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  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,137
    John_M said:

    John_M said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Jonathan said:

    Theresa May " I want a hard Brexit " = " I am shit at negotiating and we'll get nothing"

    Nope, she is simply recognising the British people voted Leave to regain sovereignty and control of their borders and while she wants the best trading relationship possible with the EU that is non negotiable
    We saw a year ago what the alternative approach to dealing with the EU achieved, when Cameron was told to grasp his ankles and assume the position. May's approach has at least learnt from that.
    Yes, it was Cameron's very poor renegotiation which led to the Leave vote
    my decision to switch from unhappy Remainer to unhappy Leaver.
    Cheer up.
    Sloppy language from me. I assure you, politics does not make me mope around like some surly teenager. I was hoping to distinguish myself from the more jingoistic leavers who appear to assume that Johnny Foreigner will be cowed by plucky John Bull.

    I think Brexit will be shit. I just think a future in the EU would be shittier. It doesn't exactly get the pulse racing. I fully appreciate that I might be wrong. Certainty is for the young, the naive and (apparently) Twitter.
    Twitter is the voicebox of the young and the naive.

    And it's a fad. The Betamax of social interaction.
  • Options
    rcs1000 said:

    Patrick said:

    Irrespective of Brexit we should be targetting 0% Corporation Tax anyway. Abolish it. Tax the flows of cash to shareholders or debt holders instead. Much more direct. Easier to calculate. Almost impossible to avoid or evade. No allowances or loopholes for clever accountants to play with.

    You need to equalise capital gains tax and income tax then, otherwise people will create businesses, accumulate profits, and then liquidate/sell them to convert income to capital gains.
    Agreed. Hammond has a golden opportunity to make a massive simplification of our insanely complex tax system.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,941
    MaxPB said:

    Back to Heathrow to be met by drizzle. :(

    All in all Fiji is unbelievable. An absolute must see. We stayed at the Sheraton in Denaru, paradise.

    To anyone planning a honeymoon, anniversary or just a getaway I'd highly recommend Fiji. It's not the cheapest place to go, the 7 nights worked out to £2.3k plus £2.5k for flights with Cathay Pacific in club class. But I'd vowed to spend my Trump winnings on enjoying myself and spending time with my, now, fiance. No regrets.

    Thanks for everyone's warm wishes from a few days ago as well.

    I now have a month in between now and when I start, we're thinking of going to the Philippines, but not sure if it's safe.

    Glad you had a great trip, and congratulations again on the engagement. :+1:

    AIUI from friends here, Philippines is quite safe if you're not a drug dealer or staying in a shanty town. @AlsoIndigo will probably know more as he's based there.

    Feel free to drop by the sandpit if you're heading that way, weather is good at this time of year and there's plenty of beer around.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,563

    Dromedary said:

    malcolmg said:

    tyson said:

    The part of our workforce that is educated, literate and motivated. i.e. European migrants will be precluded or just hacked off from coming here, and our productivity and capital investment is shit. Tax cuts will just make our rich elites wealthier.

    To use John M's lovely metaphor.......we'll be left with the square root of fuck all.....

    Wow. revolt.
    Equally funny is he spouts it from Italy
    :)

    Many well-heeled.
    Yes. "technology".
    The bastards and find people with some commitment to their own country.
    Prole hatred bubbled to the surface when it became clear that the Left became progressive. Since in the game of Progressive Trumps, Foreigners beat Locals, the result was inevitable.

    :

    Add in the fact that by loving all things foreign (and hating all things local), you can pretend to be educated, sophisticated etc.....

    I wonder if Tyson has ever asked a working class Italian his/her opinion of the Roma...

    No, prole hatred has been with us since the year dot and has manifested itself in a variety of ways over the centuries, from slavery through to feudalism, horrific working conditions, non access to education and social security, and so on. The idea that the right are happy with working class people going on strike for better working conditions and pay is laughable, as is the idea is interested in ensuring all proles have access to decent housing, transport facilities and affordable heating. The right is only interested in the proles when it wants to win an election or a referendum, and then its modus operandi is to identify one set of proles to paint as hate figures in order to encourage another set to vote in a certain way. The right sees proles as welfare junkies and the enemy within, and holds then in total contempt. And now the right wants to cut the public services that the proles rely on and reduce their job security.

    See how easy that was?


    All true to an extent - but I rather think you are mistaken on which groups the Right dislikes.

    ...We are discussing the progressive hatred (who seem to have written off everyone below C1) for the proles. Who want to fire them and replace them with imported replacements. It is a cultural hatred - which is always seen as sharper and more savage by those on the pointed end. Hence the reaction to it by the deplorables.

    Mind you, Orwell was talking about a variant of this, so it has been around for a while.
  • Options
    Ishmael_ZIshmael_Z Posts: 8,981

    Ishmael_Z said:

    Dromedary said:

    malcolmg said:

    tyson said:

    The part of our workforce that is educated, literate and motivated. i.e. European migrants will be precluded or just hacked off from coming here, and our productivity and capital investment is shit. Tax cuts will just make our rich elites wealthier.

    To use John M's lovely metaphor.......we'll be left with the square root of fuck all.....

    Wow. revolt.
    Equally funny is he spouts it from Italy
    :)

    Many well-heeled.
    Yes. "technology".
    The bastards and find people with some commitment to their own country.


    It is further encouraged by the fact that hating groups has been outlawed in ProgressiveLand - without removing the mindset of hating "out groups". Since it is impossible to be racist against white people, it follows that hating groups of them is OK. So it is an outlet for those who need to express their hatred, but feel socially constrained not to burn crosses on the lawns of their black neighbours.

    Add in the fact that by loving all things foreign (and hating all things local), you can pretend to be educated, sophisticated etc.....

    I wonder if Tyson has ever asked a working class Italian his/her opinion of the Roma...

    No, prole hatred has been with us since the year dot and has manifested itself in a variety of ways over the centuries, snip for space on and reduce their job security.

    See how easy that was?


    The paradigm case of prole hatred in recent years is the Emily Thornberry tweet of St George's flags in Rochester. What is her political affiliation?
    I don’t think Thornberry’s tweet demonstrated ‘hate”. It’s been twisted by the same sort of people who regarded Michael Foots smart “British Warm” as a "donkey jacket”.
    If not hatred, patronising and sneering contempt. If any twisting was done, it was done by Ed Miliband, who pretty much sacked her.
  • Options
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    OllyT said:

    OllyT said:

    It's a fair and clear appraisal from Hammond.

    He continues to impress, or perhaps is flattered by comparison with his cabinet colleagues.

    If we do indeed have a hard Brexit, with the economic dislocation Hammond implies, what is going to give? The country did not vote Brexit in order to dismantle the social welfare system, but logic says it must follow.

    Why must our welfare system change if we have 'hard' Brexit?
    As Hammond says, we will need to regain competitiveness. The only way to do that is to reduce taxation. In turn this implies further cuts in government spending.

    See also, Trump's emerging economic policy.
    But UK.

    Want tax rates for the first 10 years.

    Do all the stuff where we'll no longer need to go to Brussels to ask for permission.
    Good luck with that - how many of the cuer all along.
    Every time they buy a 50 million quid crash pad - they pay stamp duty.

    Every time they buy another McLaren or Ferrari supercar - they pay VAT.

    A few more nurses get paid for every time they take their latest lady off to the shops.
    Seriously, that is your "vision" for a sustainable economic model for post-Brexit Britain? God help us.

    Yep,else entirely, but it is coming.

    err that was Gordonomics for 13 years and you voted for more as Mandy said to get filthy rich

    why the sudden change of mind ?

    Err, no it wasn't. Public services were not cut by the last Labour government, which also took us into the social chapter.

    Spending in the first Blair government was lower than under the Major government and significantly lower than it is even now, I did not notice the NHS collapsing then

    Spending on the NHS was increased significantly.

    Not really until 2004, from 1997-2001 Blair and Brown spent less than Major and Clarke had

    http://www.economicshelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/uk-real-spending-per-capita.png

  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    OllyT said:

    OllyT said:

    It's a fair and clear appraisal from Hammond.

    He continues to impress, or perhaps is flattered by comparison with his cabinet colleagues.

    If we do indeed have a hard Brexit, with the economic dislocation Hammond implies, what is going to give? The country did not vote Brexit in order to dismantle the social welfare system, but logic says it must follow.

    Why must our welfare system change if we have 'hard' Brexit?
    As Hammond says, we will need to regain competitiveness. The only way to do that is to reduce taxation. In turn this implies further cuts in government spending.

    See also, Trump's emerging economic policy.
    But we don't have to reduce taxation. We can increase the number of .
    Good luck with that - how many of the cuer all along.
    Every time they buy a 50 million quid crash pad - they pay stamp duty.

    Every time they buy another McLaren or Ferrari supercar - they pay VAT.

    A few more nurses get paid for every time they take their latest lady off to the shops.
    Seriously, that is your "vision" for a sustainable economic model for post-Brexit Britain? God help us.

    Yep,else entirely, but it is coming.

    err that was Gordonomics for 13 years and you voted for more as Mandy said to get filthy rich

    why the sudden change of mind ?

