Honda to shut UK plant by 2022 in another Brexit retreat
The prospect of Brexit, scheduled for March 29, added yet more uncertainty to a business already mired in red ink. While peer automakers are planning more moderate measures such as temporary stoppages in light of Brexit-linked uncertainty, Honda plans to go a step further by shutting down its only production site in Europe.
Other international companies, including Japanese electronics makers Panasonic and Sony, plan to relocate certain British operations to the European mainland.
“This decision was not informed by Brexit,” said Honda Chief Executive Takahiro Hachigo.
Honda to shut UK plant by 2022 in another Brexit retreat
The prospect of Brexit, scheduled for March 29, added yet more uncertainty to a business already mired in red ink. While peer automakers are planning more moderate measures such as temporary stoppages in light of Brexit-linked uncertainty, Honda plans to go a step further by shutting down its only production site in Europe.
Other international companies, including Japanese electronics makers Panasonic and Sony, plan to relocate certain British operations to the European mainland.
“This decision was not informed by Brexit,” said Honda Chief Executive Takahiro Hachigo.
One politician who has impressed me in recent weeks, much to my surprise, has been Tom Watson.
He used to be a bit of a thug, in Brown days. Perhaps he still is. His behaviour over the child abuse accusations was very poor indeed.
And yet he has made two good speeches in recent weeks: one about Mrs May’s failings as leader, which applied to more people than just her. And his statement on Facebook last night following the departure of the Tiggers (brilliant name BTW @Anazina!) was very thoughtful. It struck me as the speech of a leader, of someone who wants to be leader, someone who will be leader, if the opportunity arises.
One to watch, I think.
No longer carrying all that weight is what's done it!
One politician who has impressed me in recent weeks, much to my surprise, has been Tom Watson.
He used to be a bit of a thug, in Brown days. Perhaps he still is. His behaviour over the child abuse accusations was very poor indeed.
And yet he has made two good speeches in recent weeks: one about Mrs May’s failings as leader, which applied to more people than just her. And his statement on Facebook last night following the departure of the Tiggers (brilliant name BTW @Anazina!) was very thoughtful. It struck me as the speech of a leader, of someone who wants to be leader, someone who will be leader, if the opportunity arises.
One to watch, I think.
I thought his response on Facebook was very good indeed. But the position of deputy leader in the Labour party, though elected, seems to be a position of no power at all and it is not clear what he can do if Corbyn decides otherwise.
Honda to shut UK plant by 2022 in another Brexit retreat
The prospect of Brexit, scheduled for March 29, added yet more uncertainty to a business already mired in red ink. While peer automakers are planning more moderate measures such as temporary stoppages in light of Brexit-linked uncertainty, Honda plans to go a step further by shutting down its only production site in Europe.
Other international companies, including Japanese electronics makers Panasonic and Sony, plan to relocate certain British operations to the European mainland.
“This decision was not informed by Brexit,” said Honda Chief Executive Takahiro Hachigo.
Nothing I have read says Honda's decision would have been any different if we had voted to Remain.
Honda are playing it shrewdly. They know if they explicitly cited Brexit there'd be cries 'treachery', undermining the 'will of the people' and calls for boycotts. Better for them to stay well out of the debate and not antagonise us further.
19 February, 2019 - Honda has today announced it will restructure its global manufacturing network. This restructure comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry. The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes.
No mention of the 'B' word.....
yep, this much more about electric cars, than Brexit. The entire automotive industry will be changed in the next few decades.
I think it is brexit. The government hasn't created the conditions for companies to invest in electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK. We've got a huge cloud over our future trading relationships and just as the industry is about to go through huge changes the government aren't even in first gear, they've stalled the car. I put the blame on Liam Fox and the idiots who didn't vote through the PM's deal.
To say Tom Watson was poor over child abuse stuff is one way of putting it...another is he launched a disgraceful politically motivated witch-hunt based on claims by a highly troubled individual, while totally ignoring credible accusations against individuals in his own party.
It's pretty simple: if Labour was the broad church it used to be fools like Richard Burgon and Barry Gardiner would not be on the front bench and the likes of Cooper, Benn, Nandy and Lammy would be in the shadow cabinet.
That's correct. Interestingly Mcdonnell much more conciliatory today suggesting they're rattled. The Hatton thing however is grotesque and shows the true direction of travel.
Corbyn was against expelling Militant Tendency members back in the 1980’s. So it is entirely in keeping with his views that people like Hatton would be let back in.
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
Taking the place of machines. Businesses are hiring easy to fire people rather than expensive to write off machinery.
19 February, 2019 - Honda has today announced it will restructure its global manufacturing network. This restructure comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry. The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes.
No mention of the 'B' word.....
yep, this much more about electric cars, than Brexit. The entire automotive industry will be changed in the next few decades.
I think it is brexit. The government hasn't created the conditions for companies to invest in electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK. We've got a huge cloud over our future trading relationships and just as the industry is about to go through huge changes the government aren't even in first gear, they've stalled the car. I put the blame on Liam Fox and the idiots who didn't vote through the PM's deal.
It’s the perfect storm of change to electric vehicles / diesel scandal / Japan EU Free Trade deal / Brexit uncertainty. We should expect most Japanese and Korean manufacturing / assembly bases in the U.K. to close in the next decade.
