It's quite a shame that UKIP can't actually take outright power

[d000hg]

He might well have been trying to do that - from what I've read I agreed with some of the principles, but all he actually did was give teachers more paperwork and less authority to use their professional skills as they think best.

[Euler]

I dont see how leaving the European union (while keeping Europe as a trading partner) can be bad.

It wouldn't be if we had many strong British companies but we don't.
The multinationals (particularly the car companies) are only here because of non-tariff trading within the EU.
When the Germans put tariffs on what will be non-EU built Nissans, Toyotas, Hondas, Minis, Jaguars and Land Rovers, as they will do, their owners will just move to Europe.

[DodgyAgent]

It wouldn't be if we had many strong British companies but we don't.
The multinationals (particularly the car companies) are only here because of non-tariff trading within the EU.
When the Germans put tariffs on what will be non-EU built Nissans, Toyotas, Hondas, Minis, Jaguars and Land Rovers, as they will do, their owners will just move to Europe.

The Germans will not want to start a trade war with the UK

[d000hg]

The Germans will not want to start a trade war with the UK

They'd be wise not to. Unless they wanted to "make an example" of the UK to stop other member states leaving?

[Euler]

The Germans will not want to start a trade war with the UK

I think, like most, you overestimate Britain's trading prowess. Yes we buy lots of cars from Germany but this is a saturated market whereas those in the developing markets are growing exponentially.
The Germans are nothing, if not long term, and they will rightly caluculate that raising tariffs will mean most Jap and Indian (jaguar) factories will relocate ,quite probably to Germany, thus making them even more of a powerhouse in the long term.
And most people who buy German cars are not price sensitive so if we put tariffs on German cars (as in the US for example), people will still buy them

[VectraMan]

It wouldn't be if we had many strong British companies but we don't.
The multinationals (particularly the car companies) are only here because of non-tariff trading within the EU.
When the Germans put tariffs on what will be non-EU built Nissans, Toyotas, Hondas, Minis, Jaguars and Land Rovers, as they will do, their owners will just move to Europe.

It won't need the Germans to do anything. Moving to where there's cheaper labour inside the EU will look a lot more attractive than continuing to build their cars in uncertain Britain with uncertain trading status. Expect the large scale job loss announcements to start the day after the referendum.

[Batcher]

The Germans will not want to start a trade war with the UK

You are stuck in the days of the Empire.

The latest polls from YouGov are interesting, Labour ahead and SNP with 55 of the 59 seats in Scotland.

[malvolio]

I take it you guys have noticed that we do more business with the rest of the world than we do with the EU by some considerable margin. And that business is not all about making things...

[Batcher]

It won't need the Germans to do anything. Moving to where there's cheaper labour inside the EU will look a lot more attractive than continuing to build their cars in uncertain Britain with uncertain trading status. Expect the large scale job loss announcements to start the day after the referendum.

+1

Those car factories will relocate to Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and possibly even Greece where there is high unemployment and therefore cheap labour to be had.

[TheFaQQer]

Expect the large scale job loss announcements to start the day after the referendum.

Assuming we lose, of course.