EU referendum/Brexit discussion - Part 2

[lol-lol]

 

I agree with pretty much everything that Mr Varoufakis says there.  It is a shame there are not more similarly intelligent people in politics like him.  Some say people get the politician they deserve.  Our current political leaders are a sad indictment of the level of understanding of the issues of the populous IMO.     

[swedishskoda]

A looong text (but worth reading IMHO) where one frog-eater (Macron) and two krauts (Sigmar Gabriel, Jürgen Habermas) give their opinion on the challenges Europe (not "Europe", but all European contries and all of us who live in Europe) faces right now:

http://www.eurozine.com/rethinking-europe/

[lol-lol]

50 minutes ago, swedishskoda said:

A looong text (but worth reading IMHO) where one frog-eater (Macron) and two krauts (Sigmar Gabriel, Jürgen Habermas) give their opinion on the challenges Europe (not "Europe", but all European contries and all of us who live in Europe) faces right now:    http://www.eurozine.com/rethinking-europe/

 

Good to hear there are some new ideas from the axis of power in the EU ie France and Germany though should be tempered as Macron has said he is not happy that France has such an imbalance of trade with Germany, as do most countries of course.

 

Even the sacrosanct aerospace industry is now to be competed for by the Chinese with the launch of their 919 aircraft.

 

The French and Germans will be able to divide much of the spoils of the UK industries that either legal cannot remain outside the EU, airlines, banks etc and the one that are uneconomic to keep outside the EU ie car production for low to medium value cars and European Distribution centres than need to be in the EU though some wil go to the Lowland and Poland of course.   

 

Lots of positives for the future for the EU.  I like the Scandinavian models for charge extra duties on items, such as excise duties on cars, metals, plastics content and it is a way of re-balancing trade in an environmental way and if I was advising Macron I would suggest a move in that way, of course other countries may reciprocate but it all has to be done under WTO rules so it is picking the right tax at the right level, which some northern countries get right IMO.        

[Laurie61]

20 hours ago, Lee01 said:

 

 

 

 

A great overview of Brussels by Varoufakis, I particularly like his description of the Brussels liberal establishment. "They are like a person who murders their parents and then pleads for leniency at the court on the grounds they are an orphan."

 

Some more of his insight - 

 

    

[lol-lol]

 

NEWSPRO HOME | Sun May 7, 2017 | 7:55pm BST

EU's Juncker delighted with Macron's pro-Europe stance, expects fruitful collaboration

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-france-election-juncker-idUKKBN1830X9?il=0

 

The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his victory in French presidential elections on Sunday saying he was delighted Macron defended a strong and progressive Europe.

"I am delighted that the ideas you defended of a strong and progressive Europe, which protects all its citizens, will be those that you will carry into your presidency in the debate about the history of Europe," Juncker said in a letter.

He said the Commission, which is the European Union's executive arm, was also seeking to build a better Europe and expected to work together with Paris on that.

 

[moley]

Macron also stated last week:

"I'm a pro-European, I defended constantly during this election the European idea and European policies because I believe it's extremely important for French people and for the place of our country in globalisation," 

"But at the same time we have to face the situation, to listen to our people, and to listen to the fact that they are extremely angry today, impatient and the dysfunction of the EU is no more sustainable.

"So I do consider that my mandate, the day after, will be at the same time to reform in depth the European Union and our European project."

Mr Macron added that if he were to allow the EU to continue to function as it was would be a "betrayal".

[CWARD]

Marine Le Pen, even though coming second with 34.5% of the vote has won. Macron now needs to deliver on promise of new politics breaking away from the establishment of the political elite and bringing change within the EU. That is one hell of a promise to deliver on. Failure will see a massive move to the right on the next elections as the public see that they've been lied to again with more of the same. The ball is in Macron's court. 