What this means is that we have to be hard headed and ask what we are good at. Food / Fishing / advanced manufacturing and r&d / services / finance / higher education. Focus on those
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
In all likelihood, in future years, the ONS will revise output numbers up, as they did for the 2010-2013 period (remember the "double dip recession" of 2012 which turned out never to have happened). No one truly believes that construction output only rose by 0.7% last year, for example.
The construction figures have been a bit of a joke for a long time. I don't recall the exact figures but there was a 3 year period recently when construction was allegedly in or sitting next to a recession throughout but, on revisal, output was up over 20% over the period.
440K workers is 1.25% of the workforce. Unless the productivity figures are even worse than claimed we must be growing faster than that.
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
Taking the place of machines. Businesses are hiring easy to fire people rather than expensive to write off machinery.
It's theoretically possible but I don't see evidence for it, do you?
No-one mentions companies like McLaren adding over a thousand jobs in the last two years, nor Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Lotus, TVR, eight out of ten F1 teams, Formula E teams and a whole lot of other car-related manufacturing companies within an hour’s drive of Swindon - all of whom are hiring right now.
Hopefully the company and the relevant government departments will find ways to place people around the industry. Greg Clark needs to step up to this and make sure Honda commit to making sure people get found jobs as the factory closes.
Why build here with our uncertain future when the world's largest market is just a stone's throw away and we're not part of it?
Because the British manufacturers at the top end of the car market don't care too much about Europe. Their biggest markets are the USA, China, Middle East and the domestic UK market.
Rolls-Royce and McLaren are not about to start making cars elsewhere, nor to they have the volumes to open a second factory. A significant part of their branding is British expertise in luxury and performance vehicles.
I have been to the Audi BMW and Mercedes factories in Germany having shot commercials for all three. They were all in their different ways like the Guggenheim in Bilbao. i've never seen factories like them. i don't know what the British ones are like but I suspect if they were anything like the German ones they'd have sell-out guided tours.
I once had to fly a senior Bahraini officer in a Hawk to the Hawk assembly line Brough. It was fucking filthy and looked like something out of Dickens but he was courteous enough to pretend to be impressed. We had a fierce night out in Hull with BAe after though where he got wrecked and pulled a fatty who milked him dry. As we flew over the wild majesty of northern England limned in the white gold of the winter sun on the next morning he said simply, "My balls hurt."
If that's his taste you should have stopped off in Hartlepool......
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
Taking the place of machines. Businesses are hiring easy to fire people rather than expensive to write off machinery.
It's theoretically possible but I don't see evidence for it, do you?
Yes, business investment is down and employment is up, and that is reflected in output per worker.
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
Taking the place of machines. Businesses are hiring easy to fire people rather than expensive to write off machinery.
It's theoretically possible but I don't see evidence for it, do you?
I haven’t seen any articles where anybody seems to have been able to explain what is going on. The likes of the bbc initially would speculate it was zero hours, it was part time jobs, it was low paid one etc, all of which have been debunked.
19 February, 2019 - Honda has today announced it will restructure its global manufacturing network. This restructure comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry. The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes.
No mention of the 'B' word.....
yep, this much more about electric cars, than Brexit. The entire automotive industry will be changed in the next few decades.
I think it is brexit. The government hasn't created the conditions for companies to invest in electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK. We've got a huge cloud over our future trading relationships and just as the industry is about to go through huge changes the government aren't even in first gear, they've stalled the car. I put the blame on Liam Fox and the idiots who didn't vote through the PM's deal.
The willingness to cling to their unicorns and allow the uncertainty to go on and on and on is truly disgraceful. This deal should have been put to bed before Christmas at the very latest.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
And yet you voted to keep the foreigners out. Foreigners which you acknowledge contribute to economic growth.
Now of course you voted Leave because you were sick and tired of the EU inspectors on the 21A bus to Cromarty but your vote was for a package of measures including keeping the foreigners out.
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
In all likelihood, in future years, the ONS will revise output numbers up, as they did for the 2010-2013 period (remember the "double dip recession" of 2012 which turned out never to have happened). No one truly believes that construction output only rose by 0.7% last year, for example.
The construction figures have been a bit of a joke for a long time. I don't recall the exact figures but there was a 3 year period recently when construction was allegedly in or sitting next to a recession throughout but, on revisal, output was up over 20% over the period.
440K workers is 1.25% of the workforce. Unless the productivity figures are even worse than claimed we must be growing faster than that.
Since 2013, construction output has risen by one third. But, based on initial estimates, you would think it had been in recession for that whole period.
19 February, 2019 - Honda has today announced it will restructure its global manufacturing network. This restructure comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry. The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes.
No mention of the 'B' word.....
yep, this much more about electric cars, than Brexit. The entire automotive industry will be changed in the next few decades.
I think it is brexit. The government hasn't created the conditions for companies to invest in electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK. We've got a huge cloud over our future trading relationships and just as the industry is about to go through huge changes the government aren't even in first gear, they've stalled the car. I put the blame on Liam Fox and the idiots who didn't vote through the PM's deal.
It beggars belief that people can't understand that were we not Brexiting, or were the Brexit we chose a more benign version, then the UK government could have made a play at keeping some, all, part, or a different version of Honda in the UK.
As it is, the uncertainty, together with our possible Hard, and in any case Chaotic Brexit precludes that.
To say Tom Watson was poor over child abuse stuff is one way of putting it...another is he launched a disgraceful politically motivated witch-hunt based on claims by a highly troubled individual, while totally ignoring credible accusations against individuals in his own party.
I agree.
