Brexit to be triggered tomorrow - what if the severance deal is a bad one for the UK?

fields5069

As my wife (Spanish but writes as well as any English person I know) put it in a response to a "let's make the best of it" video by Owen Jones:

"Also, 'Best Possible deal'....The UK has a rebate, has kept the pound, is not part of Schengen, has full control of its borders, access to the single market and the political weight that comes from being part of the EU..what could possibly be a better deal? Or is the 'best possible' a euphemism for the least bad of a tragic lot?"

Fretwired

Boromedic said:

I see NHS staff have been given another mockery of a "wage rise", 1%. They really are a pack of jokers, it would be funny if it wasn't so tory cliche.

Sort of proves my point - the UK is becoming a low wage economy for many people.

Boromedic

Uhhhhhh 5th biggest economy in the world, reminds me of that second hardest in the infants rubbish (and Underworld...!). We are reaching the final stages of a process that began a century ago when 2 world wars robbed us of our vast wealth and the US took over. We're one country vs over 20 and eventually we'll be 15th hardest in the infants and oh so insignificant.

Snap

Boromedic said:

Uhhhhhh 5th biggest economy in the world, reminds me of that second hardest in the infants rubbish (and Underworld...!). We are reaching the final stages of a process that began a century ago when 2 world wars robbed us of our vast wealth and the US took over. We're one country vs over 20 and eventually we'll be 15th hardest in the infants and oh so insignificant.

doesn't matter. The point is, as such a massive economic and military force, the EU wants, and more to the point NEEDS us in their fold.

Pulling out such a huge chink of contribution to the EU would cause them huge problems - the financially knackered members of the EU (so that will be all of them except Germany then) need propping up, and all of a sudden, your second biggest earner has pulled out. Big problem for Brussels. they wil still need our trading partnership.

Right, wrong, childish, whatever you think: the facts remain and these are the things that grease the wheels of the deals. We are far too significant a player to be allowed to fall off this mythical "hard brexit" cliff. Just can't see that transpiring.

more to the point, Second Toughest In The Infants is one superb album!

Boromedic

Fretwired said:

Boromedic said:

I see NHS staff have been given another mockery of a "wage rise", 1%. They really are a pack of jokers, it would be funny if it wasn't so tory cliche.

Sort of proves my point - the UK is becoming a low wage economy for many people.

Except it doesn't though because EU migration has little effect on NHS wages, they can't fill the vacancies in hospitals for nurses and doctors or provide Paramedics for ambulance services. Wages should be rising to improve retention and recruitment but its the government who refuse to pay not market economics making the decision.

Boromedic

Yep I love Underworld me like!

Boromedic

Hahaha, some of these are pretty funny regardless of which side you're on......

http://www.thecanary.co/2017/03/29/the-british-public-have-been-penning-their-own-brexit-day-goodbye-notes-tweets/

ThePrettyDamned

richardhomer said:

Nitefly said:

richardhomer said:

I'm in Northwich now - it's looking really overcast....

Pissing down in Atherton. And I have to collectmy grandson from school.

It's still not started raining here - but it looks like it's about to hammer down.

My son's walking home from school - I'll probably be in at around 5.30....

Grey and dull here, but a wanker in a white audi nearly drove into my car as he was on the phone. 

Fucking Brexit. 

Fretwired

Boromedic said:

Fretwired said:

Boromedic said:

I see NHS staff have been given another mockery of a "wage rise", 1%. They really are a pack of jokers, it would be funny if it wasn't so tory cliche.

Sort of proves my point - the UK is becoming a low wage economy for many people.

Except it doesn't though because EU migration has little effect on NHS wages, they can't fill.the vacancies in hospitals for nurses and doctors or provide Paramedics for ambulance services. Wages should be rising to improve retention and recruitment but its the government who refuse to pay not market economics making the decision.

My son's been in hospital for over two months - he's had excellent care. You can count the British born staff on two hands. I'd say the foreign born staff outnumber Brits by about 6 to 1. The main consultant is excellent - he's from India. I'd say a high percentage of the nurses are from Africa and the EU. There doesn't appear to staff shortages at ward level.

The government obviously believes they can recruit from abroad and squeeze costs like wages. A 1% rise when inflation and housing costs are rising faster than wages is a kick in the teeth for public sector workers.

Boromedic

I'm sorry to hear about your son, I hope he is okay and on the mend. The other arguments pale into insignificance when faced with such things.

Fretwired

Boromedic said:

I'm sorry to hear about your son, I hope he is okay and on the mend. The other arguments pale into insignificance when faced with such things.

Thanks .. he's out at the moment and now goes in for kidney dialyses three times a week. Care was excellent - hospital was full to brimming. A real eye opener - caring staff working in a difficult environment.

digitalscream

Snap said:

Boromedic said:

How ridiculous and arrogant does that sound?? We aren't the powerful country we once were I'm afraid and our mighty banking and service industry might just slowly erode through the next 10 years of negotiations.  There is nothing to stop them walking away in fact. Leaving us paying for the same deal as before but now we get to sit outside while the big boys talk to each other. There are many ways this could go let's face it but we need to stop pretending about just how big and important we are.

err, not riduculous at all. We are the 5th biggest economy in the world and the second largest in the EU. We also have the 2nd largest military force in the EU.

Weren't we the 4th biggest economy in the world? Remind me how we went from 4th to 5th...

Rocker

Hope your son gets better soon @Fretwired

Boromedic

Fretwired said:

Boromedic said:

I'm sorry to hear about your son, I hope he is okay and on the mend. The other arguments pale into insignificance when faced with such things.

Thanks .. he's out at the moment and now goes in for kidney dialyses three times a week. Care was excellent - hospital was full to brimming. A real eye opener - caring staff working in a difficult environment.

Glad to hear it, although dialysis has its challenges bless him, I bet he is like a lot of other kids I saw go through the hospital system hitting it head on and full of bravery.

Yes the NHS is fit to burst, having spent over 11 years in it I now hear how bad its got from friends. It was certainly no picnic 3 years ago and is only getting worse.

Fretwired

Boromedic said:

Fretwired said:

Boromedic said:

I'm sorry to hear about your son, I hope he is okay and on the mend. The other arguments pale into insignificance when faced with such things.

Thanks .. he's out at the moment and now goes in for kidney dialyses three times a week. Care was excellent - hospital was full to brimming. A real eye opener - caring staff working in a difficult environment.

Glad to hear it, although dialysis has its challenges bless him, I bet he is like a lot of other kids I saw go through the hospital system hitting it head on and full of bravery.

Yes the NHS is fit to burst, having spent over 11 years in it I now hear how bad its got from friends. It was certainly no picnic 3 years ago and is only getting worse.

Respect for working in the NHS ... not sure I could do it.

My son is no kid .. he's 34 ... :-) Got a form of legionella on holiday in Malta .. dodgy water. He's macho so did nothing until he collapsed.

Fretwired

Rocker said:

Hope your son gets better soon @Fretwired

Thanks @Rocker

Boromedic

Lol, sorry Fretwired I had no idea!! Well I'm sure he'll cope well at that age bless him, hope his long term prognosis is looking good.

Heartfeltdawn

digitalscream said:

Weren't we the 4th biggest economy in the world? Remind me how we went from 4th to 5th...

Whiskey, a pack of cards, and scant regard for the morning after.

ICBM

We can't have be 4th for quite some time, since the ones above us are the USA, China, Japan and Germany. I would think that the one of those which was below us most recently would actually be China, in the 80s at the latest.

Clarky

Hands up who's gonna short the crap out of Sterling over the next few years