    Err, no it wasn't. Public services were not cut by the last Labour government, which also took us into the social chapter.

    Spending in the first Blair government was lower than under the Major government and significantly lower than it is even now, I did not notice the NHS collapsing then

    Spending on the NHS was increased significantly.

    Not really until 2004, from 1997-2001 Blair and Brown spent less than Major and Clarke had
    I regard that as the best period in my life in the NHS, with the internal market out of favour and before Milburn, Ried and Hewitt started trashing it.

    While there was more money later, the targets, re-introduction of the purchaser provider split and the deprofessionalisation of the workforce made life less good.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    John_M said:

    I urge everyone to read Hammond's remarks in Die Welt. I think he summarises the views of many moderate Leavers and Remainers very well. Personally, I've always wanted the closest possible relationship with the EU sans the element of political integration.

    That's very much my view too. Like it or not, it is a massive market that is physically very close to us. We want our success to be a beacon to others who don't believe in the ultimate creation of the United States of Europe, but at the same time, they aren't our enemies. They are people who largely share our values, and with whom our histories are tied over thousands of years.

    I think the idea that there is an easy Anglosphere trading bloc that we can create, so we can simply forget and ignore the Europeans, is bonkers. Yes, we will get FTAs with Australia, Canada* and NZ. We might even join NAFTA (although that comes with some serious sovereignty issues of its own, and the Trump plans to tax the *profits* on anyone importing to the US, irrespective of Free Trade Agreements, dramatically limits its attractiveness). But distance and timezones matter, and the truth is that there are plenty of EU schemes - such as Open Skies - that we will probably want to be involved in going forward.

    Before the referendum, I said we should Leave, but not in anger. The EU just isn't for us. Based on my experience, going into negotiations and saying "we love you, this structure just isn't for us" is far more likely to be productive than willy waving.

    * The largest of those, of course, already has an FTA with the EU, and a deal with New Zealand is currently being negotiated. So, our gains are likely to be modest from these compared to being in the EU.
    We should aim to have BOTH a deal with the EU and a deal with our Anglosphere allies. They will be different in content and nature, but should not be mutually exclusive. EU membership means that we cannot do such deals with the Anglosphere, China, Japan, etc.
    We don't disagree. There are some on here - like Luckyguy - who have explicitly called for us to have no relationship with the EU going forward.

    My view is that we'll have a series of FTAs with the EU, like Switzerland, and we'll pay to be members of various EU organised bodies (like the European Medicines Agency, Open Skies, the ESA, Erasmus, etc.). In other words, we'll be half way between Canada and Switzerland in terms of access, and cost.
    Staying in the EMA without being in the EEA would require very significant change in the legal structure on their side. There's no reason for them to offer it, no matter how much we want to pay.
    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,128
    edited January 2017
    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.
  • Options
    PlatoSaidPlatoSaid Posts: 10,383

    Yep, this is the right wing Tory vision. Oligarchs pushing up the price of property and taking advantage of a low regulation UK in which public services are cut to the bare minimum and job security is next to non-existent. To be fair, this has been pretty obvious from the get-go and people voted for it. Whether they will be happy with the reality is something else entirely, but it is coming.

    If it is either 50,000 Commercially Important People taking up residence in the UK each year, or a random selection of 300,00 chancers happy to strap themselves to the underside of vehicles to evade our immigration laws - in the best scenario, to become waiters, in the worst, coming here to kill and maim in the name of their religion - then I know which side the British people are going to go for every time. Which doesn't make it a right wing Tory vision.

    It makes it what the voters want from their politicians.

    But then, they wanted a Referendum on the EU. Which those enlightened liberal souls in Labour and the LibDems fought to prevent for 18 years. And right up to the last election.

    Which they each badly lost.
    CLAPS
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    Mr. HYUFD, but does Macron want an endorsement from Ed Miliband's less popular French cousin?
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453

    ....whilst being advised by the genetically incapable.

    Unleash the British bulldogs on the EUro-nads.....

    I see the Brexiteers are still channelling AA Gill this morning...

    Really, that’s their best offer? That’s the plan? To swagger into Brussels with Union Jack pants on and say: “ ’Ello luv, you’re looking nice today. Would you like some?”

    When the rest of us ask how that’s really going to work, leavers reply, with Terry-Thomas smirks, that “they’re going to still really fancy us, honest, they’re gagging for us. Possibly not Merkel, but the bosses of Mercedes and those French vintners and cheesemakers, they can’t get enough of old John Bull. Of course they’re going to want to go on making the free market with two backs after we’ve got the decree nisi. Makes sense, doesn’t it?”
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    Congrats, Mr. Max.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,131

    Mr. HYUFD, but does Macron want an endorsement from Ed Miliband's less popular French cousin?

    Probably not but looks like he is going to get one
  • Options
    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,420
    Jonathan said:

    Re Hard Brexit.

    1. This outcome was always inevitable, as I noted on another channel:

    https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/opinion/david-herdson-hard-brexit-only-option-theresa-may

    2. Who's talking about the NHS now? Dead cats and all that.

    So May would sell her country out to avoid a bad press on the NHS?
    Don't be ridiculous. Hard Brexit was always going to be the outcome. it's just the timing of the story that might have been affected by the NHS row.
  • Options
    nielhnielh Posts: 1,307
    rcs1000 said:

    John_M said:

    I urge everyone to read Hammond's remarks in Die Welt. I think he summarises the views of many moderate Leavers and Remainers very well. Personally, I've always wanted the closest possible relationship with the EU sans the element of political integration.

    That's very much my view too. Like it or not, it is a massive market that is physically very close to us. We want our success to be a beacon to others who don't believe in the ultimate creation of the United States of Europe, but at the same time, they aren't our enemies. They are people who largely share our values, and with whom our histories are tied over thousands of years.

    I think the idea that there is an easy Anglosphere trading bloc that we can create, so we can simply forget and ignore the Europeans, is bonkers. Yes, we will get FTAs with Australia, Canada* and NZ. We might even join NAFTA (although that comes with some serious sovereignty issues of its own, and the Trump plans to tax the *profits* on anyone importing to the US, irrespective of Free Trade Agreements, dramatically limits its attractiveness). But distance and timezones matter, and the truth is that there are plenty of EU schemes - such as Open Skies - that we will probably want to be involved in going forward.

    Before the referendum, I said we should Leave, but not in anger. The EU just isn't for us. Based on my experience, going into negotiations and saying "we love you, this structure just isn't for us" is far more likely to be productive than willy waving.

    * The largest of those, of course, already has an FTA with the EU, and a deal with New Zealand is currently being negotiated. So, our gains are likely to be modest from these compared to being in the EU.
    I agree with your comments but think we have got off to a bad start particularly with idiots like boris johnson and liam fox alienating moderate european opinion. The approach may and hammond now signalling is much better and consistent with what many eurosceptic remainers like myself think.
    I also think may is correct that we should move on from leave and remain, and particularly that leavers should be more magnaminous in victory. It is a victory beyond their wildest dreams and the government is implementing the decision. Chill the fuck out.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,563

    HYUFD said:

    OllyT said:

    OllyT said:

    It's a fair and clear appraisal from Hammond.

    He continues to impress, or perhaps is flattered by comparison with his cabinet colleagues.

    If we do indeed have a hard Brexit, with the economic dislocation Hammond implies, what is going to give? The country did not vote Brexit in order to dismantle the social welfare system, but logic says it must follow.

    Why must our welfare system change if we have 'hard' Brexit?
    As Hammond says, we will need to regain competitiveness. The only way to do that is to reduce taxation. In turn this implies further cuts in government spending.ake their latest lady off to the shops.
    Seriously, that is your "vision" for a sustainable economic model for post-Brexit Britain? God help us.
    See also, Trump's emerging economic policy.
    :

    Do all the stuff where we'll no longer need to go to Brussels to ask for permission.
    Good luck with that - how many of the cuer all along.
    Every time they buy a 50 million quid crash pad - they pay stamp duty.

    Every time they buy another McLaren or Ferrari supercar - they pay VAT.

    A few more nurses get paid for every time they t

    Yep,else entirely, but it is coming.

    err that was Gordonomics for 13 years and you voted for more as Mandy said to get filthy rich

    why the sudden change of mind ?

    Err, no it wasn't. Public services were not cut by the last Labour government, which also took us into the social chapter.

    Spending in the first Blair government was lower than under the Major government and significantly lower than it is even now, I did not notice the NHS collapsing then

    Spending on the NHS was increased significantly.

    http://election2015.ifs.org.uk/uploads/images/election_graphs/nhs_fig1.jpg

    The truth is that spending on the NHS has increased, under every government. The only pauses in the upward climb have been related to various recessions, where the advance just stopped for a bit.
  • Options
    Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905
    John_M said:

    I urge everyone to read Hammond's remarks in Die Welt. I think he summarises the views of many moderate Leavers and Remainers very well. Personally, I've always wanted the closest possible relationship with the EU sans the element of political integration.

    That sounds entirely sensible. Whether or not sense prevails is, of course, a moot point.

