To think that more of the world might like to place business here now?

[froubylou]

Genuine question.

I know some people are desperately worried about their jobs and some will be lost due to being funded directly by the EU.

But won't more businesses want to move to the UK now? We are geographically ideally placed to do business across Europe, obviously we all speak English which is a crucial business language. We have the infastructre in place. We have London which is one of the main business capitals of the world and was even before the EU.

We have plenty of industrial land stood empty. We have ports and airports and a decent motorway network. We have the technology and science being researched at some of the world's best universities.

And because we are a small island it's easy to get around.

Add to that the fact we have just left the EU and can now set our own (slightly less barmy) rules and regulations and don't have to negotiate trade agreements to suit all eu countries surely worldwide and European business will be looking at the Uk and seriously considering all the positives.

Also with regards to trade deals worldwide how does the work at present with stuff like textiles and technology we import from outside the UK? So does primark for instance negotiate what it wants to buy from Bangladesh directly or is there a trade agreement already in place with Bangladesh and the EU?

[OhWotIsItThisTime]

No, because tariffs have to be negotiated. These will make it harder and more expensive to import/export to the EU.

Those 'rules and regulations' are to protect workers' rights.

[allegretto]

Being geographically ideally-placed to do business with Europe is not as important as being part of the EU. Transport costs are relatively low - business is done on a global scale now. It is not a big advantage to have - or rather it was but only when we were part of it!

[Hamishandthefoxes]

I doubt very much that there will be any inward investment at all until Britain has actually left the EU and the terms of the departure are absolutely clear in terms of tariffs for accessing eu markets, availability of skilled workers etc.

This is more than 2 years away, and is likely to be December 2018 at the very earliest. There may be further delays in there are general elections etc.

[allegretto]

And what are the barmy rules anyway? Everybody seems to think there are loads of barmy rules but a lot are safety regulations that personally I think we would be mad to give up.

[KarlosKKrinkelbeim]

Jobs won't be lost because they are funded in the EU. jobs will be lost because the companies people work for have been founded on the legal framework (single market directives) is about to be removed
I really wish you had bothered to understand the position properly before you endangered the country's future. why didn't you? Too busy? Too lazy? Too ignorant?

[allegretto]

And basically all of Europe speaks English as well as other languages - if anything we are at a disadvantage only speaking English.

[Hamishandthefoxes]

Also, London had its pre-eminence as the English speaking gateway to the eu markets with a handy time zone.

Frankfurt and Zurich have always had nearly the same benefits. Now London has lost its lead - st least temporarily.

Much of the exciting new science and technology research st uk universities is EU funded and likely to move or cease.

[chocoshopoholic]

A significant proportion of university science and technology research is funded through EU grants. Unless the UK government continues to fund on the same scale it won't be researched for long.

[KarlosKKrinkelbeim]

"because we are a small island it's easy to get around"
give me strength .... I will be pilloried for this but there really should have been an IQ test before the ballot papers were handed out for this one

[TheOddity]

I am still waiting to hear a coherent, intellectual and researched argument from the Leave campaign. This is not it.

[froubylou]

Karlos I really wish you had asked how I voted before you made an assumption. I voted remain. Because I didn't feel I had enough knowledge of the intricate agreements that form the EU and the impact it would have on the UK.

So yeah. Always bother to understand.

[Dollius01]

FGS, there are not "barmy" rules and regulations. This country is a cleaner, safer, more equal place because of the EU.

Only 13% of our laws have come about as a result of the EU and those are decided by MEPs in the Brussels Parliament who are elected by us.

London is currently the financial capital of Europe. The EU could well choose to move its financial capital to Frankfurt, and who could blame it? Then what? Where do you think the European banks will go?

20% was wiped off the values of banks listed on the FTSE yesterday. Do you think those banks are going to hang around if it gets even uglier?

There is absolutely zero benefit to leaving the EU.

[Mymakeup72]

People have basically stumbled into an unknown world where until it settles down it will all be guesswork.
The Tory party have a lot to answer for on this one. Cameron pledged this for his own political gain and at least if some good has come of this, at least he has fallen on his sword and will be remembered as the PM who led us out of Europe. A tainted legacy. The Other benefit is that his little friend Osborne will not be conservative Pm any time soon!

History never teaches anyone anything when it comes to this party. Self serving to the core.

[elizabethdraper]

TBH if anyone is going to benefit it will be Ireland. They would be much more likely to pack up and move to Ireland for all the reasons you mentioned plus with the fact we are in the EU

[Bambamrubblesmum]

It's this naive wide-eyed view that makes me angry. I can't believe people are that economically unaware that they genuinely think this is likely to happen.

This is why I'm supporting the petition because people clearly didn't understand or know what they were voting for.

[froubylou]

Dollius I agree that the world is cleaner because of the EU. And agree that they have gone some way to protect workers rights. But UK workers are not really that protected. 2 years now before you have any rights. And then you have to pay for a tribunal which may be out of reach for many. Thousands of people on 0 hours contracts.

I know that isn't the fault of the EU it's the Uk government but for the average wc person it doesn't seem like much.

