Project Fear vs Unicornucopia

[meridian]

Project Fear vs Unicornucopia

They seem to have made the relevant plans, it all seems like common sense, what's the issue?

From an individual business perspective, all common sense and relevant planning. Their issue will be with the additional costs in relocating relevant parts of their business, costs that could have been used in expanding in the U.K. (or in lining the director’s and shareholder’s pockets, if you’re that way inclined).

From an EU country’s perspective, an increase in economic output, jobs, and tax receipts. No issue there.

From a “U.K. Plc” perspective, businesses moving overseas mean losing employment opportunities and part of the tax base. It’s only an issue if that is concerning for you, no issue if it is not.

Jenny Perkins, Kemdent’s sales director, said that because of uncertainty over regulation after Brexit, the company was opening an office in Ireland and would come under the aegis of the Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority rather than the UK equivalent. This will add costs, and is likely to mean more of the business moving to Ireland over time.

[Old Greg]

Your not fed up of their Lorum Ipsum or spaghetti logic yet?

Fed up? Are you mad?? I hope it goes on forever.

[motoukenin]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...st-brexit-deal



5 to 10% reduction in growth rates. Ouch! Time to start identifying the culprits for sabotaging the new dawn of Empire 2.0 prosperity.

Your not fed up of their Lorum Ipsum or spaghetti logic yet?

[Zigenare]

The EU’s Toy Safety Directive is much less fun than the goods it regulates. Richard Hardstaff has read it all — and when he talks about what Brexit will mean for his company, he highlights the importance of the EU rule book as a basis for doing business.

Polydron, a UK-based maker of educational toys where Mr Hardstaff is managing director, manufactures in India and China and sells to customers worldwide, including 105 in the 27 other EU countries. The bloc’s toy safety regime makes Polydron, as the importer into the bloc, responsible for checking that its products meet European standards.

“It is our phone number on the goods, and if there is a problem it is us who gets called up,” said Mr Hardstaff.

But if Britain leaves the EU’s single market, each of Polydron’s EU customers would become an importer instead — and Mr Hardstaff fears that relations with customers could suffer.

“There could be a hundred different interpretations, which splinters our supply chain and adds costs,” he said. As a result the Cirencester company is opening a branch and hiring staff in Germany to be the EU importer, handling 30 per cent of the company’s operations.


Brexit and business: where facts trump ideology


We would never have done this without Brexit,” said Mr Hardstaff.

His concerns point to a dilemma for many UK businesses in heavily regulated sectors, which are keen to keep at least a foothold in the single market and warn of the costs of leaving the EU’s regulatory regime.

As Theresa May seeks to convince both Brussels and hardline Brexiters that the UK should remain close to the single market for goods — a battle in which the prime minister is not assured of success — some companies, tired of the uncertainty, are beginning to move their business into the EU.

Big groups such as Airbus and BMW have warned of the consequences for their multinational, just-in-time operations of leaving the bloc’s customs union because of the risk of tariffs and customs hold-ups.

But for many other businesses, the single market is far more relevant. In the case of Polydron, tariffs on toys being brought into the EU are low and the playing field between all European importers is level. “Compliance with regulation is the bigger issue,” said Mr Hardstaff.

Polydron is not alone. Business associations that used to complain of the complexity of EU regulations are now asking to remain bound by them. Steve Elliott, chief executive of the UK’s Chemical Industries Association, has warned ministers that leaving Reach, the EU chemicals regime, “would seriously bring into question 10 years of investment, as registrations and authorisations that permit access to the EU single market would suddenly become non-existent on exit day”.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the car industry association SMMT, said: “Barrier-free access to the EU market and complete regulatory convergence have been the foundation of our success.”

Kemdent, a dental products company based in Swindon, has a similar challenge to Polydron. Its specialist dental waxes, manufactured in the UK, need the EU’s “CE” quality mark to be sold in the single market.

To comply with the bloc’s Medical Devices Regulation, which is regularly revised and toughened, they need to be registered with a certification centre called a “notified body” in an EU member state, overseen by that country’s official regulator.