    From a broader perspective, Hammond is acting sensibly by declaring at the outset that Britain is prepared to walk away from a poor deal. If David Cameron hadn't been so transparently committed to staying in the EU come what may, then his useless renegotiation might've achieved something substantial - and we might well not be having any of these deliberations.
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    Interesting that some of those who criticised Cameron for his "PR" approach to Government are cheering Tezza for Government by press release.

    She has briefed a speech which isn't due till Tuesday, and briefed a "market correction" in advance.

    How big a correction will it be before she changes the speech?
  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,403
    SeanT said:

    Scott_P said:

    SeanT said:

    The EU will blink.

    No, they really won't.
    pathetic euro-faggot
    Out of order.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,130
    edited January 2017
    rcs1000 said:



    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    No.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    TOPPING said:

    Out of order.

    Sean is just projecting...
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,131

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    OllyT said:

    OllyT said:

    It's a fair and clear appraisal from Hammond.

    He continues to impress, or perhaps is flattered by comparison with his cabinet colleagues.

    If we do indeed have a hard Brexit, with the economic dislocation Hammond implies, what is going to give? The country did not vote Brexit in order to dismantle the social welfare system, but logic says it must follow.

    Why must our welfare system change if we have 'hard' Brexit?
    As Hammond says, we will need topolicy.
    But UK.

    Want tax rates for the first 10 years.

    Do all the stuff where we'll no longer need to go to Brussels to ask for permission.
    Good luck with that - how many of the cuer all along.
    Every time they buy a 50 million quid crash pad - they pay stamp duty.

    Every time they buy another McLaren or Ferrari supercar - they pay VAT.

    A few more nurses get paid for every time they take their latest lady off to the shops.
    Seriously, that is your "vision" for a sustainable economic model for post-Brexit Britain? God help us.

    Yep,else entirely, but it is coming.

    err that was Gordonomics for 13 years and you voted for more as Mandy said to get filthy rich

    why the sudden change of mind ?

    Err, no it wasn't. Public services were not cut by the last Labour government, which also took us into the social chapter.

    Spending in the first Blair government was lower than collapsing then

    Spending on the NHS was increased significantly.

    Not really until 2004, from 1997-2001 Blair and Brown spent less than Major and Clarke had

    http://www.economicshelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/uk-real-spending-per-capita.png

    Yes, so the really significant rise in NHS spending rose after 2004, from 1997 to 2001 it rose at the same rate as Major and Clarke were spending. When the Tories left office in 1997 public spending was 38% of gdp, by 2000 that had fallen to 35%
    http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1990_2000UKp_16c1li011mcn_F0t_UK_Public_Spending_As_Percent_Of_GDP
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Not much needed in terms of depreciation to put the Baltics, and Hapsburg Austian empire above Lincs. If we look at the worst bits of Lincs (such as Gainsborough or Skegness) then the A8 look attractive.
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    "This fake news getting out of hand now. Just been reported that England scored 350 for 7 in first ODI. Unbelievable. "

    John: #bbccricket
  • Options
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    OllyT said:

    OllyT said:

    It's a fair and clear appraisal from Hammond.

    He continues to impress, or perhaps is flattered by comparison with his cabinet colleagues.

    If we do indeed have a hard Brexit, with the economic dislocation Hammond implies, what is going to give? The country did not vote Brexit in order to dismantle the social welfare system, but logic says it must follow.

    Why must our welfare system change if we have 'hard' Brexit?
    As Hammond says, we will need topolicy.
    But UK.

    Want tax rates for the first 10 years.

    Do all the stuff where we'll no longer need to go to Brussels to ask for permission.
    Good luck with that - how many of the cuer all along.
    Every time they buy a 50 million quid crash pad - they pay stamp duty.

    Every time they buy another McLaren or Ferrari supercar - they pay VAT.

    A few more nurses get paid for every time they take their latest lady off to the shops.
    Seriously, that is your "vision" for a sustainable economic model for post-Brexit Britain? God help us.

    Yep,else entirely, but it is coming.

    err that was Gordonomics for 13 years and you voted for more as Mandy said to get filthy rich

    why the sudden change of mind ?

    Err, no it wasn't. Public services were not cut by the last Labour government, which also took us into the social chapter.

    Spending in the first Blair government was lower than collapsing then

    Spending on the NHS was increased significantly.

    Not really until 2004, from 1997-2001 Blair and Brown spent less than Major and Clarke had

    http://www.economicshelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/uk-real-spending-per-capita.png

    Yes, so the really significant rise in NHS spending rose after 2004, from 1997 to 2001 it rose at the same rate as Major and Clarke were spending. When the Tories left office in 1997 public spending was 38% of gdp, by 2000 that had fallen to 35%
    http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1990_2000UKp_16c1li011mcn_F0t_UK_Public_Spending_As_Percent_Of_GDP

    Yes, but as I said the last Labour government did not cut public spending and did spend more on the NHS.

  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,130
    HYUFD said:

    Yes, so the really significant rise in NHS spending rose after 2004, from 1997 to 2001 it rose at the same rate as Major and Clarke were spending. When the Tories left office in 1997 public spending was 38% of gdp, by 2000 that had fallen to 35%
    http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1990_2000UKp_16c1li011mcn_F0t_UK_Public_Spending_As_Percent_Of_GDP
    Yes, Ken Clarke famously said that even he wouldn't have kept to his spending plans from 1997-2001. Labour then launched a misdirected rush to make up for lost time.
  • Options
    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,618
    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.
  • Options
    MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584

    rcs1000 said:



    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    No.

    EMA protects public and animal health in 28 EU Member States, as well as the countries of the European Economic Area, by ensuring that all medicines available on the EU market are safe, effective and of high quality.

    http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/about_us/document_listing/document_listing_000426.jsp&mid=


    Not just the EU.


  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,403
    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Congratulation on your engagement Max!

    Thanks. The Fiji trip is partly thanks to your excellent reading of the early rural results /turnout in Florida so many thanks for that tip!
    Many congratulations to both of you.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060

    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Not much needed in terms of depreciation to put the Baltics, and Hapsburg Austian empire above Lincs. If we look at the worst bits of Lincs (such as Gainsborough or Skegness) then the A8 look attractive.
    Also, those are 2013 numbers, Sterling has depreciated substantially, and many of those countries have seen good growth in the last three years. So, bits of the A8 may have overtaken Lincolnshire already.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060
    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.
    Switzerland just caved on immigration to the EU, so that ship has sadly sailed.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,131
    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    If you looked at West Virginia or parts of East Germany, or Sicily you would likely see a similar result if you compare one of the poorest parts of a western nation
  • Options
    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,047

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    OllyT said:

    OllyT said:

    It's a fair and clear appraisal from Hammond.

    He continues to impress, or perhaps is flattered by comparison with his cabinet colleagues.

    If we do indeed have a hard Brexit, with the economic dislocation Hammond implies, what is going to give? The country did not vote Brexit in order to dismantle the social welfare system, but logic says it must follow.

    Why must our welfare system change if we have 'hard' Brexit?
    As Hammond says, we will need to regain competitiveness. The only way to do that is to reduce taxation. In turn this implies further cuts in government spending.

    See also, Trump's emerging economic policy.
    But we don't have to reduce taxation. We can increase the number of .
    Good luck with that - how many of the cuer all along.
    Every time they buy a 50 million quid crash pad - they pay stamp duty.

    Every time they buy another McLaren or Ferrari supercar - they pay VAT.

    A few more nurses get paid for every time they take their latest lady off to the shops.
    Seriously, that is your "vision" for a sustainable economic model for post-Brexit Britain? God help us.

    Yep,else entirely, but it is coming.

    err that was Gordonomics for 13 years and you voted for more as Mandy said to get filthy rich

    why the sudden change of mind ?

    Err, no it wasn't. Public services were not cut by the last Labour government, which also took us into the social chapter.

    Spending in the first Blair government was lower than under the Major government and significantly lower than it is even now, I did not notice the NHS collapsing then

    Spending on the NHS was increased significantly.

    Not really until 2004, from 1997-2001 Blair and Brown spent less than Major and Clarke had
    I regard that as the best period in my life in the NHS, with the internal market out of favour and before Milburn, Ried and Hewitt started trashing it.

    While there was more money later, the targets, re-introduction of the purchaser provider split and the deprofessionalisation of the workforce made life less good.
    Agree; I was lucky to retire in 2003.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,130
    edited January 2017

    rcs1000 said:



    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    No.

    EMA protects public and animal health in 28 EU Member States, as well as the countries of the European Economic Area, by ensuring that all medicines available on the EU market are safe, effective and of high quality.

    http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/about_us/document_listing/document_listing_000426.jsp&mid=


    Not just the EU.
    We are leaving the Single Market/EEA. Get with it!

    Switzerland is outside the EEA and while Swissmedic has deals with the EMA, they are not part of the system.

    http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/partners_and_networks/document_listing/document_listing_000262.jsp
  • Options
    nielh said:

    rcs1000 said:

    John_M said:

    I urge everyone to read Hammond's remarks in Die Welt. I think he summarises the views of many moderate Leavers and Remainers very well. Personally, I've always wanted the closest possible relationship with the EU sans the element of political integration.

    That's very much my view too. Like it or not, it is a massive market that is physically very close to us. We want our success to be a beacon to others who don't believe in the ultimate creation of the United States of Europe, but at the same time, they aren't our enemies. They are people who largely share our values, and with whom our histories are tied over thousands of years.