But he has shown another more thoughtful side recently.
To say Tom Watson was poor over child abuse stuff is one way of putting it...another is he launched a disgraceful politically motivated witch-hunt based on claims by a highly troubled individual, while totally ignoring credible accusations against individuals in his own party.
I agree.
But he has shown another more thoughtful side recently.
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
Taking the place of machines. Businesses are hiring easy to fire people rather than expensive to write off machinery.
It's theoretically possible but I don't see evidence for it, do you?
Yes, business investment is down and employment is up, and that is reflected in output per worker.
I mean its not exactly roaring away but its not static or falling either. There is no doubt that Brexit uncertainty is causing a pause at the moment though.
One politician who has impressed me in recent weeks, much to my surprise, has been Tom Watson.
He used to be a bit of a thug, in Brown days. Perhaps he still is. His behaviour over the child abuse accusations was very poor indeed.
And yet he has made two good speeches in recent weeks: one about Mrs May’s failings as leader, which applied to more people than just her. And his statement on Facebook last night following the departure of the Tiggers (brilliant name BTW @Anazina!) was very thoughtful. It struck me as the speech of a leader, of someone who wants to be leader, someone who will be leader, if the opportunity arises.
One to watch, I think.
I thought his response on Facebook was very good indeed. But the position of deputy leader in the Labour party, though elected, seems to be a position of no power at all and it is not clear what he can do if Corbyn decides otherwise.
I wonder if he’s positioning himself for a post-Corbyn Labour party or a new one, if his Labour party cannot be saved.
19 February, 2019 - Honda has today announced it will restructure its global manufacturing network. This restructure comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry. The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes.
No mention of the 'B' word.....
yep, this much more about electric cars, than Brexit. The entire automotive industry will be changed in the next few decades.
I think it is brexit. The government hasn't created the conditions for companies to invest in electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK. We've got a huge cloud over our future trading relationships and just as the industry is about to go through huge changes the government aren't even in first gear, they've stalled the car. I put the blame on Liam Fox and the idiots who didn't vote through the PM's deal.
The willingness to cling to their unicorns and allow the uncertainty to go on and on and on is truly disgraceful. This deal should have been put to bed before Christmas at the very latest.
Did you not foresee any of this, David, looking at some of your fellow travellers on the Brexit Ford Anglia?
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
In all likelihood, in future years, the ONS will revise output numbers up, as they did for the 2010-2013 period (remember the "double dip recession" of 2012 which turned out never to have happened). No one truly believes that construction output only rose by 0.7% last year, for example.
The construction figures have been a bit of a joke for a long time. I don't recall the exact figures but there was a 3 year period recently when construction was allegedly in or sitting next to a recession throughout but, on revisal, output was up over 20% over the period.
440K workers is 1.25% of the workforce. Unless the productivity figures are even worse than claimed we must be growing faster than that.
Since 2013, construction output has risen by one third. But, based on initial estimates, you would think it had been in recession for that whole period.
Certainly looks like it in Mid/N Essex. SW Colchester is a massive building site.
To say Tom Watson was poor over child abuse stuff is one way of putting it...another is he launched a disgraceful politically motivated witch-hunt based on claims by a highly troubled individual, while totally ignoring credible accusations against individuals in his own party.
I agree.
But he has shown another more thoughtful side recently.
I think it has as much to do what the extremists in and around the leadership do and say that he sounds more reasonable ie please don’t go calling life long labour supporters, whose family history is part of the labour movement a Zionist traitor.
“We are looking at the various scenarios with Mercedes-Benz UK because it not only impacts Formula 1 but it impacts also the mother brand in terms of getting cars and parts in and out of the country,
“But I can see very much if a ‘no deal’ Brexit would happen like [has] been discussed I think we would have a major impact in terms of our operation going to the races and getting our cars developed and ready. So that is a nightmare scenario that I don’t want to even envisage.
“Ferrari in Italy, Sauber [now Alfa Romeo] in Switzerland, they would have a massive advantage over every UK-based team,
“Brexit is a major concern for us and should be a major concern for all of us that live in the UK and operate out of the UK,” said Wolff. “We are Formula 1 teams that travel to races and tests at least 21 times a year. We are moving in and out of the UK, our people move in and out of the UK, the way we are getting parts and services is just-in-time at the last minute into the UK and any major disruption in borders or with taxes would massively damage the Formula One industry in the UK.
“Our team is an international team. We are German car brand that has its own Formula 1 operations in the United Kingdom we have many different nationalities.
“And there is uncertainty at the moment of whether the industry is going to be impacted by a no-deal Brexit or a Brexit that is that is damaging to what for me is one of the the the outstanding industries in the United Kingdom. And we’ve said that before. The mother of all messes.”
Do you ever wonder whether it's possible those voting Brexit didn't think it through?
Do you ever wonder how many people will vote differently in a losers vote.
What then.
I'm curious why you as a Labour warrior were so keen on Leaving?. It wasn't a dislike of foreigners or wanting more sovereignty or any Colonel Blimpish idea of Empire or you wouldn't be a lefty. So what is it?
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
And yet you voted to keep the foreigners out. Foreigners which you acknowledge contribute to economic growth.
Now of course you voted Leave because you were sick and tired of the EU inspectors on the 21A bus to Cromarty but your vote was for a package of measures including keeping the foreigners out.