Jenny Perkins, Kemdent’s sales director, said that because of uncertainty over regulation after Brexit, the company was opening an office in Ireland and would come under the aegis of the Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority rather than the UK equivalent. This will add costs, and is likely to mean more of the business moving to Ireland over time.

Some Brexiters argue that leaving the EU will lift the burden of regulation, particularly for small companies.

But even if the UK adopts its own, less stringent, rules for medical devices, Kemdent will continue to manufacture to EU specifications. “If the UK has different rules, we might have to change the packaging, but I can’t see us changing the product,” said Ms Perkins.

The company exports to many other countries, including the US and Malaysia, and while it might need to register its products with the national authorities, meeting EU regulations generally means it is good enough to meet local rules as well.

Ms Perkins said that if the UK was outside the single market, it could be more difficult for Kemdent to convince new EU clients to buy its merchandise even though exports to the bloc would still have to comply with European regulations.

It could be months before Britain hammers out a broad-brush deal with the EU on future ties. Fully fledged trade talks could take years to complete and implementation longer still. But in the meantime, companies such as Polydron and Kemdent have made clear that, one way or another, they aim to stay part of the single market.

They seem to have made the relevant plans, it all seems like common sense, what's the issue?

[Old Greg]

More Project Reality

https://www.ft.com/content/208e27e0-...5-50daf11b720d

The EU’s Toy Safety Directive is much less fun than the goods it regulates. Richard Hardstaff has read it all — and when he talks about what Brexit will mean for his company, he highlights the importance of the EU rule book as a basis for doing business.

Polydron, a UK-based maker of educational toys where Mr Hardstaff is managing director, manufactures in India and China and sells to customers worldwide, including 105 in the 27 other EU countries. The bloc’s toy safety regime makes Polydron, as the importer into the bloc, responsible for checking that its products meet European standards.

“It is our phone number on the goods, and if there is a problem it is us who gets called up,” said Mr Hardstaff.

But if Britain leaves the EU’s single market, each of Polydron’s EU customers would become an importer instead — and Mr Hardstaff fears that relations with customers could suffer.

“There could be a hundred different interpretations, which splinters our supply chain and adds costs,” he said. As a result the Cirencester company is opening a branch and hiring staff in Germany to be the EU importer, handling 30 per cent of the company’s operations.


Brexit and business: where facts trump ideology


We would never have done this without Brexit,” said Mr Hardstaff.

His concerns point to a dilemma for many UK businesses in heavily regulated sectors, which are keen to keep at least a foothold in the single market and warn of the costs of leaving the EU’s regulatory regime.

As Theresa May seeks to convince both Brussels and hardline Brexiters that the UK should remain close to the single market for goods — a battle in which the prime minister is not assured of success — some companies, tired of the uncertainty, are beginning to move their business into the EU.

Big groups such as Airbus and BMW have warned of the consequences for their multinational, just-in-time operations of leaving the bloc’s customs union because of the risk of tariffs and customs hold-ups.

But for many other businesses, the single market is far more relevant. In the case of Polydron, tariffs on toys being brought into the EU are low and the playing field between all European importers is level. “Compliance with regulation is the bigger issue,” said Mr Hardstaff.

Polydron is not alone. Business associations that used to complain of the complexity of EU regulations are now asking to remain bound by them. Steve Elliott, chief executive of the UK’s Chemical Industries Association, has warned ministers that leaving Reach, the EU chemicals regime, “would seriously bring into question 10 years of investment, as registrations and authorisations that permit access to the EU single market would suddenly become non-existent on exit day”.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the car industry association SMMT, said: “Barrier-free access to the EU market and complete regulatory convergence have been the foundation of our success.”

Kemdent, a dental products company based in Swindon, has a similar challenge to Polydron. Its specialist dental waxes, manufactured in the UK, need the EU’s “CE” quality mark to be sold in the single market.

To comply with the bloc’s Medical Devices Regulation, which is regularly revised and toughened, they need to be registered with a certification centre called a “notified body” in an EU member state, overseen by that country’s official regulator.