    I think the idea that there is an easy Anglosphere trading bloc that we can create, so we can simply forget and ignore the Europeans, is bonkers. Yes, we will get FTAs with Australia, Canada* and NZ. We might even join NAFTA (although that comes with some serious sovereignty issues of its own, and the Trump plans to tax the *profits* on anyone importing to the US, irrespective of Free Trade Agreements, dramatically limits its attractiveness). But distance and timezones matter, and the truth is that there are plenty of EU schemes - such as Open Skies - that we will probably want to be involved in going forward.

    Before the referendum, I said we should Leave, but not in anger. The EU just isn't for us. Based on my experience, going into negotiations and saying "we love you, this structure just isn't for us" is far more likely to be productive than willy waving.

    * The largest of those, of course, already has an FTA with the EU, and a deal with New Zealand is currently being negotiated. So, our gains are likely to be modest from these compared to being in the EU.
    I agree with your comments but think we have got off to a bad start particularly with idiots like boris johnson and liam fox alienating moderate european opinion. The approach may and hammond now signalling is much better and consistent with what many eurosceptic remainers like myself think.
    I also think may is correct that we should move on from leave and remain, and particularly that leavers should be more magnaminous in victory. It is a victory beyond their wildest dreams and the government is implementing the decision. Chill the fuck out.

    Peace through strength.
  • Options

    Scott_P said:

    OllyT said:

    Good luck with that - how many of the current oligarchs and global companies pay any significant tax in the UK now. So if we are not going to reduce taxation how are we going to get the Amazons, Googles and Starbucks of this world to pay a fair share of tax. One hint of increasing their tax contributions and most will be off and how ever low your corporation tax someone will beat it. This is a race to that bottom that will have the global corporations rubbing their hands and the poor WWC saps in Sunderland and Hartlepool wondering where it all went wrong and realise they were just lobby fodder all along.

    Also curious that the Brexiteers now cheering the "Singapore" option have been strangely quiet on the fact that it would be a City of London only scheme.

    A trade war to boost the city will not help the Nissan workers.
    Milford is the economic father of Brexit and I seem to recall he basically advocates closing down north of the Watford Gap.

    It makes sense from an ultra-free market perspective. We are literally subsidising non productivity.

    If the North East was a country, it would have a lower standard of living than the Czech Republic.
    If the North East was a country it would have had a significant part of the UK's North Sea Oil.
    But it wasn't so it didn't, and if it were, it wouldn't.
    But it shows that the wealth of a 'country' can vary significantly depending upon when it is independent.

    Likewise an independent North East would probably have been a very wealthy country in the 19th century.
    Certainly.
    But my main point is that North of the Watford Gap (with the exception of parts of Scotland), the U.K. has a very poor standard of living with East Europe the best comparator.

    And that one strand of Brexit thinking is to basically just shut up shop there.
    So everywhere from Northamptonshire to Northumberland has 'a very poor standard of living with East Europe the best comparator'.

    Have you ever been north of the Watford Gap ?

    And perhaps you might like to explain why if the Midlands and North are such an economic wasteland that so many economic migrants from Eastern Europe have moved there.
    Taking into account work-life balance, affordability of housing (to rent or to buy), reliability etc of commuting, etc etc... I'd say life for many north of Watford Gap is better than life for many south of it.
    Indeed it is.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,131
    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.
    Switzerland just caved on immigration to the EU, so that ship has sadly sailed.
    Not entirely, it managed to get a rule that local Swiss workers could be given priority for jobs
  • Options

    Scott_P said:

    OllyT said:

    Good luck with that - how many of the current oligarchs and global companies pay any significant tax in the UK now. So if we are not going to reduce taxation how are we going to get the Amazons, Googles and Starbucks of this world to pay a fair share of tax. One hint of increasing their tax contributions and most will be off and how ever low your corporation tax someone will beat it. This is a race to that bottom that will have the global corporations rubbing their hands and the poor WWC saps in Sunderland and Hartlepool wondering where it all went wrong and realise they were just lobby fodder all along.

    Also curious that the Brexiteers now cheering the "Singapore" option have been strangely quiet on the fact that it would be a City of London only scheme.

    A trade war to boost the city will not help the Nissan workers.
    Milford is the economic father of Brexit and I seem to recall he basically advocates closing down north of the Watford Gap.

    It makes sense from an ultra-free market perspective. We are literally subsidising non productivity.

    If the North East was a country, it would have a lower standard of living than the Czech Republic.
    If the North East was a country it would have had a significant part of the UK's North Sea Oil.
    But it wasn't so it didn't, and if it were, it wouldn't.
    But it shows that the wealth of a 'country' can vary significantly depending upon when it is independent.

    Likewise an independent North East would probably have been a very wealthy country in the 19th century.
    Certainly.
    But comparator.

    And that one strand of Brexit thinking is to basically just shut up shop there.
    So comparator'.

    Have you ever been north of the Watford Gap ?

    And perhaps you might like to explain why if the Midlands and North are such an economic wasteland that so many economic migrants from Eastern Europe have moved there.
    Taking into account work-life balance, affordability of housing (to rent or to buy), reliability etc of commuting, etc etc... I'd say life for many north of Watford Gap is better than life for many south of it.
    Indeed it is.

    Because of the wealth created in the SE.

  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060

    rcs1000 said:



    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    No.

    EMA protects public and animal health in 28 EU Member States, as well as the countries of the European Economic Area, by ensuring that all medicines available on the EU market are safe, effective and of high quality.

    http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/about_us/document_listing/document_listing_000426.jsp&mid=


    Not just the EU.


    Switzerland is not officially a member of the EMA (see: http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/partners_and_networks/document_listing/document_listing_000262.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058009b148), but does have very close links.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,131

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    OllyT said:

    OllyT said:

    It's a fair and clear appraisal from Hammond.

    He continues to impress, or perhaps is flattered by comparison with his cabinet colleagues.

    If we do indeed have a hard Brexit, with the economic dislocation Hammond implies, what is going to give? The country did not vote Brexit in order to dismantle the social welfare system, but logic says it must follow.

    Why must our welfare system change if we have 'hard' Brexit?
    As Hammond says, we will need topolicy.
    But UK.

    Want tax rates for the first 10 years.

    Do all the stuff where we'll no longer need to go to Brussels to ask for permission.
    Good luck with that - how many of the cuer all along.
    Every time they buy a 50 million quid crash pad - they pay stamp duty.

    Every time they buy another McLaren or Ferrari supercar - they pay VAT.

    A few more nurses get paid for every time they take their latest lady off to the shops.
    Seriously, that is your "vision" for a sustainable economic model for post-Brexit Britain? God help us.

    Yep,else entirely, but it is coming.

    err that was Gordonomics for 13 years and you voted for more as Mandy said to get filthy rich

    why the sudden change of mind ?

    Err, no it wasn't. Public services were not cut by the last Labour government, which also took us into the social chapter.

    Spending in the first Blair government was lower than collapsing then

    Spending on the NHS was increased significantly.

    Not really until 2004, from 1997-2001 Blair and Brown spent less than Major and Clarke had

    http://www.economicshelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/uk-real-spending-per-capita.png

    Yes, so the really

    Yes, but as I said the last Labour government did not cut public spending and did spend more on the NHS.

    From 1997 to 2001 it did effectively cut public spending in percentage of gdp terms
  • Options
    Ishmael_ZIshmael_Z Posts: 8,981

    Scott_P said:

    OllyT said:

    Good luck with that - how many of the current oligarchs and global companies pay any significant tax in the UK now. So if we are not going to reduce taxation how are we going to get the Amazons, Googles and Starbucks of this world to pay a fair share of tax. One hint of increasing their tax contributions and most will be off and how ever low your corporation tax someone will beat it. This is a race to that bottom that will have the global corporations rubbing their hands and the poor WWC saps in Sunderland and Hartlepool wondering where it all went wrong and realise they were just lobby fodder all along.

    Also curious that the Brexiteers now cheering the "Singapore" option have been strangely quiet on the fact that it would be a City of London only scheme.

    A trade war to boost the city will not help the Nissan workers.
    Milford is the economic father of Brexit and I seem to recall he closing down north of the Watford Gap.

    It makes sense from an ultra-free market perspective. We are literally subsidising non productivity.

    If the North East was a country, it would have a lower standard of living than the Czech Republic.
    If the North East was a country it would have had a significant part of the UK's North Sea Oil.
    But it wasn't so it didn't, and if it were, it wouldn't.
    But it shows that the wealth of a 'country' can vary significantly depending upon when it is independent.

    Likewise an independent North East would probably have been a very wealthy country in the 19th century.
    Certainly.
    But my main point is that North of the Watford Gap (with the exception of parts of Scotland), the U.K. has a very poor standard of living with East Europe the best comparator.

    And that one strand of Brexit thinking is to basically just shut up shop there.
    So everywhere from Northamptonshire to Northumberland has 'a very poor standard of living with East Europe the best comparator'.

    Have you ever been north of the Watford Gap ?

