Excellent Labour gain from ukip in Thanet last night,supporting the trend in ukip defended seats.ukip are like Aston Villa,they simply cannot defend.It seems voters are voting for what they think is a better brand of cornflakes in ukip which they try for a bit and decide they don't like and go back to Kelloggs or any other good cornflake supplier.
Mr Dancer time to get the wok out and start experimenting. Those opium seeds could be good for you too.
Fried potatoes? When I was a child we used to have the surplus mashed potato from the evening meal fried for breakfast next fday. Delicious with fried egg.
Any spaghetti or other pasta which is left over can be mixed with a beaten egg and then fried to make a frittata - a sort of pasta Spanish omelette. Delicious!
Mr Dancer time to get the wok out and start experimenting. Those opium seeds could be good for you too.
Fried potatoes? When I was a child we used to have the surplus mashed potato from the evening meal fried for breakfast next fday. Delicious with fried egg.
Bit confused by the reference to when you were a child. Don't you still have this as occasional breakfast treat? We do, in fact Herself sometimes cooks too mashed potato on purpose just so the we can.
My point still stands: that they had proceedures to follow and it was good they followed them. It was not some outrage to civil liberties as @blackburn63 believed. I never commented on whether the spelling mistake should be sufficent to trigger the proceedures because I have no idea what the appropriate threshold should be.
But if you'd rather go "Yah! Boo! Sucks!" than engaged in a nuanced and sophisticated debate then knock yourself out buddy
It was reported yesterday that a 10-yr old boy wrote that he lived in a terrorist house and as a result, the school called the police who went to investigate by talking to the boy's family about it.
As reported (one perhaps spelling mistake, a police response) that was ludicrous because I am sure other measures short of calling the police could have been taken to determine whether he came from a long line of dumb terrorists, or whether it was a spelling mistake, or whether there was some other reason.
It now turns out that the police visited the house for several reasons unrelated to terrorism and they criticised the BBC for sexing up the story. Which makes much more sense.
To call the police for one isolated incident, as reported, yet which you and others here thought was entirely justified, would have been ludicrous.
Nuanced and sophisticated enough for you? Buddy.
But not the teacher, the police or the social workers fault. They were following proceedures. That is a good thing: there is a reason why they are not allowed to exercise discretion at this stage
The problem is that a lack of discretion doesn't help. In the baby P case, Shoesmith was appalled at being blamed. She had followed every procedure and her paperwork was impeccable. She'd even vigorously investigated the woman who'd tried to help baby P for child abuse - for shouting back at a teenager who being ranting death threats at her.
And ultimately she got a massive payout....
Procedures should be seen as an aid to - not a substitute for - judgment. Unfortunately, this does not happen as often as it should or, in some areas, at all. People either don't see the need to exercise judgment or are too afraid to do so. But judgment is the mark of a true professional. And it is like a muscle - in order to develop good judgment you need to use it, every day. It's not something that can be switched on now and again.
Putin only has 2 more years left in charge of Russia, whereupon a new face will take charge.
Remember from 2008 - 2012, we had Dmitry Medvedev in charge - his own man and very much a fresh face for Russia.
Putin intended to retire but then realised his life expectancy post retirement could be measured in weeks, if not days.
I am told but a reliable source that he has $400bn sitting in Switzerland. I won't name the bank
Something ironic though, about having all that money and not being able to touch it
Hmm. Isn't $400bn the same figure Putin claimed as Russia's foreign currency reserves and if so, could there have been a mix-up? $400bn sounds implausibly large for anyone's nest egg.
Martin Kettle notes this morning that we are approaching the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution. If Jeremy Corbyn is still in power in October 2017, what words do you think he will find to mark this centenary?
"Comrades, one hundred years ago, Russia achieved freedom. The Tsar, the Priests, the Bourgeoisie, the Kulaks, who had feasted on the blood of workers and peasants for hundreds of years, were rightly liquidated.
Comrades, let us emulate their example! Let the gutters of Park Lane run with the blood of capitalists; may the last member of the Royal Family be strangled on the guts of the last Bishop! Arise ye starvelings from your slumbers! You have nothing to lose but your chains!"
Martin Kettle notes this morning that we are approaching the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution. If Jeremy Corbyn is still in power in October 2017, what words do you think he will find to mark this centenary?
"Comrades, one hundred years ago, Russia achieved freedom. The Tsar, the Priests, the Bourgeoisie, the Kulaks, who had feasted on the blood of workers and peasants for hundreds of years, were rightly liquidated.
Comrades, let us emulate their example! Let the gutters of Park Lane run with the blood of capitalists; may the last member of the Royal Family be strangled on the guts of the last Bishop! Arise ye starvelings from your slumbers! You have nothing to lose but your chains!"
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Take off your blue specs Scott, the same elite unionists and business people/landowners are still running the country. They prevent the SNP really changing Scotland for the better. They are miffed though that the SNP have got out of control and not completely joined the club , hence the unionist panic at present. The parasites are worried.
What? I thought the SNP had a majority up there?
Yes but as I am sure you know it is really the establishment that runs the country , disappointingly the SNP use the same elite/public parasitic placemen on their committees , panels etc when policy is decided. So we get much the same self interested establishment led policies in general.
David Cameron Trying to profit from spurious claims lodged against our brave servicemen & women is unacceptable. My statement: https://t.co/94CBPZYKTG
"Firm action against firms" - dear me. Good statement though, imo.
At least one of the firms is going down. Solicitors stuck off etc..
