this is for you.

[Frank Blank]

It seems that the Telegraph has now become the official newspaper of the football hooligan. How the mighty have fallen.

When I was a lad, my Dad was a mad keen football and cricket fan. Despite being a lifelong Labour voter, he always used to buy the Telegraph because he said it had the best sports coverage. I can just imagine the stinking letter he would have written to the Telegraph withdrawing his patronage if they had polluted their pages with this b******t back then. He isn't around to do that anymore so - Dad, this is for you.


209487769_3491987920904596_897172546673307915_n.jpg

Indeed, having a go at the Germans is nothing more than fighting yesterday's battles. It's all rather tedious. Best to leave the Germans to their long-term fate of subsidising many of the other members inside what is a doomed EU project.

[MickEdge]

….Best to leave the Germans to their long-term fate of subsidising the French (and others) inside what is a doomed EU project.

Beware what you wish for. The unraveling of the EU will likely cause serious problems for the UK, if enough of the 27 economies fail. The eastern countries will likely end up as dictatorships. Democracy is not the norm or default political form for nation states. Remember that last century, Europe falling apart led to world wars. And then of course, is Liz Truss up to negotiating 27 trade deals?

[mikejee]

This particular truss is no good for supporting anything

[Voiceoftreason?]

This particular truss is no good for supporting anything

Oooo MJ. Nice pun

[BOY RACER]

Was this not the invention of that well known Scotsman “Jock Strap”

[Frank Blank]

This aged well.
(From 2019)

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL
@campbellclaret
If we leave, Nissan leave

[Pooneil]

Once again, having all the best cards so that everybody is queueing up to do trade deals with us hasn't exactly worked out - no trade deal with the US this. Or next year. And if Liz Truss reckons it will be 2023, I reckon it won't be until at least 2025.

[Frank Blank]

Time to get the popcorn in, methinks.

Over to you, ECJ.

From the Torygraph

"Poland's membership of the EU was plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday after its judges defied a European court order to reverse some of its controversial judicial reforms.

"Stanisław Piotrowicz, a senior Polish judge, said that interim measures by the EU’s highest court, which ordered Warsaw to suspend the reforms, were “not in line” with the Polish constitution."

[Frank Blank]

Aw, bless him.

Radek Sikorski MEP
@radeksikorski
EU rules OK.

[Pooneil]

It’s a shame, just as it’s a announced we can go back to Mediterranean islands, the mobile phone companies are starting to introduce roaming charges. Brexit, the policy that keeps on giving away, the benefits we used to take for granted.

Vodafone to follow EE's lead...

[Frank Blank]

It’s a shame, just as it’s a announced we can go back to Mediterranean islands, the mobile phone companies are starting to introduce roaming charges. Brexit, the policy that keeps on giving away, the benefits we used to take for granted.

One positive impact of the pandemic (thankfully) is that I'm not coming under any pressure from my partner (who's from Naples) to make a trip to Italy, meaning I can give Europe a miss entirely. Hence, roaming charges will have zero impact on me and the many others who don't travel to Europe* either.

*:Defined as the continental land mass (and associated islands) on the other side of the moat.

[dave m]

A friend is moving to Ireland shortly to do a PhD and is encountering mobile phone issues plus car insurance issues

[mikejee]

It’s a shame, just as it’s a announced we can go back to Mediterranean islands, the mobile phone companies are starting to introduce roaming charges. Brexit, the policy that keeps on giving away, the benefits we used to take for granted.

One positive impact of the pandemic (thankfully) is that I'm not coming under any pressure from my partner (who's from Naples) to make a trip to Italy, meaning I can give Europe a miss entirely. Hence, roaming charges will have zero impact on me and the many others who don't travel to Europe* either.

*:Defined as the continental land mass (and associated islands) on the other side of the moat.

HMMMM. I take it, Frank, that you are saying you don't care a bit for your partner's situation. She has my sympathy.

[chris_j_wood]

One positive impact of the pandemic (thankfully) is that I'm not coming under any pressure from my partner (who's from Naples) to make a trip to Italy, meaning I can give Europe a miss entirely. Hence, roaming charges will have zero impact on me and the many others who don't travel to Europe* either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBNjyvbqRYY

God willing, I'll be there. No roaming charges are going to put me off. Nor any poisonous nationalism that should have been put to bed in the 1940s.

I was proud of the brilliant job that London made in 2012. I shall be hoping that Paris does as well.

[Frank Blank]

One positive impact of the pandemic (thankfully) is that I'm not coming under any pressure from my partner (who's from Naples) to make a trip to Italy, meaning I can give Europe a miss entirely. Hence, roaming charges will have zero impact on me and the many others who don't travel to Europe* either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBNjyvbqRYY

God willing, I'll be there. No roaming charges are going to put me off. Nor any poisonous nationalism that should have been put to bed in the 1940s.

I was proud of the brilliant job that London made in 2012. I shall be hoping that Paris does as well.

And the great thing about the Paris Olympics is that if you like watching the surfing events you don't even have to set foot inside mainland France.

[spectrum64]

The order for 'temporary' regulations allowing lorries to queue down the M20 etc. have now been made permanent. The promised frictionless trade seems to have evaporated
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -permanent