    And perhaps you might like to explain why if the Midlands and North are such an economic wasteland that so many economic migrants from Eastern Europe have moved there.
    Taking into account work-life balance, affordability of housing (to rent or to buy), reliability etc of commuting, etc etc... I'd say life for many north of Watford Gap is better than life for many south of it.
    Indeed it is.
    And so is life west of Exeter.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060
    HYUFD said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.
    Switzerland just caved on immigration to the EU, so that ship has sadly sailed.
    Not entirely, it managed to get a rule that local Swiss workers could be given priority for jobs
    Swiss job centres are allowed to put Swiss citizens forward for jobs first. I think that's just a fig leaf, don't you?

    Ultimately, any EU citizen can go to Switzerland, without a job, and get one.

  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    Incidentally, for those wondering I am working on putting together the print edition of Kingdom Asunder, but it's surprisingly much more work than the two e-book editions. Trying to resolve stupid marginal (literally) errors and so on. And CreateSpace only accepting full covers as PDFs is irksome (may have resolved that, unsure). Tried going through Lulu initially, but a paperback would've cost £18, so giving CreateSpace a look.
  • Options
    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,618
    edited January 2017
    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.
    Switzerland just caved on immigration to the EU, so that ship has sadly sailed.
    But specifically to the EMA/pharma industry, the UK and Switzerland have the lion's share of European industry, maybe enough to dictate terms to the EU. Might be worth looking into.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Though migration is not driven by GDP so much as opportunity, median income by PPP probably would be a better indicator.

    So we do get Romanian unskilled migration but also graduate migration.

    In terms of prole-hate the dominant narrative is hatred of prole migrants, even kippers seem keen on middle class migrants.
  • Options
    AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,763

    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Not much needed in terms of depreciation to put the Baltics, and Hapsburg Austian empire above Lincs. If we look at the worst bits of Lincs (such as Gainsborough or Skegness) then the A8 look attractive.
    If it's so good why have the Baltic states had a demographic collapse in the last 20 years ?

    Lithuania for example has lost about a quarter of it's people

    In Northern Ireland Lithuanian is the third most spoken language after english and polish, and thats in the grimmest part of the UK. People actually emigrate to Lurgan and Dungannon.
  • Options
    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.

    "The Agency is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU."

    So the answer is yes. It's basically the European FDA.

  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,131
    edited January 2017

    HYUFD said:

    Yes, so the really significant rise in NHS spending rose after 2004, from 1997 to 2001 it rose at the same rate as Major and Clarke were spending. When the Tories left office in 1997 public spending was 38% of gdp, by 2000 that had fallen to 35%
    http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1990_2000UKp_16c1li011mcn_F0t_UK_Public_Spending_As_Percent_Of_GDP
    Yes, Ken Clarke famously said that even he wouldn't have kept to his spending plans from 1997-2001. Labour then launched a misdirected rush to make up for lost time.
    Yes, economically the first Blair government was the most rightwing of any postwar UK government apart from the final Thatcher administration
  • Options
    felixfelix Posts: 15,125

    Dromedary said:

    malcolmg said:

    tyson said:

    The part of our workforce that is educated, literate and motivated. i.e. European migrants will be precluded or just hacked off from coming here, and our productivity and capital investment is shit. Tax cuts will just make our rich elites wealthier.

    To use John M's lovely metaphor.......we'll be left with the square root of fuck all.....

    Wow. revolt.
    Equally funny is he spouts it from Italy
    :)

    Many well-heeled.
    Yes. "technology".
    The bastards and find people with some commitment to their own country.
    Prole hatred bubbled to the surface when it became clear that the Left became progressive. Since in the game of Progressive Trumps, Foreigners beat Locals, the result was inevitable.

    It is further encouraged by the fact that hating groups has been outlawed in ProgressiveLand - without removing the mindset of hating "out groups". Since it is impossible to be racist against white people, it follows that hating groups of them is OK. So it is an outlet for those who need to express their hatred, but feel socially constrained not to burn crosses on the lawns of their black neighbours.

    Add in the fact that by loving all things foreign (and hating all things local), you can pretend to be educated, sophisticated etc.....

    I wonder if Tyson has ever asked a working class Italian his/her opinion of the Roma...

    No, prole hatred has been with us since the year dot and has manifested itself in a variety of ways over the centuries, from slavery through to feudalism, horrific working conditions, non access to education and social security, and so on. The idea that the right are happy with working class people going on strike for better working conditions and pay is laughable, as is the idea is interested in ensuring all proles have access to decent housing, transport facilities and affordable heating. The right is only interested in the proles when it wants to win an election or a referendum, and then its modus operandi is to identify one set of proles to paint as hate figures in order to encourage another set to vote in a certain way. The right sees proles as welfare junkies and the enemy within, and holds then in total contempt. And now the right wants to cut the public services that the proles rely on and reduce their job security.

    See how easy that was?


    Lol - you ok hun?
  • Options
    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.
    Switzerland just caved on immigration to the EU, so that ship has sadly sailed.
    But specifically to the EMA/pharma industry, the UK and Switzerland have the lion's share of European industry, maybe enough to dictate terms to the EU. Might be worth looking into.

    The EU has the market.

  • Options
    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,047

    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Not much needed in terms of depreciation to put the Baltics, and Hapsburg Austian empire above Lincs. If we look at the worst bits of Lincs (such as Gainsborough or Skegness) then the A8 look attractive.
    If it's so good why have the Baltic states had a demographic collapse in the last 20 years ?

    Lithuania for example has lost about a quarter of it's people

    In Northern Ireland Lithuanian is the third most spoken language after english and polish, and thats in the grimmest part of the UK. People actually emigrate to Lurgan and Dungannon.
    More than Irish? Whence come those figures?
  • Options
    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Lincolnshire is not an affluent area and there are some relatively affluent parts of Eastern Europe.

    That does help to explain why an poor area with high Eastern European immigration as Lincolnshire is voted so strongly Leave.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Not much needed in terms of depreciation to put the Baltics, and Hapsburg Austian empire above Lincs. If we look at the worst bits of Lincs (such as Gainsborough or Skegness) then the A8 look attractive.
    If it's so good why have the Baltic states had a demographic collapse in the last 20 years ?

    Lithuania for example has lost about a quarter of it's people

    In Northern Ireland Lithuanian is the third most spoken language after english and polish, and thats in the grimmest part of the UK. People actually emigrate to Lurgan and Dungannon.
    I suspect mostly to median income and opportunity, as I posted below. Brexit may well help export the jobs that the Lituanians are currently doing here. Easier in sectors like farming than social care.
  • Options
    MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.

    "The Agency is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU."

    So the answer is yes. It's basically the European FDA.


    It could remain the European FDA, and just include EU, UK, and CH.

  • Options
    rural_voterrural_voter Posts: 2,038
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Not much needed in terms of depreciation to put the Baltics, and Hapsburg Austian empire above Lincs. If we look at the worst bits of Lincs (such as Gainsborough or Skegness) then the A8 look attractive.
    Also, those are 2013 numbers, Sterling has depreciated substantially, and many of those countries have seen good growth in the last three years. So, bits of the A8 may have overtaken Lincolnshire already.

    An independent Wales would be the 5th. poorest country in the EU.

    Estonia has managed to set up online government; their broadband must be a lot better than mine.
  • Options
    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,047
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Yes, so the really significant rise in NHS spending rose after 2004, from 1997 to 2001 it rose at the same rate as Major and Clarke were spending. When the Tories left office in 1997 public spending was 38% of gdp, by 2000 that had fallen to 35%
    http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1990_2000UKp_16c1li011mcn_F0t_UK_Public_Spending_As_Percent_Of_GDP
    Yes, Ken Clarke famously said that even he wouldn't have kept to his spending plans from 1997-2001. Labour then launched a misdirected rush to make up for lost time.
    Yes, economically the first Blair government was the most rightwing of any postwar UK government apart from the final Thatcher administration
    It was the social attitudes that saved it. Pity Blair didn’t take the PR option while he was about it.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,130
    edited January 2017
    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.
    Switzerland just caved on immigration to the EU, so that ship has sadly sailed.
    But specifically to the EMA/pharma industry, the UK and Switzerland have the lion's share of European industry, maybe enough to dictate terms to the EU. Might be worth looking into.
    It's a significant share, but even on the most flattering measure of R&D spend, France and Germany invest more than the UK and Switzerland - http://www.efpia.eu/uploads/Modules/Documents/the-pharmaceutical-industry-in-figures-2016.pdf
  • Options
    felix said:

    Dromedary said:

    malcolmg said:

    tyson said:

    The part of our workforce that is educated, literate and motivated. i.e. European migrants will be precluded or just hacked off from coming here, and our productivity and capital investment is shit. Tax cuts will just make our rich elites wealthier.

    To use John M's lovely metaphor.......we'll be left with the square root of fuck all.....

    Wow. revolt.
    Equally funny is he spouts it from Italy
    :)

    Many well-heeled.
    Yes. "technology".
    The bastards and find people with some commitment to their own country.
    Prole hatred bubbled to the surface when it became clear that the Left became progressive. Since in the game of Progressive Trumps, Foreigners beat Locals, the result was inevitable.