Why do you think that they are giving whining press interviews about how they (the solicitors) are the real victims in all this? Whining about the "chilling effect" that this will have in this area of law....
They're whinging because their business model is about to implode, that much is obvious. A few of them should be looking at jail time for the document shredding incident.
All of which makes it a good reason for politicians not to spout until the facts are clear.
The facts are quite clear - solictors guilty of destroying documents, padding billing, paying witnesses vast sums of money etc. The only question is how hard they fall - stuck off, giant fines etc...
I see and happily agree that the facts are clear, but if those fact involve criminality then politician need to be careful what they say and when they say it.
Wishing you a very happy birthday, Mr. G, may you have a happy prosperous and healthy year ahead. Bit confused by your choice of celebratory meal, especially as your wife is poorly, should you not have something nice?
P.S. Just to cheer you up my local off-licence has The Grouse back down to £13 a bottle. It is so the lady manager tells me flying off the shelves so fast she cannot keep up with demand. Scottish exports up.
Scott, quotes from unionist comics don't cut it. Do you ever look at the polls , reading your unionist comics and believing the SNP are unpopular is a bit mental considering reality. Come May we will see who is popular for sure.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
"government investment" is that a technical term or actual investment ?
Under Brown it was largely day to day spending reclassified as "investment" to make the numbers look better and justify large deficits in growth years. Osborne is a bit better. From what I can tell there is still an element of day to day spending classified as investment (replacing medical equipment for example) but there is a much larger element of purchasing and investment than under Brown.
Whatever Amazon employees do all day, it isn't writing cheques to HMRC.
Because Amazon doesn't actually make any substantial profit, despite massive sales. And unlike Starbucks, it isn't because of transfer pricing, they genuinely work on tiny margins.
Wishing you a very happy birthday, Mr. G, may you have a happy prosperous and healthy year ahead. Bit confused by your choice of celebratory meal, especially as your wife is poorly, should you not have something nice?
P.S. Just to cheer you up my local off-licence has The Grouse back down to £13 a bottle. It is so the lady manager tells me flying off the shelves so fast she cannot keep up with demand. Scottish exports up.
Hurst sacrilege, what could be better than haggis Neeps and Tatties followed by a nice 50 year old Glen Grant. Thanks for your kind wishes though.
Whatever Amazon employees do all day, it isn't writing cheques to HMRC.
Because Amazon doesn't actually make any substantial profit, despite massive sales. And unlike Starbucks, it isn't because of transfer pricing, they genuinely work on tiny margins.
Apparently they are being forced to change from Amazon.com to Amazon.org to reflect their total disdain for actually making profits.
You miss the irony and seem a bit confused, you were foaming at the mouth re the bridge but seem very happy when it is unionists doing it , how very Tory
Whatever Amazon employees do all day, it isn't writing cheques to HMRC.
Because Amazon doesn't actually make any substantial profit, despite massive sales. And unlike Starbucks, it isn't because of transfer pricing, they genuinely work on tiny margins.
How do they afford to pay millions for the new alternate Top Gear then?
Interesting to see the row-back and expansion by the police on the "terrorist house" incident.
Because, in shock news to some here on PB (good morning @Charles, @Plato_Says), police interviewing a family because of a seeming spelling mistake in isolation, whatever it was,
...WOULD BE RIDICULOUS.
My point still stands: that they had proceedures to follow and it was good they followed them. It was not some outrage to civil liberties as @blackburn63 believed. I never commented on whether the spelling mistake should be sufficent to trigger the proceedures because I have no idea what the appropriate threshold should be.
But if you'd rather go "Yah! Boo! Sucks!" than engaged in a nuanced and sophisticated debate then knock yourself out buddy
It was reported yesterday that a 10-yr old boy wrote that he lived in a terrorist house and as a result, the school called the police who went to investigate by talking to the boy's family about it.
As reported (one perhaps spelling mistake, a police response) that was ludicrous because I am sure other measures short of calling the police could have been taken to determine whether he came from a long line of dumb terrorists, or whether it was a spelling mistake, or whether there was some other reason.
It now turns out that the police visited the house for several reasons unrelated to terrorism and they criticised the BBC for sexing up the story. Which makes much more sense.
To call the police for one isolated incident, as reported, yet which you and others here thought was entirely justified, would have been ludicrous.
Nuanced and sophisticated enough for you? Buddy.
But not the teacher, the police or the social workers fault. They were following proceedures. That is a good thing: there is a reason why they are not allowed to exercise discretion at this stage
Dear god Charles I'm sure you are losing the will to live about this, I certainly am.
My point was that as reported - perhaps spelling mistake, visit from plod - it seemed ridiculous. It was also interesting to me that as reported - perhaps spelling mistake, visit from plod - the action had several supporters on here, including you.
As the facts turned out, it was not - perhaps spelling mistake, visit from plod - it was far more complex and nothing to do with terrorism, as the police pointed out.
So you are right that procedures should be followed and it seems they were. But what is more interesting is that you and others thought it fine that - perhaps spelling mistake, visit from plod - was entirely justified.
Whatever Amazon employees do all day, it isn't writing cheques to HMRC.
Because Amazon doesn't actually make any substantial profit, despite massive sales. And unlike Starbucks, it isn't because of transfer pricing, they genuinely work on tiny margins.
Apparently they are being forced to change from Amazon.com to Amazon.org to reflect their total disdain for actually making profits.
LOL....it is true though and Wall Street aren't happy. They have described Amazon as still running themselves like a start-up focused on the next biggest and best thing, rather than focusing on squeezing their monopoly position to increase profits.