I voted leave so that we could decide how many and who could come to our country, things that we were not able to control in the EU. I have no problem with people who are going to make a contribution coming if we need them. Right now we probably do but that will not always be the case. I want these decisions to be made by people I can vote for and against. It's not that complicated.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
I think that's the first time that I've seen a Leaver admit that there may have been the teeniest bit of xenophobia fluttering the hearts of *some* of those who voted for Leave. Well played.
Mr. L, if the deal weren't atrocious, it would've passed.
Making the backstop harder to leave than the EU is drunken madness.
I'm not in favour of leaving without a deal. A good deal would be fantastic, but it's not going to happen.
100% agreed.
The transition should BE the backstop. With a 2 year unilateral exit clause which is the same as the exit clause for Article 50. We would essentially then remain in a limbo of transition until the final agreement is ready, or give a minimum of 2 more years notice that we are leaving the transition without a deal.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
And yet you voted to keep the foreigners out. Foreigners which you acknowledge contribute to economic growth.
Now of course you voted Leave because you were sick and tired of the EU inspectors on the 21A bus to Cromarty but your vote was for a package of measures including keeping the foreigners out.
I voted leave so that we could decide how many and who could come to our country, things that we were not able to control in the EU. I have no problem with people who are going to make a contribution coming if we need them. Right now we probably do but that will not always be the case. I want these decisions to be made by people I can vote for and against. It's not that complicated.
It's not at all complicated. As is not the point that people you voted for decided that they wanted to establish FoM EU-wide. But that's an old battle.
How about the horlicks that is being made of Brexit? Did it never occur to you that some of your fellow travellers wouldn't be so sensible as you are?
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
I think that's the first time that I've seen a Leaver admit that there may have been the teeniest bit of xenophobia fluttering the hearts of *some* of those who voted for Leave. Well played.
Its blindingly obvious isn't it?
There is also xenophobia in the hearts of *some* of those who voted Remain too.
19 February, 2019 - Honda has today announced it will restructure its global manufacturing network. This restructure comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry. The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes.
No mention of the 'B' word.....
yep, this much more about electric cars, than Brexit. The entire automotive industry will be changed in the next few decades.
I think it is brexit. The government hasn't created the conditions for companies to invest in electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK. We've got a huge cloud over our future trading relationships and just as the industry is about to go through huge changes the government aren't even in first gear, they've stalled the car. I put the blame on Liam Fox and the idiots who didn't vote through the PM's deal.
The willingness to cling to their unicorns and allow the uncertainty to go on and on and on is truly disgraceful. This deal should have been put to bed before Christmas at the very latest.
Did you not foresee any of this, David, looking at some of your fellow travellers on the Brexit Ford Anglia?
In all honesty no. I thought our political class were inept, venal, incompetent and generally useless but it turns out I was naive, not cynical. Of course those who were elected to respect the vote but then do everything in their power to thwart it are also a major part of the problem. If they had kept their promises the deal would now be in place.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
And yet you voted to keep the foreigners out. Foreigners which you acknowledge contribute to economic growth.
Now of course you voted Leave because you were sick and tired of the EU inspectors on the 21A bus to Cromarty but your vote was for a package of measures including keeping the foreigners out.
I voted leave so that we could decide how many and who could come to our country, things that we were not able to control in the EU. I have no problem with people who are going to make a contribution coming if we need them. Right now we probably do but that will not always be the case. I want these decisions to be made by people I can vote for and against. It's not that complicated.
It's not at all complicated. As is not the point that people you voted for decided that they wanted to establish FoM EU-wide. But that's an old battle.
How about the horlicks that is being made of Brexit? Did it never occur to you that some of your fellow travellers wouldn't be so sensible as you are?
It occured to me. I'm content that we can chuck the buggers our if they make a horlicks of it here while I see no way to.chuck Juncker et al out.
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
Taking the place of machines. Businesses are hiring easy to fire people rather than expensive to write off machinery.
How many companies have bought £250k mechanical car washes recently?
For a whole number of reasons we need to incentivise capital investment over labour, especially unskilled labour.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
And yet you voted to keep the foreigners out. Foreigners which you acknowledge contribute to economic growth.
Now of course you voted Leave because you were sick and tired of the EU inspectors on the 21A bus to Cromarty but your vote was for a package of measures including keeping the foreigners out.
I voted leave so that we could decide how many and who could come to our country, things that we were not able to control in the EU. I have no problem with people who are going to make a contribution coming if we need them. Right now we probably do but that will not always be the case. I want these decisions to be made by people I can vote for and against. It's not that complicated.
It's not at all complicated. As is not the point that people you voted for decided that they wanted to establish FoM EU-wide. But that's an old battle.
How about the horlicks that is being made of Brexit? Did it never occur to you that some of your fellow travellers wouldn't be so sensible as you are?
McDonnell says Labour needs tp.listen.post defections... far too late and Labour will.not listen.. Corbyn's mind is made up.
Its not just Corbyn, McDonnell says a lot of things he doesn't believe...the difference Corbyn just doesn't bother to lie.
McDonnell: I joined Labour only as a tactic
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, told hard-left allies that he had joined the Labour party as a “tactic” because it was a “useful vehicle”.
MPs have seized on the remarks, caught on film four years ago, as evidence that McDonnell is an “entryist Trotskyist” as rebels prepare the ground for a leadership challenge against his close ally Jeremy Corbyn this summer.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
I think that's the first time that I've seen a Leaver admit that there may have been the teeniest bit of xenophobia fluttering the hearts of *some* of those who voted for Leave. Well played.