[domhnall]

15 hours ago, CWARD said:

Marine Le Pen, even though coming second with 34.5% of the vote has won. Macron now needs to deliver on promise of new politics breaking away from the establishment of the political elite and bringing change within the EU. That is one hell of a promise to deliver on. Failure will see a massive move to the right on the next elections as the public see that they've been lied to again with more of the same. The ball is in Macron's court. 

 

 

A bit like the way last week UKIP lost all their seats but gained oevrall control of the Tory party :-)

[Ryeman]

I suspect the French are a bit too sophisticated for fake news.

[CWARD]

9 minutes ago, domhnall said:

 

 

A bit like the way last week UKIP lost all their seats but gained oevrall control of the Tory party :-)

 

Do you mean when the Tory's and Labour said they would get a better deal out of the EU and failed then the UKIP gained in popularity taking seats of both. Voters had their say and UKIP are no longer serve the electorate purpose, then yes it is democracy.

[swedishskoda]

19 hours ago, CWARD said:

Marine Le Pen, even though coming second with 34.5% of the vote has won. Macron now needs to deliver on promise of new politics breaking away from the establishment of the political elite and bringing change within the EU. That is one hell of a promise to deliver on. Failure will see a massive move to the right on the next elections as the public see that they've been lied to again with more of the same. The ball is in Macron's court. 

 

Yup, if Macron can't deliver, Mme Le Pen (or her niece, Marion Maréchal Le Pen) will be back in 2022. Always readable Timothy Garton Ash discusses this in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/07/french-presidency-macron-reprieve-france-eu

[@Lee]

has @SkodaVRS1963 been having another little flutter

https://www.indy100.com/article/marine-le-pen-french-elections-colin-johnson-500-bet-ladbrokes-13-year-old-child-twitter-7723591

 

[@Lee]

Project fear, you say?