My person belief, they aren't interested in flogging books, dvd, etc long term, it is the tech side both internet and controlling the logistics is where they are going. And all that "fullfilled by Amazon", will just grow and grow, and they will let others do all the leg work of getting shit made in China and taking the risk on it being a hit or not.
Putin only has 2 more years left in charge of Russia, whereupon a new face will take charge.
Remember from 2008 - 2012, we had Dmitry Medvedev in charge - his own man and very much a fresh face for Russia.
Putin intended to retire but then realised his life expectancy post retirement could be measured in weeks, if not days.
I am told but a reliable source that he has $400bn sitting in Switzerland. I won't name the bank
Something ironic though, about having all that money and not being able to touch it
Apparently he owns Number 50 St James's Street
Whether or not it is connected but it was Russians that bought the old In and Out club premises on Piccadilly, and the adjacent premises, and then did nothing with them allowing a dreadful eyesore to develop on one of London's premier locations. Another scandal that has been successfully hushed up.
Whatever Amazon employees do all day, it isn't writing cheques to HMRC.
Because Amazon doesn't actually make any substantial profit, despite massive sales. And unlike Starbucks, it isn't because of transfer pricing, they genuinely work on tiny margins.
How do they afford to pay millions for the new alternate Top Gear then?
Near constant issuance of new shares, plus a little bit of debt.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
Whatever Amazon employees do all day, it isn't writing cheques to HMRC.
Because Amazon doesn't actually make any substantial profit, despite massive sales. And unlike Starbucks, it isn't because of transfer pricing, they genuinely work on tiny margins.
Apparently they are being forced to change from Amazon.com to Amazon.org to reflect their total disdain for actually making profits.
LOL....it is true though and Wall Street aren't happy. They have described Amazon as still running themselves like a start-up focused on the next biggest and best thing, rather than focusing on squeezing their monopoly position to increase profits.
My person belief, they aren't interested in flogging books, dvd, etc long term, it is the tech side both internet and controlling the logistics is where they are going. And all that "fullfilled by Amazon", will just grow and grow, and they will let others do all the leg work of getting shit made in China and taking the risk on it being a hit or not.
As a sidelight on this, I was recently translating a German Government paper on book resale price maintenance (which to my surprise they still have - they feel they need it to protect publishers from a race to the bottom), which said that a problem for traditional booksellers is that increasingly general online traders - they cite Amazon repeatedly - see the book market as a way to draw people into wider online trading, and in many cases (though they don't accuse Amazon specifically) will loss-lead on books for this purpose.
Excellent Labour gain from ukip in Thanet last night,supporting the trend in ukip defended seats.ukip are like Aston Villa,they simply cannot defend.It seems voters are voting for what they think is a better brand of cornflakes in ukip which they try for a bit and decide they don't like and go back to Kelloggs or any other good cornflake supplier.
Whatever Amazon employees do all day, it isn't writing cheques to HMRC.
Because Amazon doesn't actually make any substantial profit, despite massive sales. And unlike Starbucks, it isn't because of transfer pricing, they genuinely work on tiny margins.
Apparently they are being forced to change from Amazon.com to Amazon.org to reflect their total disdain for actually making profits.
LOL....it is true though and Wall Street aren't happy. They have described Amazon as still running themselves like a start-up focused on the next biggest and best thing, rather than focusing on squeezing their monopoly position to increase profits.
My person belief, they aren't interested in flogging books, dvd, etc long term, it is the tech side both internet and controlling the logistics is where they are going. And all that "fullfilled by Amazon", will just grow and grow, and they will let others do all the leg work of getting shit made in China and taking the risk on it being a hit or not.
As a sidelight on this, I was recently translating a German Government paper on book resale price maintenance (which to my surprise they still have - they feel they need it to protect publishers from a race to the bottom), which said that a problem for traditional booksellers is that increasingly general online traders - they cite Amazon repeatedly - see the book market as a way to draw people into wider online trading, and in many cases (though they don't accuse Amazon specifically) will loss-lead on books for this purpose.
Yeap. I think that is very true, although I think Amazon see it as a way to get you on their platform of products / services and that more and more will have others do the heavy lifting of source the actual products via their "fullfilled" approach (where they do all the storage and distribution, but essentially somebody else takes the risk on if the product is a winner or not).
A common trick in the 90s when Russian industry was privatised was for the newly privatised industries to appoint firms as exclusive agents. Those agents would buy at the Russian price and export at the market price and pocket the difference. And given that Russia has many of the "world's biggest X" where X is things like oil, aluminium, iron, steel and so on, there was a huge amount of money made but some very nasty people.
I don't think the situation is quite as blatantly larcenous now, but it is more consolidated and the people in power and the owners of the major industries are now very closely tied.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
In a globalised world as soon as China ups the price to a profitable level others will jump in. India, Africa, Korea or one of many many more would be candidates. In this phase of globalisation the overpricing of a commodity such as steel will be very short lived.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
The Chinese government does not set the price at which Chinese firms sell steel any more than the UK government does.
Truth be told, there is too much steel production in the world. Steel mills are going to close in the UK, in China, in Australia, in Germany and in the US. That is a natural part of the business cycle.
The most expensive (the so-called "marginal producer") mills will close. Our steel plants are not cheap by world standards. And local demand for steel is modest.
If we don't have world class steel plants, then we either burden the rest of the economy by supporting them through subsidies or by paying higher prices (which amount to the same thing), or we let them go.
