BREXIT positives and negatives

[keith2011 2,579]

5 minutes ago, yesterday said:

There was no 13 year rule for the Tories, before Callahan went to the IMF

You're quite right I misread the  the dates sorry , none the less the Wilson government was faced with a financial crisis following the so called "13 years of Tory misrule"  that also required going to the IMF and devaluing the GBP to $2.40 (seems amazing these days) and the squeeze which resulted was very hard, I remember wages were frozen, I had just started an apprenticeship on 9 guineas a week and despite the contract saying it would rise by a set amount each year I got no increase for 3 years.

[Fietsrad 386]

17 minutes ago, HEM said:

 

Currently I agree with you.

But I am not unhappy with my memories of growing up in the UK, walking, cycling, grandparents, even working, even school (in particular a school trip to .. Germany 😉). Agree with that too?

[yesterday 1,980]

7 minutes ago, keith2011 said:

You're quite right I misread the  the dates sorry , none the less the Wilson government was faced with a financial crisis following the so called "13 years of Tory misrule"  that also required going to the IMF and devaluing the GBP to $2.40 (seems amazing these days) and the squeeze which resulted was very hard, I remember wages were frozen, I had just started an apprenticeship on 9 guineas a week and despite the contract saying it would rise by a set amount each year I got no increase for 3 years.

 

When I came to Munich some older guys said that when they came to Munich for the 1972 Olympics and to work. 1 pound would buy you 10 Marks - Look at it now

 

Around that time I remember playing Monopoly buy candle light as every one was on strike, everyone complained but I quite liked those times, being about 6 or 7 years old

 

24 minutes ago, Fietsrad said:

The UK imports more than HALF of the food consumed there, what Madness. Imports are going to cost more because the GBP is weak. Perhaps the agricultural industry could be encouraged to produce more grains and vegetables and less meat.

 

Yet again, so glad I do not live there😉

 

It could do that, while the UK had  access to cheap European labour, when the UK was in EU.

 

Farmers cannot get British people to do that kind of dirty work, the young want to be jet fighter pilots, doctors etc, but failed all their exams. But picking fruit is not the kind of work the British want to do.

[keith2011 2,579]

Just now, yesterday said:

When I came to Munich some older guys said that when they came to Munich for the 1972 Olympics and to work. 1 pound would buy you 10 Marks - Look at it now

Best I ever got was a bit over 6 DM to the GBP but I know my parents got 10 when they took a Rhine cruise in the early 70s. on the other hand even with that exchange rate they found things very expensive a coffee in a cafe cost 1 DM (GB 10p) in the UK it typically would be about 6d (2.5p).

[yesterday 1,980]

2 minutes ago, keith2011 said:

Best I ever got was a bit over 6 DM to the GBP but I know my parents got 10 when they took a Rhine cruise in the early 70s. on the other hand even with that exchange rate they found things very expensive a coffee in a cafe cost 1 DM (GB 10p) in the UK it typically would be about 6d (2.5p).

yeah ok, but you have to remember a UK coffee at that time was Nescafe, while in Germany you are probably getting filter Caffee. I do not remember anything of the currency before desimisation

[keith2011 2,579]

1 minute ago, yesterday said:

yeah ok, but you have to remember a UK coffee at that time was Nescafe, while in Germany you are probably getting filter Caffee. I do not remember anything of the currency before desimisation

No, Nescafe in the UK was not universal, there was a trend in the late 50 and 60s for coffee bars many with Italian machines serving quite decent cups of coffee, they had very much died out by the 70s and by the 80s about the only place I could get a decent coffee in a cafe was in a genuine tiny Italian cafe in Soho (London).

[Fietsrad 386]

The UK imports more than HALF of the food it needs, I keep thinking about that. It exports a lot too, I am thinking of bespoke foods from The Dutchy, scotch whiskey, bottled water etc usw. 😉

 

Perhaps if This Madness of importing and exporting was reduced things would get easier.

[Wulfrun 23,047]

[john_b 3,305]

Excellent article by John Harris 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/09/britain-brexit-poorer-boris-johnson

[Wulfrun 23,047]

[murphaph 9,675]

UK on its 4th Chancellor this year (so far). All that Brexit stability eh?

[keith2011 2,579]

Not sure you can blame that on brexit, muc h more a tired Tory govenment shooting itself in the foot again, I can't see the new pm lasting much longer either.

[john_b 3,305]

Daily Telegraph: Project Fear was right all along

 

 

[murphaph 9,675]

11 hours ago, keith2011 said:

Not sure you can blame that on brexit, muc h more a tired Tory govenment shooting itself in the foot again, I can't see the new pm lasting much longer either.

It's Brexit Keith. It is happening because Brexit has severely limited the options for any Chancellor or PM to steer the UK's economy along a path of growth so they are left with ever increasing numbers of hair-brained schemes, which the markets are rejecting, one after the other. With each new PM comes three chancellors and they all promise to "make Brexit work", except that's the impossible task because Brexit can't work. It's a stupid idea and always was. It was always going to lead to a decline in the UK's economy, even with a US trade deal and without one it is just bonkers. Labour will have exactly the same problem of "making Brexit work" of they don't man up soon enough and admit it cannot work.

[murphaph 9,675]

10 hours ago, john_b said:

Daily Telegraph: Project Fear was right all along

 

 

That's a bigger U-turn than Truss made this week. Astonishing.

[keith2011 2,579]

47 minutes ago, murphaph said:

It's Brexit Keith. It is happening because Brexit has severely limited the options for any Chancellor or PM to steer the UK's economy along a path of growth so they are left with ever increasing numbers of hair-brained schemes, which the markets are rejecting, one after the other. With each new PM comes three chancellors and they all promise to "make Brexit work", except that's the impossible task because Brexit can't work. It's a stupid idea and always was. It was always going to lead to a decline in the UK's economy, even with a US trade deal and without one it is just bonkers. Labour will have exactly the same problem of "making Brexit work" of they don't man up soon enough and admit it cannot work.

I certainly won't disagree that until the fundamentals change things can't improve. I can but hope that while a brexit u turn remains a political no go Labour will be able to come to a better accommodation with the EU.

[fraufruit 41,959]

15 minutes ago, keith2011 said:

I certainly won't disagree that until the fundamentals change things can't improve. I can but hope that while a brexit u turn remains a political no go Labour will be able to come to a better accommodation with the EU.

 

With the fundamental thing being Brexit. that would have to be undone to have a better accommodation with the EU. And then, only if the EU would agree.

[keith2011 2,579]

41 minutes ago, fraufruit said:

 

With the fundamental thing being Brexit. that would have to be undone to have a better accommodation with the EU. And then, only if the EU would agree.

No that is not so, a customs union could be possible or maybe the Norway or Swiss model and who knows what other options that were thrown away with BJs "get brexit done".

With the current government looking to relax immigration rules to fill the many skill gaps I can't see the EU freedom of movement still being a problem.

[fraufruit 41,959]

2 minutes ago, keith2011 said:

a customs union could be possible or maybe the Norway or Swiss model

 

We've been waiting. 

 

Not sure if I heard of other options but it would be great if there are some.

[keith2011 2,579]

21 minutes ago, fraufruit said:

 

We've been waiting. 

 

I wouldn't hold your breath, we can but hope but I doubt even the current lot are not stupid enough to think they could win an election.

BTW, although the GBP is very weak against the USD it is pretty much unchanged against the Euro  compared to earlier in the year, all is not so bright in the EU.