NOVEMBER 10, 2016 OUTLOOK WARNING
Halfords The bikes and car parts retailer warned that the sharp decline in the pound since the Brexit referendum would raise its costs.
13/11/16 REVENUE FALL Nick one of your favourite newspapers The Daily Mail
Lego said it had ended its promotional deal with the Daily Mail after parents voiced concerns that its brand could be damaged by links to newspapers that have taken a hostile stance on race, immigration and gender issues. (not just Lego)
NOVEMBER 11, 2016 PROFIT WARNING NOVEMBER 11, 2016
SIG The building materials supplier warned that profits would be lower because of a slowing of activity around the time of the EU referendum.
NOVEMBER 15, 2016 PROFIT FALL
Land Securities The UK’s largest listed property company said it had swung to a loss in the six months to September 30 as the vote to leave the EU weighed on the commercial property market.
NOVEMBER 15, 2016 REVENUE FALL, PROFIT FALL
Easyjet The low-cost airline said revenue dipped partly as a result of higher holiday costs for UK travellers following the EU referendum.
NOVEMBER 16, 2016 PROFIT FALL
British Land: The UK’s second-largest listed property company said it had swung to a loss in the six months to the end of October as the vote to leave the EU cut into commercial property asset values.
NOVEMBER 17, 2016 PROFIT FALL
Great Portland Estates. The listed London property developer said the value of its portfolio dropped 3.7 per cent in the six months to September, and it had sold assets, after the Brexit vote dented the commercial property market.
NOVEMBER 17, 2016 PROFIT FALL
Royal Mail The privatised postal service said a drop in spending on junk mail triggered by uncertainty around the time of the Brexit vote contributed to lower half-year profits.
NOVEMBER 21, 2016 PROFIT WARNING
Mitie The outsourcing company warned its full-year profit would fall short of expectations because of uncertain economic conditions following the Brexit vote, lower government spending and a rise in the UK minimum wage.
NOVEMBER 22, 2016 OUTLOOK WARNING
Compass The FTSE 100 catering group warned it would increase prices on some UK contracts as a result of rising food costs following Britain’s vote to leave the EU.
NOVEMBER 22, 2016 JOBS, PROFIT FALL
Hewden The machinery rental business went into administration blaming the Brexit vote for poor trading - and its three divisions were sold for £29m to listed rival Ashtead.
JANUARY 18, 2017 PROFIT WARNING
Mitie British outsourcer Mitie announced its third profit warning in four months on Wednesday and replaced its chief financial officer, as new contracts stalled.
JANUARY 18, 2017 PROFIT WARNING
Premier Foods served up a profit warning and announced a cost cutting programme on Thursday as the food group battles sluggish sales and increased commodity prices as a result of sterling’s sharp fall since last June.
JANUARY 23, 2017 JOBS
SThree, the UK recruitment agency, warned of a slowdown in UK hiring because of uncertainty following the vote to leave the EU, which has shifted its business towards overseas markets.
FEBRUARY 7, 2017 PROFIT FALL
GM The US carmaker predicted $300m in Brexit-related losses in its Europe business in 2017 after a similar amount in 2016.
FEBRUARY 24, 2017 PROFIT FALL
Aston Martin James Bond’s favourite car company has been hit by Brexit. Pre-tax losses at Aston Martin rose 24 per cent to £162.8m last year as the falling pound following the vote to leave the EU took its toll.
FEBRUARY 27, 2017 INVESTMENT
BMW is considering making an electric version of the Mini outside the UK because of the uncertainty posed by Britain’s decision to leave the EU.
MARCH 1, 2017 REVENUE FALL
ITV has blamed economic and political uncertainty for the first annual fall in advertising revenue since 2009 when the UK economy was hit by the global banking crisis.
MARCH 2, 2017 PROFIT FALL
Capita, the British outsourcer, ousted its chief executive Andy Parker as it blamed a 33 per cent drop in pre-tax profits on a slowdown in contract wins since Britain’s decision to leave the EU.
MARCH 2, 2017 PROFIT FALL
Deutsche Telekom has taken a €2.2bn charge on its investment in BT, pushing the German group to a fourth-quarter loss in 2016. Europe’s largest telecoms company blamed the Brexit vote, a decline in the value of sterling and the collapse in BT’s share price for the write-off.
MARCH 6, 2017 MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS, HQ RELOCATION
Julius Baer, Switzerland’s biggest standalone private bank, sees Brexit as an opportunity to acquire a rival in the UK, according to its chief executive. But despite its enthusiasm for a UK acquisition, Julius Baer has paused plans for a European hub there because it believes Brexit will dent the UK’s economic growth.
MARCH 10, 2017 OUTLOOK WARNING
Mars, the US manufacturer of the eponymous bar, warned of a rise in chocolate prices in the UK unless Britain secures a favourable trade deal with the EU once it quits the regional bloc.
MARCH 17, 2017 PROFIT FALL
SThree The decline in recruitment company SThree’s British business accelerated at the start of the year, with Brexit uncertainty and public sector cuts weighing on its first-quarter profits.
MARCH 17, 2017 PROFIT FALL
Eurazeo, one of Europe’s largest listed private equity groups and owner of Europcar and Moncler, has posted a 5.3 per cent increase in revenues to €4.3bn. But the group saw profits affected in portfolio company Fintrax, which offers VAT refunds, as a result of the drop in the British pound.
MARCH 24, 2017 HQ RELOCATION
Brait, the South African investment group, has cancelled plans for a London listing of its shares, blaming uncertainty over the UK’s exit from the European Union.
MARCH 30, 2017 INVESTMENT, MARKET ACCESS WARNING
Lloyd’s has confirmed that it will open a new office in Brussels in response to Brexit. Faced with the loss of passporting rights from its London home, the insurance market has decided to put its new operation close to the heart of EU decision making.
MARCH 29, 2017 MARKET ACCESS WARNING
Ryanair In the wake of warnings from the European Commission that UK planes could face severe restrictions on European flights immediately after a “hard” Brexit, Ryanair warns that time is short, with a “distinct possibility of no flights between Europe and the UK for a period from March 2019 in the absence of a bilateral deal.”
MARCH 29, 2017 PROFIT FALL
Johnston Press Chief executive Ashley Highfield blamed economic uncertainty created by last June’s Brexit vote for a drop in advertising revenues, particularly from small and medium sized businesses who make up the core of the group’s advertising market.
MARCH 28, 2017 OUTLOOK WARNING
Bertelsmann, Europe’s biggest media company by revenues, may move some of its business from London in the event of a hard Brexit, amid concerns a British withdrawal from the single market could leave the company with a massive tax bill.

