While TCA provides zero tariffs on goods, it ignores the more damaging non-tariff barriers Brexit created. This include customs declarations, regulatory checks, and compliance costs etc that have all severely hampered trade flows. Thousands of businesses have reduced or stopped EU trade entirely due to these barriers.
The UKās trade flexibility argument is proving theoretical rather than practical. Since Brexit, the UK has primarily replicated existing EU trade deals rather than securing advantageous new ones. US trade deal is probably up in smoke now. Most evidence seems to indicate that the UK has less favourable terms than the bargning powers of the EU.
Regarding economic performance, the cited statistics require context. The UKās higher GDP growth follows a deeper recession than most EU countries experienced. You would not say Everton are one of the best teams in the league, but they have been if your starting point is when Moyes took over.
With regard to the service industry, the UK lost huge amounts of market access in the financial sector. Thousands of jobs went to Frankfurt, Paris, and Dublin.
Germanyās economic challenges donāt negate the substantial benefits of EU membership evident in decades of comparative economic data. The UK sacrificed guaranteed access to its largest market for theoretical opportunities that have yet to materialise in any meaningful economic way.
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Fixed
Wrong again. It was Thatcher.
Seriously, where do you get your information from?
The Tory handbook of excuses after youāve fucked up?
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Iām an old school Labour supporter, and as lefty as they come, and Iām very cautious about putting up income tax.
People are already paying a lot in tax, and income tax in particular is pretty high. But mostly I think itās unethical taking ever more of the money that people earn, when passive income is taxed so little.
So before looking at income tax, I would be hammering all the ways people earn money by doing fuck all - idle rentier income, inheritance tax, land, capital gains.
When weāve maxed that, then we look at income tax.
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Mate, leave me alone. Go talk to your tree.
Thatcher was hell bent on destroying the power of the Unions and as a result was a big reason for the downfall of British Industry. Im not denying it or making excuses for it because guess what, I wasnāt discussing it.
So did Blair not amend Clause IV of the Labour partyās constitution, which abandoned Nationalisation and embraced Economic Markets? Did Brown not hand over control of Monetary policies to the BoE days after Labours 97ā election win?
I want to be as balanced as possible here, under New Labour Manufacturing hit its highest point (2007) however, in terms of GDP it declined faster than any other Government, 20% to 10% (97-2010) and 1.5m jobs lost.
Gross value added (GVA) saw an increase of 2.7% in Manufacturing yet 41% in Financial services. What about Brownās speech in 2007 about how proud he was of Labour backing a winner - the banks.
A press article from the Guardian.
Nb. Have a read on the Phoenix four and the collapse of Rover cars.
To @Noo_Noo it is obvious we have different views/opinions that is fair. I respect your right to think differently and that we may not always agree, thatās life. I also accept we can get frustrated with each other and say things in the heat of the moment but please do so in a grown up manner.
Over the last week or two weeks or so, you haveā¦.
Told me to double down a few times.
Condescendingly said āgame overā numerous times as if you had won some kind of battle.
Head in sand, misquoted me, etc.
Oh and the classic, after all my crap you would rather talk to a tree and yetā¦.you still had to chirp up again.
I have politely, over a number of posts suggested we move on, agree to disagree. Itās nothing personal, I have no issue with you but it is clear that our recent engagement is counter productive and unfair on the rest of the forum. So I suggest we donāt respond to each other for a week or so 
I will but stop spouting crap. Seriously check your sources.
For the record I havent read anything from above beyond the first line.
Some have an answering machine and will not move an inch ,unless they are on literally fire
https://x.com/tomhfh/status/1896902268714152353
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If you havenāt read anything above the first line why have you responded to a request I addressed in the later part of my post? 
If your opinion is that I am spouting crap then that is your right, as is your right to question my sources. In regards to my sources, I have tried my best to use official Government sources and in terms of media, at times I have quoted the Guardian in order to stop the rhetoric of being brain washed by RW media.
For the Record, I was born in 82ā so was too young to understand Tory/Thatcherism of the 80ās and by not being from Merseyside or other working class/industrial areas, probably wasnāt as exposed to the sheer brutality of their policies.