We need to let them go. Propping up uncompetitive industries is a losing game. And it's one where we all pay the price in the long term.
A common trick in the 90s when Russian industry was privatised was for the newly privatised industries to appoint firms as exclusive agents. Those agents would buy at the Russian price and export at the market price and pocket the difference. And given that Russia has many of the "world's biggest X" where X is things like oil, aluminium, iron, steel and so on, there was a huge amount of money made but some very nasty people.
I don't think the situation is quite as blatantly larcenous now, but it is more consolidated and the people in power and the owners of the major industries are now very closely tied.
The top 1% in Russia own 70% of the nation's wealth, with 110 Billionaires owning over $10T in assets. The rich-poor gap is way higher there than anywhere else, certainly in the western world.
This is not quite what was being screamed with rampant hysteria yesterday.
'The Schengen agreement is regarded by many as one of the greatest achievements of post-war Europe, heralding a new era of tourism and trade. Its collapse will be regarded as a heavy blow to the European Union itself.' 'Stefan Lofven, the Swedish prime minister, said that unless external borders in Italy and Greece were secured the Schengen area might collapse.'
German businesses are worried though. 'Mrs Merkel is under pressure from business leaders to keep borders open to facilitate trade. “If Schengen in this form were to be destroyed now, and the European Union massively endangered, then I would worry about a chain reaction which would not stop at the euro. The whole shebang would go up in the air,” said Anton Börner, head of the BGA German trade federation.'
All of which says to me that - in this turmoil it may be that Cameron's negotiations are pushing on an open door. - if German businesses as so keen for immigrant labour then that labour is likely to stay there and not go to where they are not wanted.
A common trick in the 90s when Russian industry was privatised was for the newly privatised industries to appoint firms as exclusive agents. Those agents would buy at the Russian price and export at the market price and pocket the difference. And given that Russia has many of the "world's biggest X" where X is things like oil, aluminium, iron, steel and so on, there was a huge amount of money made but some very nasty people.
I don't think the situation is quite as blatantly larcenous now, but it is more consolidated and the people in power and the owners of the major industries are now very closely tied.
The top 1% in Russia own 70% of the nation's wealth, with 110 Billionaires owning over $10T in assets. The rich-poor gap is way higher there than anywhere else, certainly in the western world.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
Isn’t that similar to what we did to them in the Opium Wars?
A common trick in the 90s when Russian industry was privatised was for the newly privatised industries to appoint firms as exclusive agents. Those agents would buy at the Russian price and export at the market price and pocket the difference. And given that Russia has many of the "world's biggest X" where X is things like oil, aluminium, iron, steel and so on, there was a huge amount of money made but some very nasty people.
I don't think the situation is quite as blatantly larcenous now, but it is more consolidated and the people in power and the owners of the major industries are now very closely tied.
Things have approved a lot for them since the 90s Yeltsin era when oligarchs ran wild, poverty exploded and there were shootings in the street, no doubt about that.
Moscow really impressed me as a city, modern, clean and on a par with the very best European cities.
Martin Kettle notes this morning that we are approaching the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution. If Jeremy Corbyn is still in power in October 2017, what words do you think he will find to mark this centenary?
"Comrades, one hundred years ago, Russia achieved freedom. The Tsar, the Priests, the Bourgeoisie, the Kulaks, who had feasted on the blood of workers and peasants for hundreds of years, were rightly liquidated.
Comrades, let us emulate their example! Let the gutters of Park Lane run with the blood of capitalists; may the last member of the Royal Family be strangled on the guts of the last Bishop! Arise ye starvelings from your slumbers! You have nothing to lose but your chains!"
Is that the PPB? Roger could produce it.
I can see it now. Working title: "The Battleship Potemkin (nuclear-free)".
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
The Chinese government does not set the price at which Chinese firms sell steel any more than the UK government does.
Truth be told, there is too much steel production in the world. Steel mills are going to close in the UK, in China, in Australia, in Germany and in the US. That is a natural part of the business cycle.
The most expensive (the so-called "marginal producer") mills will close. Our steel plants are not cheap by world standards. And local demand for steel is modest.
If we don't have world class steel plants, then we either burden the rest of the economy by supporting them through subsidies or by paying higher prices (which amount to the same thing), or we let them go.
We need to let them go. Propping up uncompetitive industries is a losing game. And it's one where we all pay the price in the long term.
All well and good provided we are earning the money to pay for all the imports by flogging our own goods and services overseas, otherwise we are just exporting our diminishing stock of wealth. Currently, and for quite a few years, our current account balance has been horrendous.
Martin Boon Apol for late arrival. @ICMResearch #euref weekly tracker: Remain In 42%, Leave 40% DK 17% (51 v 49). website post of data shortly.
They must be getting worried in Europhile Central (10 Downing St) around about now. This is just too close to be comfortable, and with a spring and summer of migration/eurogeddon to come.
They really could lose this.
Relatedly, Dan Hannan speculates that TEN MILLION migrants might arrive in Europe this year. Ten. Million.
A common trick in the 90s when Russian industry was privatised was for the newly privatised industries to appoint firms as exclusive agents. Those agents would buy at the Russian price and export at the market price and pocket the difference. And given that Russia has many of the "world's biggest X" where X is things like oil, aluminium, iron, steel and so on, there was a huge amount of money made but some very nasty people.
I don't think the situation is quite as blatantly larcenous now, but it is more consolidated and the people in power and the owners of the major industries are now very closely tied.