Jenny Perkins, Kemdent’s sales director, said that because of uncertainty over regulation after Brexit, the company was opening an office in Ireland and would come under the aegis of the Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority rather than the UK equivalent. This will add costs, and is likely to mean more of the business moving to Ireland over time.

Some Brexiters argue that leaving the EU will lift the burden of regulation, particularly for small companies.

But even if the UK adopts its own, less stringent, rules for medical devices, Kemdent will continue to manufacture to EU specifications. “If the UK has different rules, we might have to change the packaging, but I can’t see us changing the product,” said Ms Perkins.

The company exports to many other countries, including the US and Malaysia, and while it might need to register its products with the national authorities, meeting EU regulations generally means it is good enough to meet local rules as well.

Ms Perkins said that if the UK was outside the single market, it could be more difficult for Kemdent to convince new EU clients to buy its merchandise even though exports to the bloc would still have to comply with European regulations.

It could be months before Britain hammers out a broad-brush deal with the EU on future ties. Fully fledged trade talks could take years to complete and implementation longer still. But in the meantime, companies such as Polydron and Kemdent have made clear that, one way or another, they aim to stay part of the single market.

Whoops!

[meridian]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...st-brexit-deal



5 to 10% reduction in growth rates. Ouch! Time to start identifying the culprits for sabotaging the new dawn of Empire 2.0 prosperity.

May is urging EU leaders to show flexibility in considering her plan when it is published. She travelled to The Hague on Tuesday, to discuss the issue with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the pair had “discussed the importance of ensuring that trade between the Netherlands and the UK remained as frictionless as possible following the UK’s exit from the EU”.

That would be the same Netherlands that is preparing for trade friction by recruiting hundreds of additional customs officers?

[Old Greg]

Done.

Stand down, team.

[NotAllThere]

Will no one rid us of this monstrosity?

And while you're at it mods, do the needful and move the thread

Done.

[Old Greg]

Growth is so low anyway that any reduction will probably be 100% to 0% growth. At best.

Empire 1.0 saw the UK as the richest nation on earth by stuffing Asia. And the vast majority of UK citizens lived in total poverty. How will Empire 2.0 be different?

The UK won't be the richest nation on earth and won't stuff anyone.

[GreenMirror]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...st-brexit-deal



5 to 10% reduction in growth rates. Ouch! Time to start identifying the culprits for sabotaging the new dawn of Empire 2.0 prosperity.

Growth is so low anyway that any reduction will probably be 100% to 0% growth. At best.

Empire 1.0 saw the UK as the richest nation on earth by stuffing Asia. And the vast majority of UK citizens lived in total poverty. How will Empire 2.0 be different?

[Zigenare]

Again, I can only apologise for what was a genuine mistake, but I do acknowledge the distress that I have caused, howsoever inadvertently, by breaching the General 'safe space' guidelines.

I await the consequences with solemn fortitude, and look forward to the opportunity to pay my debt to society.

Will no one rid us of this monstrosity?

And while you're at it mods, do the needful and move the thread

[Old Greg]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH my eyes!

Again, I can only apologise for what was a genuine mistake, but I do acknowledge the distress that I have caused, howsoever inadvertently, by breaching the General 'safe space' guidelines.

I await the consequences with solemn fortitude, and look forward to the opportunity to pay my debt to society.

[barrydidit]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH my eyes!

[Old Greg]

Whoops, wrong forum. Now I'm for it.

[Old Greg]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...st-brexit-deal

Philip Hammond is expected to warn his cabinet colleagues that a Canada-style trade deal of the kind championed by Brexiters would hit jobs, trade and growth, when he briefs ministers at Chequers on Friday.

Theresa May is gathering her deeply divided cabinet at her country retreat to thrash out an agreed Brexit negotiating position – which will then be set out in a white paper next week.

Senior Brexiters were already warning of the return of what they call “project fear” after Hammond revealed in the Commons that he would be giving a presentation on the economic implications of the options available.