[Dollius01]

And yes, it is embarrassing how petty-minded and isolationist the UK has become. I am returning to the UK next month after five years overseas. Where I live now is incredibly multicultural. The thing that really sets us Brits apart from the other Europeans here is the way they all speak five languages and the Brits here don't even try to learn other languages, not even of the countries they are living in.

Without a doubt, we are entering a period of slow decline. In decades to come we will be utterly unimportant, a backwater. It is sad, and it is our own children's futures we have fucked up.

[Dollius01]

Zero-hours contracts are the product of this appalling UK government! Nothing to do with the EU.

There is zero benefit to leaving the EU and placing 100% of the power into the hands of the British government. Look at the state of the country under Thatcher. That is what we are returning to.

[Mymakeup72]

Karlos, I totally agree. Unfortunately education and the ability to understand what they are voting for is severely lacking in some people. i have more respect for the 18m who didn't bother as I am assuming they didn't on the whole because they didn't understand it. Better that than be guided by a quiz on Facebook like someone I know.

This should have been a decision for elected MP's not a bloke in the pub whose mates are encouraging him to vote out "because they are taking our jobs" even though
unemployment is as low as it ever has been!

For me this is a terrible decision by our country's population and it will backfire. The areas that are heavily subsided by the Eu actually voted out. Unbelievable. Did they even know they were being subsidised?Well they are just going to have to deal with it now. It's tough.

It won't be Cameron and his rich pals who will suffer, it will be the man/woman in the street and their family.

[Dollius01]

Did any of you Leavers know that, for example, cancer research in the UK is heavily funded by the EU?

I hate to say this but thank god my beautiful friend who died of a brain tumor did so before this idiotic country voted away the funding which helped to prolong her life as long as it did.

[QuiteIrregular]

The problem with this idea, as far as I can see, is that "London as business capital" and "science research" etc aren't things that a country can have, they're the kinds of activity which take place via international networks. Outside the EU, it seems very likely indeed that these activities will stop happening to the same extent. Banks are already moving thousands of staff out of London, and scientific firms are already firing workers. It's a category mistake to think those things are resources which Britain can "possess" in the absence of other nations.

[LondonKiwiMummy]

Basically, we were in the blessed position of having the right to trade into Europe without being in the Euro or Schengen. We literally had the best of both worlds. This gave us great power in being the "gateway" to Europe for financial and other services, plus the ability to sell into a single common market of 500 m people on the same basis as all the other EU countries. The much vaunted "Eu regulations" actually only affected a small percentage of UK law.

We have pissed that up against a wall. Now when investors and multinationals see the UK, they see uncertainty and risk. We're being downgraded. These and other factors discourage investment in the UK.

Sorry.

[froubylou]

Just to make it clear to those who haven't rtft I voted Remain.

I am just trying to understand the implications of the decision that the country has voted for.

I did read that companies that rely on export have rallied on the FTSE due to the weaker £. Surely if we can export on more favourable terms we can start manufacturing again? And if we manufacture more we need to produce more raw materials.

My very basic understanding of a successful economy is that we export more than we import. So we are generating income for the UK rather than sending it out into the EU and worldwide.

More industry creates jobs in all sectors. Raising income by means of taxes.

[FoxesOnSocks]

Yes that could happen frou, but it just as easily couldn't. This is the issue really it's unknown. We can't tell yet which 'sides' economic forecast will come true.

It's like when Scotland voted on independence: there were two sides one saying (in a very simple slightly exaggerated nutshell):

Scotland is awash with its own money they will because a leading superpower!!

The other saying:

Scotland has nothing at all, all finance comes from England. It will shrivel up and disappear!!

If they had gone for independance the day after voting we still wouldn't know which claim was true. There may have been an initial affect (shares etc). It takes time, the future of the economy after the initial impact is unknown.

[froubylou]

Thanks foxes. I know everything is unknown and that is what is worrying. We are in the construction industry so are likely to be affected by a recession more than a lot of other sectors which is another reason I voted remain.

I started this thread as I like a lot of people don't fully understand how the EU works. But even I know that 43 years is a pretty short time in a countries life time. And the Uk historically has always held its own if not been a world leader in trade. Even post ww2 we rallied and survived and thrived again.

Being in the EU hasn't made us immune from recession. Out of the last 43 years I can personally remember 3 periods of recession. A hell of a lot of industry has left the UK for Europe. We don't farm anymore. The EU pays farmers to have land set aside. We don't have skilled tradespeople coming through in the construction industry.

I don't fully understand any of it. I don't think anyone does. No one can possibly know what will happen but it seems counter productive to concentrate on what we will lose when we don't know what we will gain.

I watched a lot of the debate programmes. I read stuff online. I even listened to the canvassers that came around. I am by no means stupid. I have aN average understanding of politics and the EU but genuinely don't know what will happen now.

I know no one else does which is why the markets are in turmoil and why the UK's credit rating has been downgraded. But if no one knows, even industry leaders, eu leaders, and banking leaders why the fuck is it all doom and gloom?

Just maybe things will be ok. Better even.