The top 1% in Russia own 70% of the nation's wealth, with 110 Billionaires owning over $10T in assets. The rich-poor gap is way higher there than anywhere else, certainly in the western world.
When you think of how events are not so much flowing in UKIP's direction as gushing in an enormous torrent, their performance recently has been appalling. Ebsoloot Shaaaarrr!!!
Martin Boon Apol for late arrival. @ICMResearch #euref weekly tracker: Remain In 42%, Leave 40% DK 17% (51 v 49). website post of data shortly.
They must be getting worried in Europhile Central (10 Downing St) around about now. This is just too close to be comfortable, and with a spring and summer of migration/eurogeddon to come.
They really could lose this.
Relatedly, Dan Hannan speculates that TEN MILLION migrants might arrive in Europe this year. Ten. Million.
Seems unlikely to me, but even if it is just half of that, it could be apocalyptic, presaging LEAVE
British public don't care how many immigrants go to Germany. They care how many come here.
That's not as true as you'd think. The Daily Mail below-the-line is full of comments from British people using language like 'we' and 'here' talking about Germans and migration to Germany. Perhaps it's the birth of the illusive European demos...
A common trick in the 90s when Russian industry was privatised was for the newly privatised industries to appoint firms as exclusive agents. Those agents would buy at the Russian price and export at the market price and pocket the difference. And given that Russia has many of the "world's biggest X" where X is things like oil, aluminium, iron, steel and so on, there was a huge amount of money made but some very nasty people.
I don't think the situation is quite as blatantly larcenous now, but it is more consolidated and the people in power and the owners of the major industries are now very closely tied.
The top 1% in Russia own 70% of the nation's wealth, with 110 Billionaires owning over $10T in assets. The rich-poor gap is way higher there than anywhere else, certainly in the western world.
Bit like Britain then
Not really Malc.
Maybe not as bad but we are very near top of the league on the rich-poor table for sure, certainly would not be able to lecture Russia on the topic.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
Isn’t that similar to what we did to them in the Opium Wars?
Nah. The opium wars were about balance of trade. We wanted to buy their tea but they would only accept hard cash (well silver actually) in payment. So we started to flog them opium, grown in India, which they paid for in silver we we then used to buy the tea that we wanted. The Chinese didn't like having their population corrupted by narcotics and moved to stop its import. We didn't like that and so we had the opium war, which led amongst other things to the founding of Hong Kong as a colony.
As a fine point of interest, until the 1970s the cap badge of the Royal Hong Police included a depiction of opium barrels.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
The Chinese government does not set the price at which Chinese firms sell steel any more than the UK government does.
Truth be told, there is too much steel production in the world. Steel mills are going to close in the UK, in China, in Australia, in Germany and in the US. That is a natural part of the business cycle.
The most expensive (the so-called "marginal producer") mills will close. Our steel plants are not cheap by world standards. And local demand for steel is modest.
If we don't have world class steel plants, then we either burden the rest of the economy by supporting them through subsidies or by paying higher prices (which amount to the same thing), or we let them go.
We need to let them go. Propping up uncompetitive industries is a losing game. And it's one where we all pay the price in the long term.
All well and good provided we are earning the money to pay for all the imports by flogging our own goods and services overseas, otherwise we are just exporting our diminishing stock of wealth. Currently, and for quite a few years, our current account balance has been horrendous.
Exactly Hurst, I doubt the Chinese will accept hamburgers or coffees as payment when they have cornered the market
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
The Chinese government does not set the price at which Chinese firms sell steel any more than the UK government does.
Truth be told, there is too much steel production in the world. Steel mills are going to close in the UK, in China, in Australia, in Germany and in the US. That is a natural part of the business cycle.
The most expensive (the so-called "marginal producer") mills will close. Our steel plants are not cheap by world standards. And local demand for steel is modest.
If we don't have world class steel plants, then we either burden the rest of the economy by supporting them through subsidies or by paying higher prices (which amount to the same thing), or we let them go.
We need to let them go. Propping up uncompetitive industries is a losing game. And it's one where we all pay the price in the long term.
I've asked this before, but steel is not just steel. There are many specialist alloys with various elements added, eg. vanadium, chromium etc.
Can any mill produce these steels and swap between them easily, or do they require specialist furnaces, crucibles etc?
Any debate on the industry would rather seem to hang on this question ...
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
The Chinese government does not set the price at which Chinese firms sell steel any more than the UK government does.
Truth be told, there is too much steel production in the world. Steel mills are going to close in the UK, in China, in Australia, in Germany and in the US. That is a natural part of the business cycle.
The most expensive (the so-called "marginal producer") mills will close. Our steel plants are not cheap by world standards. And local demand for steel is modest.
If we don't have world class steel plants, then we either burden the rest of the economy by supporting them through subsidies or by paying higher prices (which amount to the same thing), or we let them go.
We need to let them go. Propping up uncompetitive industries is a losing game. And it's one where we all pay the price in the long term.
All well and good provided we are earning the money to pay for all the imports by flogging our own goods and services overseas, otherwise we are just exporting our diminishing stock of wealth. Currently, and for quite a few years, our current account balance has been horrendous.
I seem to recall, Mr L, that once upon at time, it was the current account balance that was featured on the news bulletins.
Martin Boon Apol for late arrival. @ICMResearch #euref weekly tracker: Remain In 42%, Leave 40% DK 17% (51 v 49). website post of data shortly.
They must be getting worried in Europhile Central (10 Downing St) around about now. This is just too close to be comfortable, and with a spring and summer of migration/eurogeddon to come.
They really could lose this.