[@Lee]

[Ryeman]

6 hours ago, swedishskoda said:

 

Yup, if Macron can't deliver, Mme Le Pen (or her niece, Marion Maréchal Le Pen) will be back in 2022. Always readable Timothy Garton Ash discusses this in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/07/french-presidency-macron-reprieve-france-eu

So, only one miracle needed then.

I didn't think anyone seriously believed in them anymore.

[lol-lol]

6 hours ago, Ryeman said:

So, only one miracle needed then.

I didn't think anyone seriously believed in them anymore.

 

Slap a big fat excise duty on diesel cars based on engine size and/or weight (ie it will penalize big German luxury cars rather than smaller French one which are electric or petrol).

 

Macron has already said he will look at redressing the French-German trade imbalance.    

 

[@Lee]

U o South Wales, U o Aberystwyth, U o Manchester and U o Sheffield asking staff to volunteer to be made redundant. Brexit related.

 

[moley]

11 minutes ago, Lee01 said:

U o South Wales, U o Aberystwyth, U o Manchester and U o Sheffield asking staff to volunteer to be made redundant. Brexit related.

 

What is the source of this news?

[@Lee]

 

13 minutes ago, moley said:

What is the source of this news?

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/aberystwyth-university-offering-staff-voluntary-13009928

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/university-announces-139-job-losses-12820580

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-39873778

 

U o Sheffield story is on SWMBO's University intranet

[Rooted]

More potential students staying at home.  To go to universities nearer home.

Rip off landlords.

Government allowing rip off rents.

Parents skint from the austerity required after a Government backed rip off banks.

Student loans and high fees all wrong, and courses that were mickey mouse and while University Principals could earn big money many getting qualifications 

at their establishments do not

[moley]

49 minutes ago, Lee01 said:

 

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/aberystwyth-university-offering-staff-voluntary-13009928

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/university-announces-139-job-losses-12820580

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-39873778

 

U o Sheffield story is on SWMBO's University intranet

Not really Brexit related, but it makes a better story if Brexit gets a mention. All of the universities give different reasons for the cuts and Manchester denies it's Brexit related. Perhaps people are starting to realise that going to university to come out with a worthless degree and a massive debt might not be the best way to start out in the real world.

[Ryeman]

Bring back the blacksmith cottage industries.

[@Lee]

7 hours ago, moley said:

Not really Brexit related, but it makes a better story if Brexit gets a mention. All of the universities give different reasons for the cuts and Manchester denies it's Brexit related. Perhaps people are starting to realise that going to university to come out with a worthless degree and a massive debt might not be the best way to start out in the real world.

Trust me. It's all Brexit related. Number of applications to study from students in the EU has tanked. There are thousands of EU citizens working and teaching in Universities all over Britain who are unsure of their status thanks to the Referendum. If you think it's not Brexit related then fine but that's ******. It is.

[Rooted]

Ryeman,

That is in the leaked Labour Party Manifesto.

Also employing little children as Chimney Sweeps, reintroduce Pit Ponies, 2 million quid a year tax free for Union Stewards and 5 million for Union Barons.

Edited 11 May, 2017 by Awayoffski

[trundlenut]

8 hours ago, moley said:

Not really Brexit related, but it makes a better story if Brexit gets a mention. All of the universities give different reasons for the cuts and Manchester denies it's Brexit related. Perhaps people are starting to realise that going to university to come out with a worthless degree and a massive debt might not be the best way to start out in the real world.

The BBC initially reported that it was Brexit related yesterday and appear to have updated the story.