For that reason, I will never ever try and pretend to know or question that period of politics or enter into debate about it.
I accept that my views may be considered more right leaning in retrospect to the forum but I will always try and be balanced and at the same time try and provide basis for any counter argument I have, rather than shut someone down.
My 1st ever vote was for Labour/Blair, I definitely voted for him again and I believe Brown also. I have voted Tory at times but I also chose not to vote in the last election - I regret not spoiling my vote.
Why am I telling (boring) you with thisā¦.it is because I donāt consider myself party aligned. My vote will always go to the Party in which I believe in.
Sadly, the problem with British Politics, is that in my opinion - more evident since the Cameron/Milliband election - we are not seeing Governments trying to be elected on the basis of their inspirational Mandate pledges (during their campaign) but on the basis that they are not as bad as the opposition.
Cameronās/Tories whole campaign was about mocking Millibandās/Labours policies and without actually providing any real inspiring Policies for the Country to believe in. For extra measures/security with the voters, he threw in the EU referendum knowing there was a rising discontent with the electorate - on the ignorance of it not happening.
It took Labour 14 years to get re-elected and even that was on the basis of āChangeā. Why did it take Labour 14 years to return to Government, with a lower popular vote than Corbyn, after 14 years of Tory Austerity? Why are we constantly reminded of this, by the current Government, as justification for peopleās growing discontent for lack of results?Why not acknowledge that by being a weak opposition, they allowed the Tories licence to Govern and oversee 14 years of austerity?
To clarify, I am genuinely not singling Labour out here and I am not expecting a miraculous 180 degree turnaround in the Countries fortunes. It is more than a single term project and it may take more than 4 years for the results to be seen.
I really do want Starmer/Labour to be successful, for the sake of the Country and its people, and I would be more than happy to return to voting for Labour. Infact, nothing would make me happier than voting for Starmerās successful reelection/2nd term, as it would mean the Country was heading in the right direction and that I had a Party I believed in.
Until then, I will keep my fingers crossed and pray for a Government/public, that has a positive attitude and a can do mindset than the negative, happy to accept failure and blame someone else mindset that has become part of our culture.
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Some good points and some bad; thanks for making the effort to explain your position.
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Thank you for your feedback.
I am more than happy to accept that in some peopleās opinions I have made bad points, I am also happy for my bad points to be addressed in a balanced manner, I am not opposed to changing my view.
Unfortunately, people, myself included, are far too keen to focus on the points they donāt agree on, rather than explore and debate the points they do agree on.
Itās not austerity thoughā¦
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Finally a post that makes some sense, and isnāt based on spin.
Iām happy to engage on this level provided that the duscussion is a good one where if domething is factually incorrect and called out that point is conceded and not followed by reams of stuff that dont really prove anythingnor move the goal posts.
Back to the point. Thatcher started the transition to a service based industry by basically shutting down industry (as uou know) but also instigating massive deregulation of the banking and finance system. Blair and so on embraced that as they did with NHS contracts etc. Thatcher set it up, they carried it on.
Regarding government performance I am increasingly finding myself drifting into a space where Iām struggling to get behind any party. Previously my position, was Tory out at all costs. Now thatās happened Iām finding getting behind Labour difficult. (I didnt vote for them by the way and wouldnāt tomorrow either).
Why? I dont see any party really addressing the core issue of wealth inequality. IMO it is the core issue of everything. It is why governments are skint, borrowing too much, taxes too high and so on. The other issue I gave is government waste.
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Which is why I always say that we havenāt had a Labour government since 1979.
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Thought you always say people are fuckwits ?
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In general, we are.
Doesnāt mean that individual people canāt have some redeeming qualities.
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It may not be. Havent read the BBC article but the one in the FT i saw was saying the government was looking to persuade the OBR that its plans to give more support to people who need it will generate higher savings than the figures currently estimate.
Itās these āsavingsā from a favourable re-,scoring that they were talking about being ācutā.
Does the BBC article say anything different?
Still feels like trimming the bottom of the hedge where growth is weak while the apex is left completely untouched.