Relatedly, Dan Hannan speculates that TEN MILLION migrants might arrive in Europe this year. Ten. Million.
Seems unlikely to me, but even if it is just half of that, it could be apocalyptic, presaging LEAVE
British public don't care how many immigrants go to Germany. They care how many come here.
As discussed yesterday, the British public are well aware that anyone let in to Germany today could be in the UK in a few years - or less, if Germany relaxes its citizenship laws - or they just decide to sneak in.
Yesterday also proved that the only people unaware of this self evident fact are pb's most ardent europhiles.
If that was really that likely, eurosceptics would be running wild with that. But I only ever hear that in internet comments. That suggests analysis is flawed.
Martin Boon Apol for late arrival. @ICMResearch #euref weekly tracker: Remain In 42%, Leave 40% DK 17% (51 v 49). website post of data shortly.
They must be getting worried in Europhile Central (10 Downing St) around about now. This is just too close to be comfortable, and with a spring and summer of migration/eurogeddon to come.
They really could lose this.
Relatedly, Dan Hannan speculates that TEN MILLION migrants might arrive in Europe this year. Ten. Million.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
Isn’t that similar to what we did to them in the Opium Wars?
Nah. The opium wars were about balance of trade. We wanted to buy their tea but they would only accept hard cash (well silver actually) in payment. So we started to flog them opium, grown in India, which they paid for in silver we we then used to buy the tea that we wanted. The Chinese didn't like having their population corrupted by narcotics and moved to stop its import. We didn't like that and so we had the opium war, which led amongst other things to the founding of Hong Kong as a colony.
As a fine point of interest, until the 1970s the cap badge of the Royal Hong Police included a depiction of opium barrels.
This illustrates the lengths the British will go to for a good cup of tea.
Martin Boon Apol for late arrival. @ICMResearch #euref weekly tracker: Remain In 42%, Leave 40% DK 17% (51 v 49). website post of data shortly.
They must be getting worried in Europhile Central (10 Downing St) around about now. This is just too close to be comfortable, and with a spring and summer of migration/eurogeddon to come.
They really could lose this.
Relatedly, Dan Hannan speculates that TEN MILLION migrants might arrive in Europe this year. Ten. Million.
Seems unlikely to me, but even if it is just half of that, it could be apocalyptic, presaging LEAVE
The latest is:-
ICM 42/40 Remain
Panelbase 42/45 Leave
Yougov 41/42 Leave
Survation 38/42 Leave
ORB 36/43 Leave
Morning all,
DKs will no doubt be the key. In past it was fairly safe to bet that most DKs will end up with the safety first option and stick with EU. Who knows in these volatile times?
''Is that why he said yesterday he wasn’t in a hurry to hold the referendum?''
I dunno. If the continental European politicians wails are even half right, who knows what Europe we will be dealing with in six months anyway. Don;t know about you, but the world feels very volatile to me right now.
One strong theme for me is anti elitism. Anti-Davos. That is what is behind the Trump phenomenon.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
Isn’t that similar to what we did to them in the Opium Wars?
Nah. The opium wars were about balance of trade. We wanted to buy their tea but they would only accept hard cash (well silver actually) in payment. So we started to flog them opium, grown in India, which they paid for in silver we we then used to buy the tea that we wanted. The Chinese didn't like having their population corrupted by narcotics and moved to stop its import. We didn't like that and so we had the opium war, which led amongst other things to the founding of Hong Kong as a colony.
As a fine point of interest, until the 1970s the cap badge of the Royal Hong Police included a depiction of opium barrels.
Much obliged. Never did learn any 19th C history at school, and haven’t really picked up a lot of “other than western (or Western) "since. Pharmaceutically speaking opium was largely an Afghani export in th 50’s.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
The Chinese government does not set the price at which Chinese firms sell steel any more than the UK government does.
Truth be told, there is too much steel production in the world. Steel mills are going to close in the UK, in China, in Australia, in Germany and in the US. That is a natural part of the business cycle.
The most expensive (the so-called "marginal producer") mills will close. Our steel plants are not cheap by world standards. And local demand for steel is modest.
If we don't have world class steel plants, then we either burden the rest of the economy by supporting them through subsidies or by paying higher prices (which amount to the same thing), or we let them go.
We need to let them go. Propping up uncompetitive industries is a losing game. And it's one where we all pay the price in the long term.
All well and good provided we are earning the money to pay for all the imports by flogging our own goods and services overseas, otherwise we are just exporting our diminishing stock of wealth. Currently, and for quite a few years, our current account balance has been horrendous.
I seem to recall, Mr L, that once upon at time, it was the current account balance that was featured on the news bulletins.
Very true, Mr. Cole, but economists have their fads and fashions and some how it was decided that the current account or balance of payments as it used to be called no longer mattered. Just devaluing the currency or flogging the nation to Russian crooks and Chinese billionaires or some such was all that was needed and we could live high on the hog for ever.
Martin Boon Apol for late arrival. @ICMResearch #euref weekly tracker: Remain In 42%, Leave 40% DK 17% (51 v 49). website post of data shortly.
They must be getting worried in Europhile Central (10 Downing St) around about now. This is just too close to be comfortable, and with a spring and summer of migration/eurogeddon to come.
They really could lose this.
Relatedly, Dan Hannan speculates that TEN MILLION migrants might arrive in Europe this year. Ten. Million.
Seems unlikely to me, but even if it is just half of that, it could be apocalyptic, presaging LEAVE
British public don't care how many immigrants go to Germany. They care how many come here.