It would be stupid to pretend otherwise. Similarly, there are people on the other side who genuinely have no time for the concepts of individual countries at all, not even bonny Scotland.
One politician who has impressed me in recent weeks, much to my surprise, has been Tom Watson.
He used to be a bit of a thug, in Brown days. Perhaps he still is. His behaviour over the child abuse accusations was very poor indeed.
And yet he has made two good speeches in recent weeks: one about Mrs May’s failings as leader, which applied to more people than just her. And his statement on Facebook last night following the departure of the Tiggers (brilliant name BTW @Anazina!) was very thoughtful. It struck me as the speech of a leader, of someone who wants to be leader, someone who will be leader, if the opportunity arises.
One to watch, I think.
Yes. I often used the word "thug" about Watson before his elevation to the deputy leadership (perhaps on here, I don't remember). Now he seems reflective and sensible.
I'm not sure whether that's just because everyone shines in comparison to Milne, Burgon and Gardiner, or whether taking up cycling has changed his personality...
By the way, to people who have been wondering why the tiggers picked now to make their move, I strongly suspect the election rumours are what prevented them from doing it a little earlier.
19 February, 2019 - Honda has today announced it will restructure its global manufacturing network. This restructure comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry. The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes.
No mention of the 'B' word.....
yep, this much more about electric cars, than Brexit. The entire automotive industry will be changed in the next few decades.
I think it is brexit. The government hasn't created the conditions for companies to invest in electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK. We've got a huge cloud over our future trading relationships and just as the industry is about to go through huge changes the government aren't even in first gear, they've stalled the car. I put the blame on Liam Fox and the idiots who didn't vote through the PM's deal.
It beggars belief that people can't understand that were we not Brexiting, or were the Brexit we chose a more benign version, then the UK government could have made a play at keeping some, all, part, or a different version of Honda in the UK.
As it is, the uncertainty, together with our possible Hard, and in any case Chaotic Brexit precludes that.
Next up, the Farmers' Union is laying into Brexit, or at least the government's handling of it.
Honda to shut UK plant by 2022 in another Brexit retreat
The prospect of Brexit, scheduled for March 29, added yet more uncertainty to a business already mired in red ink. While peer automakers are planning more moderate measures such as temporary stoppages in light of Brexit-linked uncertainty, Honda plans to go a step further by shutting down its only production site in Europe.
Other international companies, including Japanese electronics makers Panasonic and Sony, plan to relocate certain British operations to the European mainland.
“This decision was not informed by Brexit,” said Honda Chief Executive Takahiro Hachigo.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
And yet you voted to keep the foreigners out. Foreigners which you acknowledge contribute to economic growth.
Now of course you voted Leave because you were sick and tired of the EU inspectors on the 21A bus to Cromarty but your vote was for a package of measures including keeping the foreigners out.
I voted leave so that we could decide how many and who could come to our country, things that we were not able to control in the EU. I have no problem with people who are going to make a contribution coming if we need them. Right now we probably do but that will not always be the case. I want these decisions to be made by people I can vote for and against. It's not that complicated.
It's not at all complicated. As is not the point that people you voted for decided that they wanted to establish FoM EU-wide. But that's an old battle.
How about the horlicks that is being made of Brexit? Did it never occur to you that some of your fellow travellers wouldn't be so sensible as you are?
When I was at boarding school my pal in the next bed had a picture of Snoopy above his bed saying, "I'm going to be sensible tomorrow". I didn't realise at the time that this was a forecast for our country.
Nope. Read the statement. Turkey is staying. They're going to find a new role for it once the current model produced there is EOLed.
Just waiting for the Brexiteers who whined incessantly about "Turkey is joining the EU" to join the dots on that one...
Still waiting...
But I thought Honda would be moving their EU HQ from Britain, we were warned no business would want to stay here and they'd all be off to Frankfurt and Paris. Hmmm.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
I think that's the first time that I've seen a Leaver admit that there may have been the teeniest bit of xenophobia fluttering the hearts of *some* of those who voted for Leave. Well played.
Its blindingly obvious isn't it?
There is also xenophobia in the hearts of *some* of those who voted Remain too.
So blindingly obvious that Leavers strenuously avoid mentioning it?
Can you give some sort of analysis of Remain xenophobia (though don't bother if it's some guff about wanting to keep the flow of nice white Europeans going while keeping out Africans, Asians etc BECAUSE THEY'RE BROWN/YELLOW/BLACK)?
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
And yet you voted to keep the foreigners out. Foreigners which you acknowledge contribute to economic growth.
Now of course you voted Leave because you were sick and tired of the EU inspectors on the 21A bus to Cromarty but your vote was for a package of measures including keeping the foreigners out.
I voted leave so that we could decide how many and who could come to our country, things that we were not able to control in the EU. I have no problem with people who are going to make a contribution coming if we need them. Right now we probably do but that will not always be the case. I want these decisions to be made by people I can vote for and against. It's not that complicated.
It's not at all complicated. As is not the point that people you voted for decided that they wanted to establish FoM EU-wide. But that's an old battle.
How about the horlicks that is being made of Brexit? Did it never occur to you that some of your fellow travellers wouldn't be so sensible as you are?
Like Remainer May for example?
I think you mean "former alleged Remainer" May.
"Remainers" don't generally expend their entire political capital trying to push through an end to Freedom of Movement, Customs Union membership and Single Market membership.
