[Merged]Brexit stuff

[jamesbrown]

Philip Hammond is Customs Union, Liam Fox is outside the Customs Union. The battle is on, but Philip Hammond is the more senior of the two. You may also notice that David Davis has retreated from his position of being outside the CU, he's turned woolly on that, and Theresa May keeps backing Hammond when the chips are down. According to a minister inside the cabinet the money is on Philip Hammond getting his way, he's already made it clear he's ready to walk and May can't afford that, the pound will get an absolute thrashing and that would be bad.

Again, there's a lot of projection there, because that's the outcome you want. Of the two scenarios you present, I think it's more likely that Hammond would walk, but I don't think Hammond will walk. May has been brutal in relegating HMT to just another department of gov't. This is taking things back to pre-Blair. It's been the received wisdom from Blair onwards that the Chancellor is a sort of deputy PM figure, but not any more. This is why we've seen all the briefing and counter-briefing about Hammond being on the outside and ready to resign (I don't think he is, it's just mischief).

Frankly, I don't think May will necessarily weight any of their individual opinions much. She's well-known for reviewing the minutia herself, listening to others, but then making her own decisions. However, she'll have to reconcile any decision about the SM (and CU to a lesser extent) with some very strong language and promises; she went much further than necessary at the CP conference. She could just about get away with sticking to the CU, because the language on trade has been very cautious ("promoting" free trade as opposed to definitely signing bilateral deals) and Fox has been slapped down several times. However, it wouldn't make sense, as argued in the piece I linked above. The SM is another matter, and she's struggle to backtrack on that (despite the rhetoric about a bespoke deal).

[Paddy]

C&A still exists here in Munich!

I thought that C&A was a guide for which side to wear panties

[darmstadt]

Oh dear: UK Government agreed referendum could not be legally binding | The Independent

[vetran]

I thought that C&A was a guide for which side to wear panties

he always has his in a bunch!

[scooterscot]

Oh dear: UK Government agreed referendum could not be legally binding | The Independent

Some common sense at last. Seems the pound is rebounding on this news. Boing!

Right we can all move on, nothing to see here. The Wrexiters have their little nostalgia moment, time to move on.



AOB?

[original PM]

Oh dear: UK Government agreed referendum could not be legally binding | The Independent

Some common sense at last. Seems the pound is rebounding on this news. Boing!

Right we can all move on, nothing to see here. The Wrexiters have their little nostalgia moment, time to move on.



AOB?

Do you want a revolution? because that's how you get a revolution.

[GB9]

Oh dear: UK Government agreed referendum could not be legally binding | The Independent

So what?

[vetran]

one for the bremoaners all the tea in Cornwall

How the only tea plantation in England sold tea TO China | Daily Mail Online

Rule Brewtannia! The delightfully potty tale of how the only tea plantation in England pulled off the greatest coup of all... selling tea TO China
Tregothnan Estate in Cornwall is the first and only one of its kind in the UK
100 acres of evergreen tropical plant thrive on the banks of the River Fal
China is the largest producer in the world, making 2.2 million tons per year

cheap contractor tea as well

He emphasises the word ‘fine’ and likens the blends produced by the big brands — using as many as 35 different types of tea — to cheap supermarket whisky.

By contrast, Tregothnan offers the equivalent of a single malt in its ‘Fresh Plucked’ tea, made entirely from leaves on the estate which are picked in the afternoon and dispatched the same night for an astonishing £92.50 per 2.5 grams, just enough to make a pot for two.

[LondonManc]

How the only tea plantation in England sold tea TO China | Daily Mail Online



cheap contractor tea as well

Harks back to the M&S USP. Just like Aston, Rolls Royce, etc. We need to focus on hand-built, quality products rather than mass production. Yes, we've got Nissan up in Sunderland and the like, but for UK brands, a focus on quality rather than trying to compete with Asian imports is the key.

[vetran]

Harks back to the M&S USP. Just like Aston, Rolls Royce, etc. We need to focus on hand-built, quality products rather than mass production. Yes, we've got Nissan up in Sunderland and the like, but for UK brands, a focus on quality rather than trying to compete with Asian imports is the key.

Totally as the man said being a British product still attracts a premium.

Wool jumpers from Scotland / Wales Steel from Sheffield.

If you look at other successes such as Dyson, Bayliss (wind up radio) raspberry pi etc manufacturing can be done abroad but the thinking done here.