As discussed yesterday, the British public are well aware that anyone let in to Germany today could be in the UK in a few years - or less, if Germany relaxes its citizenship laws - or they just decide to sneak in.
Yesterday also proved that the only people unaware of this self evident fact are pb's most ardent europhiles.
If that was really that likely, eurosceptics would be running wild with that. But I only ever hear that in internet comments. That suggests analysis is flawed.
You hadn't noticed that immigration/terror is now deemeed THE most important topic by the British voters, shooting up the list in the last few months? You think this has nothing to do with Paris/Cologne?
And presumably you don't link this to the swing to LEAVE now being shown in various polls?
You might be better off commenting on a less demanding website.
So why do you think eurosceptics aren't making this argument on the telly? Why aren't think tanks making estimates of how many will come here?
I spose they could be waiting for final couple of weeks to drop such estimates.
Martin Boon Apol for late arrival. @ICMResearch #euref weekly tracker: Remain In 42%, Leave 40% DK 17% (51 v 49). website post of data shortly.
They must be getting worried in Europhile Central (10 Downing St) around about now. This is just too close to be comfortable, and with a spring and summer of migration/eurogeddon to come.
They really could lose this.
Relatedly, Dan Hannan speculates that TEN MILLION migrants might arrive in Europe this year. Ten. Million.
Seems unlikely to me, but even if it is just half of that, it could be apocalyptic, presaging LEAVE
The latest is:-
ICM 42/40 Remain
Panelbase 42/45 Leave
Yougov 41/42 Leave
Survation 38/42 Leave
ORB 36/43 Leave
Yep, there's been a definite swing to LEAVE and I am sure it is migration/terror that's doing it. i.e. I do not believe the British public have been swayed by earnest Spectator articles about greater free trading opportunities in the EEA and EFTA as against the EU.
Of course it is, you are bang right
Only political nerds (guilty) are even aware of EEA EFTA etc, prob less than 1% of voters. And most of them think its boring.
Cologne/Calais etc will win it for LEAVE if LEAVE is to win. The beauty of it is that LEAVE don't have to mention it... its regularly on every pro EU news broadcast and every pro EU newspapers front page, juxtaposed with establishment suits telling us we are better off in. The perfect storm
''Is that why he said yesterday he wasn’t in a hurry to hold the referendum?''
I dunno. If the continental European politicians wails are even half right, who knows what Europe we will be dealing with in six months anyway. Don;t know about you, but the world feels very volatile to me right now.
One strong theme for me is anti elitism. Anti-Davos. That is what is behind the Trump phenomenon.
Yes, I think Dave is barking up the wrong tree if he thinks getting a bunch of European politicians and business people campaigning for remain is going to help them. If anything it will push ordinary people towards leave.
The first reaction from my mum (very disengaged in politics) when we were watching the news last night was "who are all these people to tell us how to vote". Once I explained they were CEOs and European leaders, she was even less impressed.
The German government has announced that border checks on migrants will 'continue indefinitely' as the country faces unprecedented levels of immigration.
Speaking to German radio station MDR, interior minister Thomas de Maiziere admitted the new restrictions, introduced in September, will remain for the foreseeable future.
Still a question mark over whether Trump's actual support tallies with the polls. But he's so far ahead in NH they won't make a difference (only a late swing could stop him) but in Iowa it would.
I see the Tories are planning to use Chinese steel for the type 26 frigates, what hold do they have over Cameron.
Err...steel is a bulk and universal commodity. Like oil. Or copper. Or refined sugar. It's globally vastly over-produced. We should buy from the best value provider. It is NOT a strategic commodity. China subsidises its vast and inefficient steel industry as a makework exercise. UK taxpayers should be delighted that we're getting cheap steel courtesy of the loony policies of the Chinese leadership and the generosity of the Chinese taxpayer.
Thank you for injecting a bit of economic common sense.
Yebut..... if we keep on buying subsidised Chinese steel we will have no local source of production, no steel jobs, no taxes from steel business or employment.... Maybe that's what the Chinese want, destroy competition and then raise prices when they are sole supplier.
Isn’t that similar to what we did to them in the Opium Wars?
Nah. The opium wars were about balance of trade. We wanted to buy their tea but they would only accept hard cash (well silver actually) in payment. So we started to flog them opium, grown in India, which they paid for in silver we we then used to buy the tea that we wanted. The Chinese didn't like having their population corrupted by narcotics and moved to stop its import. We didn't like that and so we had the opium war, which led amongst other things to the founding of Hong Kong as a colony.
As a fine point of interest, until the 1970s the cap badge of the Royal Hong Police included a depiction of opium barrels.
Comments
I am told but a reliable source that he has $400bn sitting in Switzerland. I won't name the bank
Something ironic though, about having all that money and not being able to touch it
Mogg is talking about fashion: "Those of us who are 'with it', in the current phraseology."
Agree, very tasty
Comrades, let us emulate their example! Let the gutters of Park Lane run with the blood of capitalists; may the last member of the Royal Family be strangled on the guts of the last Bishop! Arise ye starvelings from your slumbers! You have nothing to lose but your chains!"
So it's plausible - although not sure on the precise number
Wishing you a very happy birthday, Mr. G, may you have a happy prosperous and healthy year ahead. Bit confused by your choice of celebratory meal, especially as your wife is poorly, should you not have something nice?
P.S. Just to cheer you up my local off-licence has The Grouse back down to £13 a bottle. It is so the lady manager tells me flying off the shelves so fast she cannot keep up with demand. Scottish exports up.
