Brexit ... reality dawning (not how you think)

[LurkingHusband]

Given todays news about Boeing (which has mysteriously slipped from prominence on the BBC - as inn "disappeared")

www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/11/boeings-jobs-pledge-shows-uk-is-open-for-business-says-cameron

I wonder if the real motive behind Brexit was to have the UK and EU in a position where they can be played off against one another in a bid to drive down wages and costs.

Is it too extreme to picture a cabal of (presumably) American businessmen sitting around a table saying:

"Why can't we treat our European workers as shit as our US workers"

"That's be the EU"

"How about if we engineer one country to leave the EU ? Then we can play games pretending to decide between the two for every investment. That'll soon get rid of any workers rights."

Trebles all round ?

[akkakk]

really?

so there is now a corporate conspiracy which somehow engineered the Brexit vote?! :)

they haven't sent me my payment for voting yet!

and we have no idea what working conditions will be like on exiting the EU, other than the fact that as the vast majority of the country likes good working conditions, we will either carry them over from the EU, or vote out any party not doing so / vote in any party offering such conditions!

so there is no reason to believe that working conditions will be much different

[LurkingHusband]

cui bono ?

[BreakingDad77]

or vote out any party not doing so / vote in any party offering such conditions!

You would hope so, but not that long ago tories taking money off disabled people and cutting services to give rich people tax breaks and looks like they will probably winning next election.

[Underparmummy]

akkakk - theres reason to believe there will be less jobs though!

I think staying in the EU was a much safer way to guarantee continuation of worker rights.

[Just5minswithDacre]

I hope you write thrillers lurking

[LurkingHusband]

I used to write a lot, but that was another life ...

In terms of conspiracy theories, my favourite is Bill Baileys assertion that Dianas death was organised by "a shadowy cabal of souvenir mug manufacturers".

[forkhandles4candles]

For sure it will be used as a way to hammer the workers - pretty clear isn't it?

[Grassgreendashhabi]

You do realise that working rights eg, leave, hours , pay, maternity have been passed by UK law in the works act and equality acts

Leaving the EU has no bearing on these

[froubylou]

Workers rights in the UK are dire. 0 hours contract anyone? 2 years before you have any rights etc?

[Just5minswithDacre]

Bill Baileys assertion that Dianas death was organised by "a shadowy cabal of souvenir mug manufacturers".

[Peregrina]

There is no reason why the UK couldn't abolish zero hours contracts and give people rights before two years are up, but the current Tory party isn't likely to do so. Similarly the 1950s Tories promoted the environment via the Clean Air Acts, and were leading the way on this, so there is no reason why the Tories couldn't promote environmental issues, but I am not holding my breath.

[BreakingDad77]

You do realise that working rights eg, leave, hours , pay, maternity have been passed by UK law in the works act and equality acts - Leaving the EU has no bearing on these

Priti Patel gave the opposite impression in that UK will be able to get rid of worker red tape to make companies more profitable.

[Shiningexample]

I doubt that any group has the ability to precisely engineer events such that they deliberately and directly brought about the vote to brexit
but I am certain that various groups will be doing all they can to leverage prevailing conditions to their advantage

the fact that a person or persons takes advantage of a situation should not necessarily be taken as evidence that they caused the situation

[TomHiddlestonsDignity]

Agree breaking, I thought things like the Equality Act (2010) had come from the EU originally and are now in UK law but could be got rid of if we leave.

[Grassgreendashhabi]

www.out-law.com/en/topics/legislation/procedure-for-passing-laws-in-the-uk/

It's not quite as simple to say let's change the law.

[BipBippadotta]

Peregrina I'd actually advocate holding your breath in the event of more retrograde Tory environmental policies. You might live longer.

[BertrandRussell]

"we will either carry them over from the EU, or vote out any party not doing so / vote in any party offering such conditions!"

That's worked well with zero hours contacts, hasn't it?

[LurkingHusband]

There is no reason why the UK couldn't abolish zero hours contracts and give people rights before two years are up

There are lots of things that can be done, and lots of things being done that don't need to be done. People should bear that in mind. Zero-hours contracts (for example) aren't Newtons 4th law of motion and a universal reality. They are a man made construct, and exist because - for whatever reason - no-one seems to want to outlaw them. Which suggests their continued existence is a political, rather than economic imperative.

[dizzyfucker]

Well that certainly trumps the current conspiracy theory that Farage is actually Putin's puppet!