The chancellor told MPs on Tuesday: “I will be setting out for my colleagues in the privacy of our cabinet meeting on Friday the Treasury’s, indeed cross-Whitehall’s, economics group assessment of the implications of different potential routes forward.”

However, one senior government Brexiter hit back: “It’s clear that the meeting will be a total stitch-up with No 10 and Cabinet Office combining to try and bounce Brexit ministers with more failed predictions from project fear and rejected customs plans.”

Pro-Brexit MPs in the backbench European Research Group have demanded a meeting with May’s chief whip, Julian Smith, on Wednesday morning, to remind him of their objections to the customs partnership.

The ERG’s chair, Jacob Rees-Mogg, hinted earlier this week that he and his allies could vote against the government if May seeks to pursue a soft Brexit - even at risk of forcing her out of power.

Hammond’s briefing is expected to be similar to the cross-Whitehall economic assessment leaked – and ultimately published – in March.

That showed an EEA-style deal would knock 0.6% to 2.6% off GDP growth – while a free trade deal, such as the Canada-style agreement favoured by David Davis, would reduce it by 5% to 10%. The chancellor is likely to be backed up by business secretary Greg Clark, one of the strongest advocates of frictionless trade.

“It’s reassuring to know Philip Hammond has done his homework in advance of the Chequers peace summit,” said Labour shadow Brexit minister Matthew Pennycook. “However, it will ultimately be parliament, not the cabinet, that will sign off on the final deal.”

Leavers are bracing themselves for May, and her chief Brexit negotiator Ollie Robbins, to present them with plans for a significantly softer Brexit than she has previously signalled – including alignment with European Union regulations for the goods sector, to prevent friction at borders.

May is also expected to revive some aspects of her “new customs partnership”, under which the government would impose EU import tariffs – and then refund the difference, if Britain chooses to cut its own duties.

Brexiters regard the customs plan as too bureaucratic – and fear that it would make it unlikely tariffs would ever be cut. They have repeatedly insisted the plan is a “dead parrot”. Environment secretary Michael Gove ripped up one page of it in exasperation at a recent meeting.

May is urging EU leaders to show flexibility in considering her plan when it is published. She travelled to The Hague on Tuesday, to discuss the issue with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the pair had “discussed the importance of ensuring that trade between the Netherlands and the UK remained as frictionless as possible following the UK’s exit from the EU”. May will also meet with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, before the Chequers meeting.

Meanwhile, businesses have delivered a fresh warning about the Brexiters’ favoured “max fac” customs plan, which uses technology such as numberplate recognition to minimise trade frictions. The Institute of Directors said its members believed max fac was not practical.

Stephen Martin, the IoD’s director general, said: “As the government discusses options for post-Brexit customs this week, they should take note of the strong preference among business leaders for a solution which keeps trade friction to an absolute minimum.

“Pursuing an option that relies on facilitations and simplifications doesn’t seem to cut it for our members. In short, ‘max fac’ is not the favoured route for keeping trade in full flow.”

Martin added that Britain’s firms “want to see the prime minister leading her cabinet out at the end of this week with an agreed position, and then pushing on with negotiations with the EU”.

Separately, a group of Britain’s leading professional and business services firms wrote to May on Tuesday with a list of requirements they say are essential to preserve the £188bn industry with its 4.6m jobs and “keep the wheels of the British economy turning”.

The 42 signatories from the Professional and Business Services Council (PBSC) – which represents law, accountancy, architecture, surveying and advertising firms – said they needed a number of assurances, including that they will still be able to recruit the best talent from overseas.

“The UK needs to get the right deal on professional and other services given our relative strengths and current competitive position,” they wrote.

The letter praised a speech by Greg Clark – one that raised the hackles of cabinet Brexiters – in which he warned that restricting the ability of British workers to travel within the EU could be as dangerous to the economy as a hard trade border.

5 to 10% reduction in growth rates. Ouch! Time to start identifying the culprits for sabotaging the new dawn of Empire 2.0 prosperity.