Scott, quotes from unionist comics don't cut it. Do you ever look at the polls , reading your unionist comics and believing the SNP are unpopular is a bit mental considering reality. Come May we will see who is popular for sure.
Eck buys Chinese steel, good
Anybody else, BAAAAAAAAAADDDDDD
"In Finland…you can't buy a wife" - @kirbyej reports on the country's migrant classes #wato https://t.co/8d80CcnAns https://t.co/MynJf7jHuf
...and Malky
Keraaang.
SNP uses Chinese steel bad
Tories use Chinese steel good.
'We have always done business with Eurasia.'
My point was that as reported - perhaps spelling mistake, visit from plod - it seemed ridiculous. It was also interesting to me that as reported - perhaps spelling mistake, visit from plod - the action had several supporters on here, including you.
As the facts turned out, it was not - perhaps spelling mistake, visit from plod - it was far more complex and nothing to do with terrorism, as the police pointed out.
So you are right that procedures should be followed and it seems they were. But what is more interesting is that you and others thought it fine that - perhaps spelling mistake, visit from plod - was entirely justified.
My person belief, they aren't interested in flogging books, dvd, etc long term, it is the tech side both internet and controlling the logistics is where they are going. And all that "fullfilled by Amazon", will just grow and grow, and they will let others do all the leg work of getting shit made in China and taking the risk on it being a hit or not.
http://order-order.com/2016/01/22/bbc-lucy-allan-pulled-out-of-interview-because-she-wasnt-allowed-to-veto-questions/
Near constant issuance of new shares, plus a little bit of debt.
I don't think the situation is quite as blatantly larcenous now, but it is more consolidated and the people in power and the owners of the major industries are now very closely tied.
Truth be told, there is too much steel production in the world. Steel mills are going to close in the UK, in China, in Australia, in Germany and in the US. That is a natural part of the business cycle.
The most expensive (the so-called "marginal producer") mills will close. Our steel plants are not cheap by world standards. And local demand for steel is modest.
If we don't have world class steel plants, then we either burden the rest of the economy by supporting them through subsidies or by paying higher prices (which amount to the same thing), or we let them go.
We need to let them go. Propping up uncompetitive industries is a losing game. And it's one where we all pay the price in the long term.
Of course I can't imagine why that is... his foreign policy positions must drive you even more nuts.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/europe/article4671267.ece
This is not quite what was being screamed with rampant hysteria yesterday.
'The Schengen agreement is regarded by many as one of the greatest achievements of post-war Europe, heralding a new era of tourism and trade. Its collapse will be regarded as a heavy blow to the European Union itself.'
'Stefan Lofven, the Swedish prime minister, said that unless external borders in Italy and Greece were secured the Schengen area might collapse.'
German businesses are worried though.
'Mrs Merkel is under pressure from business leaders to keep borders open to facilitate trade. “If Schengen in this form were to be destroyed now, and the European Union massively endangered, then I would worry about a chain reaction which would not stop at the euro. The whole shebang would go up in the air,” said Anton Börner, head of the BGA German trade federation.'
All of which says to me that
- in this turmoil it may be that Cameron's negotiations are pushing on an open door.
- if German businesses as so keen for immigrant labour then that labour is likely to stay there and not go to where they are not wanted.
As discussed yesterday, I don;t think Cameron will hold a referendum he might well lose.
Moscow really impressed me as a city, modern, clean and on a par with the very best European cities.
Clean sweep for Trump?
When you think of how events are not so much flowing in UKIP's direction as gushing in an enormous torrent, their performance recently has been appalling. Ebsoloot Shaaaarrr!!!
As a fine point of interest, until the 1970s the cap badge of the Royal Hong Police included a depiction of opium barrels.
Can any mill produce these steels and swap between them easily, or do they require specialist furnaces, crucibles etc?
Any debate on the industry would rather seem to hang on this question ...
ICM 42/40 Remain
Panelbase 42/45 Leave
Yougov 41/42 Leave
Survation 38/42 Leave
ORB 36/43 Leave
DKs will no doubt be the key. In past it was fairly safe to bet that most DKs will end up with the safety first option and stick with EU. Who knows in these volatile times?
I dunno. If the continental European politicians wails are even half right, who knows what Europe we will be dealing with in six months anyway. Don;t know about you, but the world feels very volatile to me right now.
One strong theme for me is anti elitism. Anti-Davos. That is what is behind the Trump phenomenon.
Pharmaceutically speaking opium was largely an Afghani export in th 50’s.
I spose they could be waiting for final couple of weeks to drop such estimates.
£1,000 says Germany does not loosen it's citizenship requirements in the next 12 months.
SeanT?
Only political nerds (guilty) are even aware of EEA EFTA etc, prob less than 1% of voters. And most of them think its boring.
Cologne/Calais etc will win it for LEAVE if LEAVE is to win. The beauty of it is that LEAVE don't have to mention it... its regularly on every pro EU news broadcast and every pro EU newspapers front page, juxtaposed with establishment suits telling us we are better off in. The perfect storm
The first reaction from my mum (very disengaged in politics) when we were watching the news last night was "who are all these people to tell us how to vote". Once I explained they were CEOs and European leaders, she was even less impressed.
UKIP sources say they won't pursue Tories over illegal South Thanet limit busting election spending in #GE2015 because they did it as well.
http://jakarta.coconuts.co/2016/01/22/survey-says-953-indonesians-rejected-isis-back-december
And this survey was conducted before the most recent bomb attacks in Jakarta.....