    It is further encouraged by the fact that hating groups has been outlawed in ProgressiveLand - without removing the mindset of hating "out groups". Since it is impossible to be racist against white people, it follows that hating groups of them is OK. So it is an outlet for those who need to express their hatred, but feel socially constrained not to burn crosses on the lawns of their black neighbours.

    Add in the fact that by loving all things foreign (and hating all things local), you can pretend to be educated, sophisticated etc.....

    I wonder if Tyson has ever asked a working class Italian his/her opinion of the Roma...

    No, rely on and reduce their job security.

    See how easy that was?


    Lol - you ok hun?

    Yep, I am absolutely fine - cheers. Like you, I am totally shielded from the public spending cuts and reductions in job security that are coming the UK's way over the coming years as the right instigates its race tot he bottom.

  • Options
    felixfelix Posts: 15,125

    Yep, this is the right wing Tory vision. Oligarchs pushing up the price of property and taking advantage of a low regulation UK in which public services are cut to the bare minimum and job security is next to non-existent. To be fair, this has been pretty obvious from the get-go and people voted for it. Whether they will be happy with the reality is something else entirely, but it is coming.

    If it is either 50,000 Commercially Important People taking up residence in the UK each year, or a random selection of 300,00 chancers happy to strap themselves to the underside of vehicles to evade our immigration laws - in the best scenario, to become waiters, in the worst, coming here to kill and maim in the name of their religion - then I know which side the British people are going to go for every time. Which doesn't make it a right wing Tory vision.

    It makes it what the voters want from their politicians.

    But then, they wanted a Referendum on the EU. Which those enlightened liberal souls in Labour and the LibDems fought to prevent for 18 years. And right up to the last election.

    Which they each badly lost.

    Yep, that is clearly the choice :-D

    I can certainly see how us pulling out of the EU is going to stop people strapping themselves to the underside of vehicles to evade our immigration laws.

    Why would they still want to come if as you think things are going to be so bad here?
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060

    If it's so good why have the Baltic states had a demographic collapse in the last 20 years ?

    Lithuania for example has lost about a quarter of it's people

    In Northern Ireland Lithuanian is the third most spoken language after english and polish, and thats in the grimmest part of the UK. People actually emigrate to Lurgan and Dungannon.

    More than Irish? Whence come those figures?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Northern_Ireland#cite_note-22

    Although even Polish is only 1%, so presumably the numbers are very small.
  • Options

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.

    "The Agency is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU."

    So the answer is yes. It's basically the European FDA.


    It could remain the European FDA, and just include EU, UK, and CH.

    If its regulatory set-up was changed to allow non-EU member states to be a part of it and if we agreed to allowing European law to take precedence over UK law.

  • Options
    isamisam Posts: 40,988
    In the era of fluid gender, race and sexuality it is strange that many people who promote such ideas pigeon hole anyone who holds a view they disagree with as 'the right'
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060
    edited January 2017
    @Alanbrooke

    The Baltics are increasingly attractive to inward investment, and the fact that so many people speak English because they have spent time in the UK is a big part of that.

    Genius Sports (the new name for Betgenius) has its largest non-UK office in Talinn.

    I would expect lots of Estonians to return home in the next few years because the opportunities are great, and the cost of living low.
  • Options
    felix said:

    Yep, this is the right wing Tory vision. Oligarchs pushing up the price of property and taking advantage of a low regulation UK in which public services are cut to the bare minimum and job security is next to non-existent. To be fair, this has been pretty obvious from the get-go and people voted for it. Whether they will be happy with the reality is something else entirely, but it is coming.

    If it is either 50,000 Commercially Important People taking up residence in the UK each year, or a random selection of 300,00 chancers happy to strap themselves to the underside of vehicles to evade our immigration laws - in the best scenario, to become waiters, in the worst, coming here to kill and maim in the name of their religion - then I know which side the British people are going to go for every time. Which doesn't make it a right wing Tory vision.

    It makes it what the voters want from their politicians.

    But then, they wanted a Referendum on the EU. Which those enlightened liberal souls in Labour and the LibDems fought to prevent for 18 years. And right up to the last election.

    Which they each badly lost.

    Yep, that is clearly the choice :-D

    I can certainly see how us pulling out of the EU is going to stop people strapping themselves to the underside of vehicles to evade our immigration laws.

    Why would they still want to come if as you think things are going to be so bad here?

    They will not be bad compared to where they are coming from. EU migrants, of course, do not need to strap themselves to the underside of cars to come here.

  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    felix said:

    Charles said:

    Blue_rog said:

    O/T and apologies for going off piste so soon

    Just watched a piece on BBC about Trump. Don't know if the Beeb could have found a more partisan 'expert'. He could have been the spokesman for HRC!

    The reporting of the Rep. John Lewis tweets has been extraordinary.

    I've not followed the detail, but if Lewis really said that he doesn't regard Trump as the "legitimate President" that's an outrageous and inflammatory thing for a leading politician to say.

    Trump's criticism is that "he should spend more time fixing his crime ridden district" - standard political knockabout, not some kind of savage attack

    This is part of the liberal left holy grail which Trump stumbled I suspect unwittingly against. While mos ordinary folk have moved swiftly on metropolitan remains bereft and grief stricken, unable to see the irony in a party called the DEMOCRATS sic! denying the legitimacy of their own democratic process. Time will heal the wounds ... probably :)
    How long can the US keep the Slobodan Milosovic rule that the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes can win the election ?

    BTW, it cannot happen in any other election in the US or in most other democratic country.

    Please do not come back with some historical bullshit. This is 2017.

    Even with the EC system, Maine and Nebraska has split their "votes". Why can't the rest of the US ?
  • Options
    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151
    SeanT said:

    Scott_P said:

    SeanT said:

    The EU will blink.

    No, they really won't.
    Yes, they will. And so will we. It will be a compromise. A fudge. It's what the EU does. You're such a pathetic euro-faggot you can't imagine anything but British defeat. Grow some bollocks.
    So the argument for pathetic euro-faggotry here is that you've been up the hill you're climbing before. There's a repeated pattern where the same people, including you, are telling us that if only Britain stood up for itself, it would get some kind of amazing deal that people who follow European politics say isn't available. Then whenever the leaders actually do what they want and the amazing deal doesn't materialize, they say it's because they were betrayed by its euro-faggot leaders.

    We had this before the Flounce Bounce, where they said if Cameron would just be prepared to walk away he would get what he wanted, and he did, and they went on and did what they were going to do anyway. We had it over Juncker, where lots of people on this site were sure that if only Cameron were to Stand Strong, the Germans and the Finns and I can't remember who else would agree, they'd ignore the results of the elections and he'd get blocked. We had it over Cameron's "renegotiation", where the same people insisted Cameron would get something meaningful.

    These are all the anti-EU people's strategies, and they never, ever work the way they say they will. And every time it fails, they do what they did on Iraq: Blame the failure on the unlucky person trying to execute the strategy, not the actual strategy.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.

    "The Agency is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU."

    So the answer is yes. It's basically the European FDA.


    It could remain the European FDA, and just include EU, UK, and CH.

    If its regulatory set-up was changed to allow non-EU member states to be a part of it and if we agreed to allowing European law to take precedence over UK law.

    If we enter into any treaty with anyone, we typically accept international arbitration that has supremacy over UK domestic law. It's all a matter of degree.
  • Options
    AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,763

    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Not much needed in terms of depreciation to put the Baltics, and Hapsburg Austian empire above Lincs. If we look at the worst bits of Lincs (such as Gainsborough or Skegness) then the A8 look attractive.
    If it's so good why have the Baltic states had a demographic collapse in the last 20 years ?

    Lithuania for example has lost about a quarter of it's people

    In Northern Ireland Lithuanian is the third most spoken language after english and polish, and thats in the grimmest part of the UK. People actually emigrate to Lurgan and Dungannon.
    More than Irish? Whence come those figures?
    The last Northern Ireland Census.

    It upset SF that Irish was only the fourth most spoken language.

    http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9mSs2z1aHtYDIAAGS1LBQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMnE1MzMwBGNvbG8DaXIyBHBvcwMzBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1484511606/RO=10/RU=http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/key_report_2011.pdf/RK=0/RS=KRcaADK3O5n9uLNkqfNJAcz4LS4-
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,130
    rcs1000 said:

    @Alanbrooke

    The Baltics are increasingly attractive to inward investment, and the fact that so many people speak English because they have spent time in the UK is a big part of that.

    It's very unfashionable to say so at the moment, but when the UK opened its doors in 2004, one of the explicit reasons given was that it would foster long term links between the UK and the A8 countries that would give us an advantage over the rest of Western Europe.
  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    Mr. Glenn, Blair wanted to rub the right's face in diversity, which has worked as well as his plans to kill Scottish nationalism stone dead.

    Anyway, must be off. The dog won't walk herself (except that time she ran off, obviously).
  • Options
    dr_spyndr_spyn Posts: 11,290
    Sturgeon worse that Thatcher.

    http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sturgeon-is-worse-than-thatcher-7glr90wt5

    That will go down well with the SNP's troops.
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,137
    surbiton said:

    felix said:

    Charles said:

    Blue_rog said:

    O/T and apologies for going off piste so soon

    Just watched a piece on BBC about Trump. Don't know if the Beeb could have found a more partisan 'expert'. He could have been the spokesman for HRC!