Calling the Theresa May of 2019 a "Remainer" is about as accurate as calling the Oswald Mosley of 1959 a "social democrat".
It occured to me. I'm content that we can chuck the buggers our if they make a horlicks of it here while I see no way to.chuck Juncker et al out.
He's leaving anyway but if not the way to do it would be to vote for the other party in the next EP elections.
Unless he does something seriously bad in which case you might want to write to your MEP to suggest they threaten to fire him partway through the term, as they did with the Santer Commission.
The Lady Wifi was sat next to Valentino at the post-BAFTA dinner. He is a similar age to Lagerfeld, and she said he looked more Madame Tussaud than haute couture.
Honda aside, today saw the release of another very strong set of jobs numbers, with the economy adding 427,000 full time jobs in the last year, and a significant q-o-q reduction in both unemployment and inactivity.
Pay growth continues to sit at 3.4%, expanding its lead over inflation slightly to 1.3% - although these things take time to feed into people's wallets in a meaningful way.
Even as someone who tends towards the optimistic on the economy I find these figures bewildering. If output is only rising modestly what the hell are all these people doing? How many fast food delivery cyclists can our economy sustain?
Taking the place of machines. Businesses are hiring easy to fire people rather than expensive to write off machinery.
How many companies have bought £250k mechanical car washes recently?
For a whole number of reasons we need to incentivise capital investment over labour, especially unskilled labour.
Although car washing by hand produces a higher standard of service than car washing by machine.
It's pretty simple: if Labour was the broad church it used to be fools like Richard Burgon and Barry Gardiner would not be on the front bench and the likes of Cooper, Benn, Nandy and Lammy would be in the shadow cabinet.
That's correct. Interestingly Mcdonnell much more conciliatory today suggesting they're rattled. The Hatton thing however is grotesque and shows the true direction of travel.
Corbyn was against expelling Militant Tendency members back in the 1980’s. So it is entirely in keeping with his views that people like Hatton would be let back in.
The timing of it coming out feels sub-optimal for Labour. If its message is "broad church, serious contenders for power with an ambitious but realistic socialist platform", it's not a great look losing 7 Blairites and welcoming back Degsy on the same day.
Of course, if its message is "up the revolution, screw the Tories", then carry on.
Incidentally, a propos yesterday's discussion on lead stories, I see that the lead on the Guardian - that bastion of left-wing fervour - is currently "Karl Lagerfeld / Fashion designer dies aged 85", with "Bernie Sanders / Democrat announces run for presidency" relegated to second place.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
I think that's the first time that I've seen a Leaver admit that there may have been the teeniest bit of xenophobia fluttering the hearts of *some* of those who voted for Leave. Well played.
It would be stupid to pretend otherwise. Similarly, there are people on the other side who genuinely have no time for the concepts of individual countries at all, not even bonny Scotland.
Having had a to-and-fro with various PB Tories/Unionists (tbf I don't think you were one of them) about whether Scotland was in fact a country, I'm fully aware that there are plenty of folk with no time for the concept of certain individual countries.
Biden hasn't actually declared yet (and there is a whole raft of minnows who haven't either, but quite probably won't now). Sanders running makes Biden even more likely to do so, I think.
And it looks good for Harris, as she already has oxygen, and Biden/Sanders will deprive others.
Eugh. My periodic reminder to be thankful, as a Bitter Remoaner and member of the Out Of Touch Metropolitan Liberal Elite, that I never frequent McDonald's.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
I think that's the first time that I've seen a Leaver admit that there may have been the teeniest bit of xenophobia fluttering the hearts of *some* of those who voted for Leave. Well played.
It would be stupid to pretend otherwise. Similarly, there are people on the other side who genuinely have no time for the concepts of individual countries at all, not even bonny Scotland.
Having had a to-and-fro with various PB Tories/Unionists (tbf I don't think you were one of them) about whether Scotland was in fact a country, I'm fully aware that there are plenty of folk with no time for the concept of certain individual countries.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
And yet you voted to keep the foreigners out. Foreigners which you acknowledge contribute to economic growth.
Now of course you voted Leave because you were sick and tired of the EU inspectors on the 21A bus to Cromarty but your vote was for a package of measures including keeping the foreigners out.
I voted leave so that we could decide how many and who could come to our country, things that we were not able to control in the EU. I have no problem with people who are going to make a contribution coming if we need them. Right now we probably do but that will not always be the case. I want these decisions to be made by people I can vote for and against. It's not that complicated.
It's not at all complicated. As is not the point that people you voted for decided that they wanted to establish FoM EU-wide. But that's an old battle.
How about the horlicks that is being made of Brexit? Did it never occur to you that some of your fellow travellers wouldn't be so sensible as you are?
Like Remainer May for example?
I think you mean "former alleged Remainer" May.
"Remainers" don't generally expend their entire political capital trying to push through an end to Freedom of Movement, Customs Union membership and Single Market membership.
Calling the Theresa May of 2019 a "Remainer" is about as accurate as calling the Oswald Mosley of 1959 a "social democrat".
Cameron 'thought he'd be rather good at being PM". May thinks it's her destiny, and she's going to cling on whatever.
Eugh. My periodic reminder to be thankful, as a Bitter Remoaner and member of the Out Of Touch Metropolitan Liberal Elite, that I never frequent McDonald's.
A contest in Totnes would be interesting. I'm sure that Sarah Wollaston would win Totnes town and the Dart Valley overwhelmingly as an independent, whereas the coastal areas would go overwhelmingly for the Conservative.
