Encouraging news over Brexit.

[Jimgward]

As I have lived abroad for over 15 years I am ineligible to vote in the UK elections.

But in the light of what you have witnessed over the past year or two with regard to the shambles known as Brexit, if you were eligible to vote, which way would you vote?

I believe you previously said you voted to remain, but now only support the Leave cause because that's what the majority voted for.

So, given the opportunity, if eligible, which way would you vote?

No, I have never previously said I voted remain, nor have I ever even hinted at that. Just to put the record straight. As to how I would vote, that is a complete and utter irrelevance, given that I am ineligible.

No it’s not, as you mocked me, for saying I wouldn’t vote Labour or Tory and might LibDem or SNP.... that’s where my double-standards comment comes from.... you are prepared to put out - but only to mock or counter others, not to lay our own cards...

[Jimgym]

But in the light of what you have witnessed over the past year or two with regard to the shambles known as Brexit, if you were eligible to vote, which way would you vote?

I believe you previously said you voted to remain, but now only support the Leave cause because that's what the majority voted for.

So, given the opportunity, if eligible, which way would you vote?

No, I have never previously said I voted remain, nor have I ever even hinted at that. Just to put the record straight. As to how I would vote, that is a complete and utter irrelevance, given that I am ineligible.

No it’s not, as you mocked me, for saying I wouldn’t vote Labour or Tory and might LibDem or SNP.... that’s where my double-standards comment comes from.... you are prepared to put out - but only to mock or counter others, not to lay our own cards...

How on earth can it be double standards when you can vote and I can't? I've given no thought to who I would vote for because, well, I can't! Nothing whatsoever to do with putting out or anything else.

[Happy in Cyprus]

So, the now-retired speaker, John Bercow, confirms what many of us have been saying for 3 years: Brexit is 'biggest mistake of the UK since the war'.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/john-bercow-b ... 42943.html

[Happy in Cyprus]

Moody's thinks so too, a credit downgrade as a direct consequence of Brexit: https://news.sky.com/story/moodys-downg ... s-11857899

[Happy in Cyprus]

But hang on a second, I thought that post-Brexit, the USA, Australia, India and so on were going the be the new trading allies of the UK? Well, that didn't work out as planned, did it

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50419130

I'll post the text, as the BBC link requires you to accept it's cookies:

Australia and others ask for Brexit trade compensation
By Andrew Walker. BBC World Service. 15 November 2019

Countries including Australia have asked for trade compensation from the UK and the EU over Brexit disruption.

Fifteen countries, including the US, India and New Zealand, have been setting out Brexit concerns at a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Geneva.

Australian officials said their beef and lamb exporters had already been hit after several Brexit delays.

Brazil said Brexit plans for Northern Ireland could breach WTO rules.

The main issue for the 15 countries is a system which allows them easier access to the EU's large market for limited quantities of some of their goods, mainly farm produce.

It's a system known as "tariff rate quotas".

World Trade Organization members generally apply tariffs - taxes on imports - to many of the goods they buy from abroad.

For some products they have made commitments to allow specified amounts to be imported with tariffs that are lower than what they usually apply. In some cases the reduced tariff is zero.

It makes it more profitable for Australian farmers to sell beef to Europe, for example.

Brexit complicates this.

[Varky]

HIC,
I think you have made a giant leap between your opening paragraph and what was stated in the pro-remain BBC's report.

[Happy in Cyprus]

Seems most Leavers don't care if the UK breaks up as a consequence of Brexit; they consider it a price worth paying


Breakup of UK a price worth paying for Brexit, say Leave voters in poll
Sky News. James Matthews, Scotland correspondent. 18 November 2019

A large majority of Leave voters think the breakup of the United Kingdom is a price worth paying for Brexit, according to a Sky News poll.

Leave voters were asked if they thought Scotland becoming independent would be a price worth paying for delivering Brexit - 41% said yes, while only 18% said no.

Of the remainder, 17% said they would be happy for Scotland to leave the union regardless of the circumstances and 24% said they didn't know.

The YouGov survey, conducted across Britain, also asked both Leave and Remain voters if they thought Brexit made Scottish independence more likely - 40% said yes.

The opinion poll was undertaken as Sky News travelled to the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom to gauge its fragility.

In our opinion poll, Leave voters were also asked if Welsh independence would be a price worth paying for delivering Brexit. While 28% said yes, 26% said no.

British Leave voters were also asked if Northern Ireland joining the Republic of Ireland would be a price worth paying for Brexit. While 25% said yes, 19% said no.

Professor Sir Tom Devine, of the University of Edinburgh, said that, in the debate on Scotland's future and the future of the United Kingdom, the English nationalist voice would be most powerful.

"It's always been my view that if the union comes to an end, it will come to an end because of either English indifference or hostility," he said. "I think at the moment there's probably more indifference than hostility, but there's little doubt that that is a brand of English nationalism, which is broad. Which in a sense is not really interested on whether Scotland continues in the union or not."

More here: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/breakup-uk-pr ... 00404.html

[Firefly]

Quite frankly I'm in the 'care not' camp. If Nicola had her way, they wouldn't be part of it now. Just so long as they don't come cap in hand at a later date, wanting funding from England.

[Jimgward]

Quite frankly I'm in the 'care not' camp. If Nicola had her way, they wouldn't be part of it now. Just so long as they don't come cap in hand at a later date, wanting funding from England.

What if it was RoUK coming cap-in-hand to Scotland? You seem to presume that Scotland is ‘poor’ and cannot survive - I can deliver evidence of the opposite.

[Jimgward]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_O ... per_capita

[Jimgym]

As far as I’m concerned unless these Leave voters are also voting in the Scottish referendum then it’s utterly irrelevant what they think about it. It is Scotland’s decision and nobody else’s.

[Firefly]

I do not assume that Scotland is 'poor' and cannot survive, but it has certainly happened in the past that countries who achieved independence from the UK, then seemed to assume that we would still support them, one way or another.

Similarly, I would not expect England to go cap in hand to Scotland.

[Jimgward]

Oh really? Ireland as an example? Doing better than the UK. A very simplistic view. What countries have come cap in hand?

In fact, it’s more the case that Britain ‘plundered”
Other countries wealth, rather than helping them. That was what the ‘Empire’ was about.

[Happy in Cyprus]

Oh dear! https://uk.news.yahoo.com/brussels-hit- ... 12079.html

Wonder how Boris will bluff and bluster his way out of that one