    The reporting of the Rep. John Lewis tweets has been extraordinary.

    I've not followed the detail, but if Lewis really said that he doesn't regard Trump as the "legitimate President" that's an outrageous and inflammatory thing for a leading politician to say.

    Trump's criticism is that "he should spend more time fixing his crime ridden district" - standard political knockabout, not some kind of savage attack

    This is part of the liberal left holy grail which Trump stumbled I suspect unwittingly against. While mos ordinary folk have moved swiftly on metropolitan remains bereft and grief stricken, unable to see the irony in a party called the DEMOCRATS sic! denying the legitimacy of their own democratic process. Time will heal the wounds ... probably :)
    How long can the US keep the Slobodan Milosovic rule that the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes can win the election ?

    BTW, it cannot happen in any other election in the US or in most other democratic country.

    Please do not come back with some historical bullshit. This is 2017.

    Even with the EC system, Maine and Nebraska has split their "votes". Why can't the rest of the US ?
    Let's start with those liberal bulwarks, California and New York, splitting their vote.....
  • Options
    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,966
    edited January 2017
    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.

    "The Agency is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU."

    So the answer is yes. It's basically the European FDA.


    It could remain the European FDA, and just include EU, UK, and CH.

    If its regulatory set-up was changed to allow non-EU member states to be a part of it and if we agreed to allowing European law to take precedence over UK law.

    If we enter into any treaty with anyone, we typically accept international arbitration that has supremacy over UK domestic law. It's all a matter of degree.

    That's not the same as accepting European law takes precedence over EU law. It's like a contract which states that in case of dispute a certain country's law will apply, rather than one which mandates binding arbitration. It's still perfectly doable, of course, but it needs political will on both sides.

  • Options
    Scott_P said:

    Interesting that some of those who criticised Cameron for his "PR" approach to Government are cheering Tezza for Government by press release.

    She has briefed a speech which isn't due till Tuesday, and briefed a "market correction" in advance.

    How big a correction will it be before she changes the speech?

    She is not going to change her speech. Leadership is about making decisions and getting on with it no matter the opposition.

    So where are all those who accused her of being a ditherer and muddle thinker - that narrative has changed overnight
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,130

    Mr. Glenn, Blair wanted to rub the right's face in diversity, which has worked as well as his plans to kill Scottish nationalism stone dead.

    The 'rubbing the right's face in diversity' moment wasn't 2004 but much earlier. Look at the graph:

    image
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    edited January 2017

    rcs1000 said:

    @Alanbrooke

    The Baltics are increasingly attractive to inward investment, and the fact that so many people speak English because they have spent time in the UK is a big part of that.

    It's very unfashionable to say so at the moment, but when the UK opened its doors in 2004, one of the explicit reasons given was that it would foster long term links between the UK and the A8 countries that would give us an advantage over the rest of Western Europe.
    Starting with Margaret Thatcher, Britain always supported the accession of the East European countries because it would dilute the Franco-German axis. To some extent, it did.

    The Tories could have got closer ties with CDU dominated German government. But they were never European at heart.
  • Options
    isam said:

    In the era of fluid gender, race and sexuality it is strange that many people who promote such ideas pigeon hole anyone who holds a view they disagree with as 'the right'

    The right believes in less regulation and low public spending. That's the way I use the term anyway.

  • Options

    Scott_P said:

    Interesting that some of those who criticised Cameron for his "PR" approach to Government are cheering Tezza for Government by press release.

    She has briefed a speech which isn't due till Tuesday, and briefed a "market correction" in advance.

    How big a correction will it be before she changes the speech?

    She is not going to change her speech. Leadership is about making decisions and getting on with it no matter the opposition.

    So where are all those who accused her of being a ditherer and muddle thinker - that narrative has changed overnight
    You can't close off options ahead of a negotiation.

    So May will still leave wiggle room for any outcome.
  • Options
    AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,763
    rcs1000 said:

    @Alanbrooke

    The Baltics are increasingly attractive to inward investment, and the fact that so many people speak English because they have spent time in the UK is a big part of that.

    Genius Sports (the new name for Betgenius) has its largest non-UK office in Talinn.

    I would expect lots of Estonians to return home in the next few years because the opportunities are great, and the cost of living low.

    hmmm

    maybe rcs, but would you want to pile a bag of cash into three countries currently being mooted as bad Vlad's next land grab ? I doubt it's all plain sailing.

    As for Estonian homecomers, well Ive never really noticed a huge number of Irish returning once theyve left and weve been at it longer than the Estonians. While I would happily go back, my english wife sees it very differently. I suspect emigrant Balts will have similar pressures.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,131

    isam said:

    In the era of fluid gender, race and sexuality it is strange that many people who promote such ideas pigeon hole anyone who holds a view they disagree with as 'the right'

    The right believes in less regulation and low public spending. That's the way I use the term anyway.

    I bet that by the end of May's premiership public spending will still be higher than in Blair's first term and while no socialist she still does not believe in unfettered capitalism either
  • Options
    AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,763

    rcs1000 said:

    @Alanbrooke

    The Baltics are increasingly attractive to inward investment, and the fact that so many people speak English because they have spent time in the UK is a big part of that.

    It's very unfashionable to say so at the moment, but when the UK opened its doors in 2004, one of the explicit reasons given was that it would foster long term links between the UK and the A8 countries that would give us an advantage over the rest of Western Europe.
    So what went wrong ?
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,941
    surbiton said:

    felix said:

    Charles said:

    Blue_rog said:

    O/T and apologies for going off piste so soon

    Just watched a piece on BBC about Trump. Don't know if the Beeb could have found a more partisan 'expert'. He could have been the spokesman for HRC!

    The reporting of the Rep. John Lewis tweets has been extraordinary.

    I've not followed the detail, but if Lewis really said that he doesn't regard Trump as the "legitimate President" that's an outrageous and inflammatory thing for a leading politician to say.

    Trump's criticism is that "he should spend more time fixing his crime ridden district" - standard political knockabout, not some kind of savage attack

    This is part of the liberal left holy grail which Trump stumbled I suspect unwittingly against. While mos ordinary folk have moved swiftly on metropolitan remains bereft and grief stricken, unable to see the irony in a party called the DEMOCRATS sic! denying the legitimacy of their own democratic process. Time will heal the wounds ... probably :)
    How long can the US keep the Slobodan Milosovic rule that the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes can win the election ?

    BTW, it cannot happen in any other election in the US or in most other democratic country.

    Please do not come back with some historical bullshit. This is 2017.

    Even with the EC system, Maine and Nebraska has split their "votes". Why can't the rest of the US ?
    Each State is responsible for its own election, and the States choose the President. To change it into a straight vote count would require a constitutional amendment which is never going to happen. More states could act like Maine and Nebraska if they wished, but unless the largest states (CA, TX, FL, NY) do it it will make almost no difference to the outcome of the election.

    There is a plan to get states to sign up to agree the change if enough sign up, but it's not getting anywhere, mainly because politics is highly partisan and it would mean the 'winners' in each state voting to give more represeation to the 'losers'.
    https://www.democracynow.org/2016/11/8/beyond_the_electoral_college_a_state
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,137

    Scott_P said:

    Interesting that some of those who criticised Cameron for his "PR" approach to Government are cheering Tezza for Government by press release.

    She has briefed a speech which isn't due till Tuesday, and briefed a "market correction" in advance.

    How big a correction will it be before she changes the speech?

    She is not going to change her speech. Leadership is about making decisions and getting on with it no matter the opposition.

    So where are all those who accused her of being a ditherer and muddle thinker - that narrative has changed overnight
    You can't close off options ahead of a negotiation.

    Has anyone told the EU?

  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,131

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Yes, so the really significant rise in NHS spending rose after 2004, from 1997 to 2001 it rose at the same rate as Major and Clarke were spending. When the Tories left office in 1997 public spending was 38% of gdp, by 2000 that had fallen to 35%
    http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1990_2000UKp_16c1li011mcn_F0t_UK_Public_Spending_As_Percent_Of_GDP
    Yes, Ken Clarke famously said that even he wouldn't have kept to his spending plans from 1997-2001. Labour then launched a misdirected rush to make up for lost time.
    Yes, economically the first Blair government was the most rightwing of any postwar UK government apart from the final Thatcher administration
    It was the social attitudes that saved it. Pity Blair didn’t take the PR option while he was about it.
    Although civil partnerships did not come in until 2004
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549

    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Not much needed in terms of depreciation to put the Baltics, and Hapsburg Austian empire above Lincs. If we look at the worst bits of Lincs (such as Gainsborough or Skegness) then the A8 look attractive.
    If it's so good why have the Baltic states had a demographic collapse in the last 20 years ?

    Lithuania for example has lost about a quarter of it's people

    In Northern Ireland Lithuanian is the third most spoken language after english and polish, and thats in the grimmest part of the UK. People actually emigrate to Lurgan and Dungannon.
    You mean every country in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire. You have not given us regional breakdowns within the countries. There are places in Romania and Bulgaria where it is barely above £5000.
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    rcs1000 said:

    @Alanbrooke

    The Baltics are increasingly attractive to inward investment, and the fact that so many people speak English because they have spent time in the UK is a big part of that.