It's pretty simple: if Labour was the broad church it used to be fools like Richard Burgon and Barry Gardiner would not be on the front bench and the likes of Cooper, Benn, Nandy and Lammy would be in the shadow cabinet.
That's correct. Interestingly Mcdonnell much more conciliatory today suggesting they're rattled. The Hatton thing however is grotesque and shows the true direction of travel.
Corbyn was against expelling Militant Tendency members back in the 1980’s. So it is entirely in keeping with his views that people like Hatton would be let back in.
The timing of it coming out feels sub-optimal for Labour. If its message is "broad church, serious contenders for power with an ambitious but realistic socialist platform", it's not a great look losing 7 Blairites and welcoming back Degsy on the same day.
Of course, if its message is "up the revolution, screw the Tories", then carry on.
A cynic might say that if all the Blairites and Jews leave Labour, so much the better for Corbyn and his followers. The fewer of them there are the less he has to worry about them. After all, if there are no Jewish labour MPs left, then the problem of them being harrassed by anti-Semites goes away, doesn’t it. I don’t think that Corbyn and his coterie are really very disappointed at all at losing these MPs. And would probably not be disappointed to lose more like them.
The most shocking fact I learnt yesterday is that Corbyn has not spoken to Luciana Berger since 2017. That is a shocking failure of leadership on every level.
It's pretty simple: if Labour was the broad church it used to be fools like Richard Burgon and Barry Gardiner would not be on the front bench and the likes of Cooper, Benn, Nandy and Lammy would be in the shadow cabinet.
That's correct. Interestingly Mcdonnell much more conciliatory today suggesting they're rattled. The Hatton thing however is grotesque and shows the true direction of travel.
Corbyn was against expelling Militant Tendency members back in the 1980’s. So it is entirely in keeping with his views that people like Hatton would be let back in.
The timing of it coming out feels sub-optimal for Labour. If its message is "broad church, serious contenders for power with an ambitious but realistic socialist platform", it's not a great look losing 7 Blairites and welcoming back Degsy on the same day.
Of course, if its message is "up the revolution, screw the Tories", then carry on.
A cynic might say that if all the Blairites and Jews leave Labour, so much the better for Corbyn and his followers. The fewer of them there are the less he has to worry about them. After all, if there are no Jewish labour MPs left, then the problem of them being harrassed by anti-Semites goes away, doesn’t it. I don’t think that Corbyn and his coterie are really very disappointed at all at losing these MPs. And would probably not be disappointed to lose more like them.
The most shocking fact I learnt yesterday is that Corbyn has not spoken to Luciana Berger since 2017. That is a shocking failure of leadership on every level.
Including when death threats were sent to Labour about her. Neither he or anybody in his office bothered to contacted her to say we have a nutter threatening to kill you, I think we need to have a chat about how to deal with this.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
I think that's the first time that I've seen a Leaver admit that there may have been the teeniest bit of xenophobia fluttering the hearts of *some* of those who voted for Leave. Well played.
Its blindingly obvious isn't it?
There is also xenophobia in the hearts of *some* of those who voted Remain too.
So blindingly obvious that Leavers strenuously avoid mentioning it?
Can you give some sort of analysis of Remain xenophobia (though don't bother if it's some guff about wanting to keep the flow of nice white Europeans going while keeping out Africans, Asians etc BECAUSE THEY'RE BROWN/YELLOW/BLACK)?
Well yes during the referendum a number of Remainers were making the argument that FoM was good because it was Europeans moving and the objectionable migration was that from Africa and the Middle East etc
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
I think that's the first time that I've seen a Leaver admit that there may have been the teeniest bit of xenophobia fluttering the hearts of *some* of those who voted for Leave. Well played.
It would be stupid to pretend otherwise. Similarly, there are people on the other side who genuinely have no time for the concepts of individual countries at all, not even bonny Scotland.
Having had a to-and-fro with various PB Tories/Unionists (tbf I don't think you were one of them) about whether Scotland was in fact a country, I'm fully aware that there are plenty of folk with no time for the concept of certain individual countries.
"Country" is not a very useful term due to its ambiguity; "state" even worse.
Eugh. My periodic reminder to be thankful, as a Bitter Remoaner and member of the Out Of Touch Metropolitan Liberal Elite, that I never frequent McDonald's.
More of a KFC man?
Ha ha, no. Prefer a local greasy spoon with a good hygiene rating.
Eugh. My periodic reminder to be thankful, as a Bitter Remoaner and member of the Out Of Touch Metropolitan Liberal Elite, that I never frequent McDonald's.
More of a KFC man?
Ha ha, no. Prefer a local greasy spoon with a good hygiene rating.
We truly have a stunning jobs miracle. The fact that it is largely unremarked on is maybe a sign of the times.
We are now ironically firmly in the arena of harming economic growth by restricting migration.
The other aspect to Japanese companies moving production back to Japan is that Japanese immigration policy is liberalizing very fast.
About time. That has been a major drag on their growth for decades.
Very funny to hear this from a Leaver.
Why? We are not all the raving xenophobes of your imagination you know.
I think that's the first time that I've seen a Leaver admit that there may have been the teeniest bit of xenophobia fluttering the hearts of *some* of those who voted for Leave. Well played.
It would be stupid to pretend otherwise. Similarly, there are people on the other side who genuinely have no time for the concepts of individual countries at all, not even bonny Scotland.
