UK Politics Thread (Part 1)

I agree but that is not what many posters on here (and elsewhere) have been saying. Now that the UK agrees a similar deal with Japan that they had with the EU in any event the focus is now on how little we trade with Japan as a % of our overall GDP. Of course, had we failed to get a deal with Japan they would have described it as a disaster :thinking:

I guess the flipside of that is that some advocates of Brexit depicted the UK post-Brexit as a trading colossus unchained. I donā€™t think that is going to happen either.

4 Likes

Weā€™ll have to see. The Singapore of the North was always a bit far-fetched.

Iā€™ve always felt that in time the UK will thrive economically outside of the EU but that it would take some time (10-15 years). Agreeing a trade deal with Japan in relatively short order is a promising sign, but nothing more than that.

2 Likes

:smile: :crazy_face:

Now I consider myself to be pretty stupid most of the time. Many on here would as well (beat you lot to it for a change) but I doubt even I would be daft enough top agree worse terms on state aid, announce them to the world while I was having exactly the same debate with a future trading partner I ultimately need a major trade deal with.

Fair points made by @Kopstar and @Arminius on other trade deals though. It seems a logical step to basically agree exactly the same deal that already exists. if they continue along that line and itā€™s successful then fair play to them. Overall though we Iā€™ve no doubt the net result will be downward. There wont be many nations willing to risk their trade deals with the EU to secure a lucrative deal on Cheddar cheese with Ole Blighty. And from a negotiation perspective thatā€™s still not a great place to be starting from.

Personally I think that had the japan deal not been agreed I would have highlighted how difficult trade deals are to get sorted rather than predicting a national disaster. That comes later :crazy_face: Iā€™m sure my lamb farming compatriots were all down the pub celebrating that deal.

1 Like

I think the UK should be able to get back on roughly similar terms with non-EU partners in the next few years. But finding markets to replace the likely losses of EU market share will be the real challenge. Your time frame may prove optimistic for that, however it is probably the right time frame in which to judge.

3 Likes

Agree. I think by that time weā€™ll have a firm idea as to the true economic position of the UK outside of the EU and the likely trajectory.

Matt Hancock is such a twat.

2 Likes

While it is commendable that the UK has concluded a trade deal with Japan, and in record time, it is important not to get too carried away with Brexiteer rhetoric.

One deal is not an indication that any other deals will be as easy to negotiate. And, in any case, werenā€™t Brexiteers promising us bigger and better deals than we would have enjoyed had we remained in the EU. This deal simply replicates most of the existing agreement between Japan and the EU.

And in some respects it represents a worse outcome for the UK. For example, Japan refused to give the UK any new quotas for sensitive foodstuffs. For 10 out of 25 products covered in the EU-Japan deal, including cheese, tea extracts and bread mixes, the UK will only be able to utilise quotas left over by the EU. In other works, if the EU uses all of these tariff rate quotas, there will be nothing left over for UK exports.

How is that a better deal than we already had?

3 Likes

Copy and pasted article but then didnā€™t want to get into trouble.

Fair use will allow a lead paragraph if you like.

Probably better just to follow the link as each paragraph seems to be either a pro or con so one paragraph alone wouldnā€™t necessarily portray the balance the article attempts to strike. It does place into context the 10 out of 25 agri products point referenced by @Lowton_Red

1 Like

Question.

Assuming that the UK gets all its deals in good time and they arenā€™t disasters. Rhat probably means a drop of some descrption but perhaps not the long term disaster some predicted. So the ship is steady but sitting a little lower.

What will the real benfit of that be? We will probably done some real damage to the UK in the interim period. Surely the long term benefit must be some pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Iā€™m honestly not seeing it.

He doesnā€™t give a shit anymore.

He knows his career has been screwed and heā€™s just sitting it out nodding along to whatever Cummings wants him to do.

good ole Boris. The Teflon is strong with this one

Fixed it for you.

3 Likes

Boris Johnson says UK must control its borders but will be ā€œmore cosmopolitan than ever before. Welcoming scientists and artists and people of talent from around the world.ā€

The PM says we are in the process of building ā€œthe greatest place on Earth.ā€

Eight MINUTES laterā€¦

ā€œRishi Sunak suggests musicians and others in arts should retrain and find other jobsā€

7 Likes

I listened to a lot of the speech. It didnā€™t connect with me in any way whatsoever. To me it was all about deflection and facing up to the reality of the mess his party has created in the last 10+ years.

Talking of our lack of investment in renewables as Labours fault. The housing crisis was Labours fault. Covid-19 was shaking hands like the Birdy song dance.

He did admit he was fat though. Apparently heā€™s lost nearly 2 stone some some cedit is due there.

1 Like

Tbf, I donā€™t see a contradiction here. The first is aspirational and is clearly about the long-term vision for our immigration policy.

The second, from the Chancellor, is clearly about the immediate future. Just from a pragmatic point of view, the economy (domestically and globally) is in the mire - unfortunately the arts is nearly always one of the first to get hit as institutions, companies, individuals withdraw funding and investment. If youā€™re looking to tighten the belt stopping music lessons, cancelling ballet class and withdrawing that commission for that oil on canvas portrait to be hung in the drawing roomā€¦these are going to be among the first things to go. Along with cancelling BT sports and looking for a cheaper phone contract etc (as we have done in our household).

Whoā€™s getting that contract? Baroness ā€œDildoā€ Harding?

2 Likes

Naming artists as a key part of the future of the country while simultaneously telling artists that what they do is superfluous and they should retrain as something else is contradictory.

Of course, what Johnson said doesnā€™t actually mean anything and is just a nonsensical word salad. At least Sunakā€™s words have an actual meaning - even if that meaning is one of cultural suicide.

4 Likes