Reply to: British GDP to fall below Italy's by next year

[Francko]

Its strange how Milan is so rich yet so ugly compared to many other Italian cities? I hear the people are impeccably dressed but very snooty.

Give me Rome any day.

Well, not so strange considering that it was almost totally destroyed during WWII. Whatever was left is still very nice (the duomo and so on).

[Board Game Geek]

I thought Grimsby was the English Riviera?

Hull

[bobhope]

I thought Grimsby was the English Riviera?

[gingerjedi]

Milan on top of all. But yes, most of them are very nice but jobwise it is so hard. However, yes, it's much nicer to spend unemployment time here rather than in Blighty.

Its strange how Milan is so rich yet so ugly compared to many other Italian cities? I hear the people are impeccably dressed but very snooty.

Give me Rome any day.

[Francko]

I’m sure there must be some tulip towns in northern Italy but I haven’t been able to find them.

Milan on top of all. But yes, most of them are very nice but jobwise it is so hard. However, yes, it's much nicer to spend unemployment time here rather than in Blighty.

[Mich the Tester]

I don't know, I just googled Italy+South then picked the prettiest picture, I did the same for England+North but picked the ugliest.

That’s how balanced journalism works.

I’m sure there must be some tulip towns in northern Italy but I haven’t been able to find them.

[gingerjedi]

Is that the Como lake?

I don't know, I just googled Italy+South then picked the prettiest picture, I did the same for England+North but picked the ugliest.

That’s how balanced journalism works.

[expat]

Well below France now and forecast to decline further.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle5299162.ece

"Decline when it comes is swift and inexorable"
Plato

“An overvalued sterling has inflated the UK’s claims to be among the top five world economies,” said Ben Read, an economist with the CEBR.

As I have been saying for a while: the UK has long been pretending that its economy is doing better than it really is. When sterling falls to a realistic value it will be clear that the country is poor. BTW I am not sure that the realistic value is above or even equal the euro.

[Francko]

If you're gonna be poor I'd rather be here than here.

Is that the Como lake?

[Mich the Tester]

If you're gonna be poor I'd rather be here than here.

yep
fair point

[gingerjedi]

The weather's better in Italy though.

If you're gonna be poor I'd rather be here than here.

[NetwkSupport]

As if this is such a problem. Italy is a rich country. The south is poor because it’s corrupt and it sucks finances out of the north and makes the whole lot look a bit shabby, but northern Italy is one of Europe’s richest economies; so rich in fact that it can feed another region it's own size while still maintaining a good standard of living. Just being a little bit less rich than people from Turin or Bologna doesn’t make anyone poor.

the south has an enormous "unofficial" GDP run by the mafian government.

[Mich the Tester]

Exactly!

Except, just like in the UK, the most-hated teams across the country are in the North (Juve and AC).

The weather's better in Italy though.

[eyetie]

Its like an up-side-down UK then?..

Exactly!

Except, just like in the UK, the most-hated teams across the country are in the North (Juve and AC).

Italy has been far less exposed to the US economy so has been hit far less. As soon as the US economy works out what to do with itself, I expect the UK to be back where it was. So not anytime soon then....

[gingerjedi]

...The south is poor because it’s corrupt and it sucks finances out of the north and makes the whole lot look a bit shabby, but northern Italy is one of Europe’s richest economies; so rich in fact that it can feed another region it's own size while still maintaining a good standard of living.... .

Its like an up-side-down UK then?..