Having had a to-and-fro with various PB Tories/Unionists (tbf I don't think you were one of them) about whether Scotland was in fact a country, I'm fully aware that there are plenty of folk with no time for the concept of certain individual countries.
"Country" is not a very useful term due to its ambiguity; "state" even worse.
Nobody who has spent more than ten minutes in Scotland could deny it is a country.
Deep thought: If TIG gets a few Tories as well as more lab defectors they potentially remove the Con-DUP majority, and create a possible Con-Tig majority. They've already burned their bridges with Labour and bringing down the government would cause an election that loses them their seats, what have they got to lose?
Deep thought: If TIG gets a few Tories as well as more lab defectors they potentially remove the Con-DUP majority, and create a possible Con-Tig majority. They've already burned their bridges with Labour and bringing down the government would cause an election that loses them their seats, what have they got to lose?
They’re adding Anna Soubry to Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen. Unlike the others, who’d be happy in the Lib Dems and could well defect, Anna is a standard Conservative on any subject other than Brexit - she’s Ken Clarke’s younger sister in that respect.
Deep thought: If TIG gets a few Tories as well as more lab defectors they potentially remove the Con-DUP majority, and create a possible Con-Tig majority. They've already burned their bridges with Labour and bringing down the government would cause an election that loses them their seats, what have they got to lose?
That would mean having to vote for May's deal, surely?
Biden hasn't actually declared yet (and there is a whole raft of minnows who haven't either, but quite probably won't now). Sanders running makes Biden even more likely to do so, I think.
And it looks good for Harris, as she already has oxygen, and Biden/Sanders will deprive others.
CCHQ has dismissed a deluge of complaints that Christopher Chope brought the Tory party into disrepute by blocking the FGM and upskirting bills. Tories say he “was carrying out his duties and exercising his judgment”
Deep thought: If TIG gets a few Tories as well as more lab defectors they potentially remove the Con-DUP majority, and create a possible Con-Tig majority. They've already burned their bridges with Labour and bringing down the government would cause an election that loses them their seats, what have they got to lose?
That would mean having to vote for May's deal, surely?
Comments
What this means is that we have to be hard headed and ask what we are good at. Food / Fishing / advanced manufacturing and r&d / services / finance / higher education. Focus on those
440K workers is 1.25% of the workforce. Unless the productivity figures are even worse than claimed we must be growing faster than that.
Now of course you voted Leave because you were sick and tired of the EU inspectors on the 21A bus to Cromarty but your vote was for a package of measures including keeping the foreigners out.
As it is, the uncertainty, together with our possible Hard, and in any case Chaotic Brexit precludes that.
But he has shown another more thoughtful side recently.
Making the backstop harder to leave than the EU is drunken madness.
I'm not in favour of leaving without a deal. A good deal would be fantastic, but it's not going to happen.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/businessinvestment/julytoseptember2018revisedresults
I mean its not exactly roaring away but its not static or falling either. There is no doubt that Brexit uncertainty is causing a pause at the moment though.
The transition should BE the backstop. With a 2 year unilateral exit clause which is the same as the exit clause for Article 50. We would essentially then remain in a limbo of transition until the final agreement is ready, or give a minimum of 2 more years notice that we are leaving the transition without a deal.
How about the horlicks that is being made of Brexit? Did it never occur to you that some of your fellow travellers wouldn't be so sensible as you are?
There is also xenophobia in the hearts of *some* of those who voted Remain too.
For a whole number of reasons we need to incentivise capital investment over labour, especially unskilled labour.
McDonnell: I joined Labour only as a tactic
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, told hard-left allies that he had joined the Labour party as a “tactic” because it was a “useful vehicle”.
MPs have seized on the remarks, caught on film four years ago, as evidence that McDonnell is an “entryist Trotskyist” as rebels prepare the ground for a leadership challenge against his close ally Jeremy Corbyn this summer.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mcdonnell-i-joined-labour-only-as-a-tactic-just-a-vehicle-for-left-ddqz3ws08
I'm not sure whether that's just because everyone shines in comparison to Milne, Burgon and Gardiner, or whether taking up cycling has changed his personality...
Much obliged!
Still waiting...
https://twitter.com/LadPolitics/status/1097830828233687041
Can you give some sort of analysis of Remain xenophobia (though don't bother if it's some guff about wanting to keep the flow of nice white Europeans going while keeping out Africans, Asians etc BECAUSE THEY'RE BROWN/YELLOW/BLACK)?
"Remainers" don't generally expend their entire political capital trying to push through an end to Freedom of Movement, Customs Union membership and Single Market membership.
Calling the Theresa May of 2019 a "Remainer" is about as accurate as calling the Oswald Mosley of 1959 a "social democrat".
Unless he does something seriously bad in which case you might want to write to your MEP to suggest they threaten to fire him partway through the term, as they did with the Santer Commission.
The Lady Wifi was sat next to Valentino at the post-BAFTA dinner. He is a similar age to Lagerfeld, and she said he looked more Madame Tussaud than haute couture.
Of course, if its message is "up the revolution, screw the Tories", then carry on.
https://twitter.com/patrickwintour/status/1097831953309622272
Sanders running makes Biden even more likely to do so, I think.
And it looks good for Harris, as she already has oxygen, and Biden/Sanders will deprive others.
It looks like it, with Harris taking Clinton's place.
The most shocking fact I learnt yesterday is that Corbyn has not spoken to Luciana Berger since 2017. That is a shocking failure of leadership on every level.