    Genius Sports (the new name for Betgenius) has its largest non-UK office in Talinn.

    I would expect lots of Estonians to return home in the next few years because the opportunities are great, and the cost of living low.

    Perhaps.

    But its also possible that very many more migrate westwards if Putin gets upset with Estonia.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,131
    rcs1000 said:

    HYUFD said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.
    Switzerland just caved on immigration to the EU, so that ship has sadly sailed.
    Not entirely, it managed to get a rule that local Swiss workers could be given priority for jobs
    Swiss job centres are allowed to put Swiss citizens forward for jobs first. I think that's just a fig leaf, don't you?

    Ultimately, any EU citizen can go to Switzerland, without a job, and get one.

    It is still a preference for Swiss job applicants, the job offer requirement May will push for will not be a million miles away
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453

    You can't close off options ahead of a negotiation.

    So May will still leave wiggle room for any outcome.

    So she should dither a bit more...

    Ok, got it.
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    AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,763
    surbiton said:

    rcs1000 said:

    European regions by GDP per capita:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_regions_by_GDP

    English Midlands and North
    £19,100 Lincolnshire to £28,800 Cheshire

    Bulgaria
    £6,500 to £8,700

    Croatia
    £14,200 to £14,500

    Czech Republic (excluding Prague)
    £15,400 to £17,500

    Estonia
    £15,500

    Hungary (excluding Budapest)
    £9,700 to £15,900

    Latvia
    £13,100

    Lithuania
    £14,900

    Macedonia
    £8,700

    Poland (excluding Warsaw)
    £10,300 to £17,200

    Romania (excluding Bucharest)
    £8,800 to £12,900

    Slovakia (excluding Bratislava)
    £12,100 to £16,700

    So every region in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire.

    It's amazing how close some of those countries are to Lincolnshire already.
    Not much needed in terms of depreciation to put the Baltics, and Hapsburg Austian empire above Lincs. If we look at the worst bits of Lincs (such as Gainsborough or Skegness) then the A8 look attractive.
    If it's so good why have the Baltic states had a demographic collapse in the last 20 years ?

    Lithuania for example has lost about a quarter of it's people

    In Northern Ireland Lithuanian is the third most spoken language after english and polish, and thats in the grimmest part of the UK. People actually emigrate to Lurgan and Dungannon.
    You mean every country in Eastern Europe outside the capital cities had a lower GDP per capita than Lincolnshire. You have not given us regional breakdowns within the countries. There are places in Romania and Bulgaria where it is barely above £5000.
    Thank you for reinforcing my point from down the thread. Good to have you on board Surby.

  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    Valid question...

    @PCollinsTimes: Conservative opponents of the EU always used to say they hankered for the days it was just a Common Market. Why don't they want that now?
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    Sandpit said:

    surbiton said:

    felix said:

    Charles said:

    Blue_rog said:

    O/T and apologies for going off piste so soon

    Just watched a piece on BBC about Trump. Don't know if the Beeb could have found a more partisan 'expert'. He could have been the spokesman for HRC!

    The reporting of the Rep. John Lewis tweets has been extraordinary.

    I've not followed the detail, but if Lewis really said that he doesn't regard Trump as the "legitimate President" that's an outrageous and inflammatory thing for a leading politician to say.

    Trump's criticism is that "he should spend more time fixing his crime ridden district" - standard political knockabout, not some kind of savage attack

    This is part of the liberal left holy grail which Trump stumbled I suspect unwittingly against. While mos ordinary folk have moved swiftly on metropolitan remains bereft and grief stricken, unable to see the irony in a party called the DEMOCRATS sic! denying the legitimacy of their own democratic process. Time will heal the wounds ... probably :)
    How long can the US keep the Slobodan Milosovic rule that the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes can win the election ?

    BTW, it cannot happen in any other election in the US or in most other democratic country.

    Please do not come back with some historical bullshit. This is 2017.

    Even with the EC system, Maine and Nebraska has split their "votes". Why can't the rest of the US ?
    Each State is responsible for its own election, and the States choose the President. To change it into a straight vote count would require a constitutional amendment which is never going to happen. More states could act like Maine and Nebraska if they wished, but unless the largest states (CA, TX, FL, NY) do it it will make almost no difference to the outcome of the election.

    There is a plan to get states to sign up to agree the change if enough sign up, but it's not getting anywhere, mainly because politics is highly partisan and it would mean the 'winners' in each state voting to give more represeation to the 'losers'.
    https://www.democracynow.org/2016/11/8/beyond_the_electoral_college_a_state
    I can see the Democrats not playing the ball anymore because their good days are coming within 8 years. Arizona nad then Texas flipping would take care of PA, MI and WI. Though whether all 3 would vote right wing all the time, I am not sure.
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    Patrick said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Patrick said:

    Irrespective of Brexit we should be targetting 0% Corporation Tax anyway. Abolish it. Tax the flows of cash to shareholders or debt holders instead. Much more direct. Easier to calculate. Almost impossible to avoid or evade. No allowances or loopholes for clever accountants to play with.

    You need to equalise capital gains tax and income tax then, otherwise people will create businesses, accumulate profits, and then liquidate/sell them to convert income to capital gains.
    Agreed. Hammond has a golden opportunity to make a massive simplification of our insanely complex tax system.
    I've come to the conclusion that can never be done. Osborne's simplification of VAT on heated takeaway food nearly brought down the government.
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    Scott_P said:

    Valid question...

    @PCollinsTimes: Conservative opponents of the EU always used to say they hankered for the days it was just a Common Market. Why don't they want that now?

    Good question. Single Market and FoM. I will go for it.

    Maybe, they were lying. Actually, they did not like the bloody foreigners.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    Scott_P said:

    Valid question...

    @PCollinsTimes: Conservative opponents of the EU always used to say they hankered for the days it was just a Common Market. Why don't they want that now?

    Because it's no longer on the table?

    'Common Country' has replaced 'Common Market'
  • Options

    rcs1000 said:

    @Alanbrooke

    The Baltics are increasingly attractive to inward investment, and the fact that so many people speak English because they have spent time in the UK is a big part of that.

    It's very unfashionable to say so at the moment, but when the UK opened its doors in 2004, one of the explicit reasons given was that it would foster long term links between the UK and the A8 countries that would give us an advantage over the rest of Western Europe.
    So what went wrong ?
    It allowed Farage and elements of Leave to create bogeymen.
  • Options
    rural_voterrural_voter Posts: 2,038
    HYUFD said:

    isam said:

    In the era of fluid gender, race and sexuality it is strange that many people who promote such ideas pigeon hole anyone who holds a view they disagree with as 'the right'

    The right believes in less regulation and low public spending. That's the way I use the term anyway.

    I bet that by the end of May's premiership public spending will still be higher than in Blair's first term and while no socialist she still does not believe in unfettered capitalism either
    If it's risen, it's hard to know what it's spent on given the scorched earth policy on local authority libraries, youth centres, NHS dentistry, building public and social housing for rent.

    But I suppose PFI payments and HMRC lease payments to Mapeley count as public spending. So you could eventually bankrupt UK PLC by outsourcing all building projects, prison operation and job centres to companies based in overseas tax havens, while real services delivered to the public decline.
  • Options
    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151
    edited January 2017


    maybe rcs, but would you want to pile a bag of cash into three countries currently being mooted as bad Vlad's next land grab ? I doubt it's all plain sailing.

    IIUC Estonian administration is largely online; If the Russians invaded Estonia I imagine most governments would continue recognizing the Estonian government in exile as the legitimate government of Estonia. So if you've registered your company in a virtual office there you could carry on paying your corporate taxes to a virtual country, and if you ended up in a legal dispute you could take advantage of their virtual courts.

    Since Russia would have taken responsibility for all the actual Estonia-dwelling humans, I'd imagine Virtual Estonia could make its taxes even lower and their regulations even more business-friendly.
  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    edited January 2017
    HYUFD said:

    rcs1000 said:

    HYUFD said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Switzerland is in the EMA, no?

    Would the EMA be worth anything without Switzerland or the UK? Tbh with both nations not in the EEA a more aggressive stance might be warranted, if the Swiss were on board.
    Switzerland just caved on immigration to the EU, so that ship has sadly sailed.
    Not entirely, it managed to get a rule that local Swiss workers could be given priority for jobs
    Swiss job centres are allowed to put Swiss citizens forward for jobs first. I think that's just a fig leaf, don't you?

    Ultimately, any EU citizen can go to Switzerland, without a job, and get one.

    It is still a preference for Swiss job applicants, the job offer requirement May will push for will not be a million miles away
    I employ Engineers. In the last 5 years, I have had difficulty even receiving British White CV's.

    The last two I employed: one was an Australian [ British citizen who had lived in Oz since childhood ] and another UK born Pakistani. Before that two British citizens but both from India.

    Most cannot even pass the very simple test we ask them to take. For example, what's Ohm's Law ? They actually have "qualifications".

    The other problem I have is that the amount of work they are prepared to is terrible. If they have a customer visit at 2pm, that's the last one for the day.
This discussion has been closed.