Anyone else really worried now?

[MrsBlackthorn]

My work has started quietly drawing up contingency plans for if Brexit happens. Same at DH's work. Could mean lots of jobs moving to Germany and Ireland at both our firms. We're already seeing far fewer people investing or spending money.

I'm bloody terrified. Could lose my job. House could end up in negative equity. And for what?

I don't even think it's "project fear" from the government anymore... News today showed investors are taking money out of the UK faster than anytime since the crash. People with "skin in the game" voting with their money.

I understand that for lots of people the EU referendum isn't about money. however, because of a lot of it leaving, stopping coming in, or just simply being worth less... Well that leaves us screwed for a very long time. Fewer jobs. Less tax money coming in - so less money for the NHS and so on. So even if we 'take back control', of what exactly. what will we be 'in control' of?

I'm really worried about "Leave" happening and me and my family being utterly f*ed in a few months time as a result. Has the country lost its mind?

Anyone else worried about where this leaves us?

The warning in that article comes from Osborne (ie Remain.) I'm afraid it is propaganda.

Why would the Chancellor or this country publish alarming rhetoric to frighten investors, when the economy is actually growing? It is propaganda. And it is similar to what Lord Haw-Haw did.

Look at the FTSE graphs for the last few months. Real data there.

Sorry I won't reply to you Kitty as have to get on. Apologies. Don't mean to be rude. But have got addicted to Mumsnet so am signing off until 7pm.

The cycle of growth and recession is normal economics for the UK.

It's bank of England statistics. And you still think it's ok to compare me to a Nazi propagandist! Godwin's law means you lose ;-)

Recessions are cyclical. There is always another one coming eventually.

I agree that some sort of Gove/Boris mashup is likely. I'm not that bothered about coming out in theory, and I have HUGE sympathy for people on "the fuzzy end of the lollipop" from the status quo who would like to see a new social settlement, but in practical terms the probable leadership, creativity and ideas after an OUT vote does worry me some.

your that doesn't mean it's a good thing to jump into a recession. the idea is to avoid them where possible rather than take actions that could deepen it.

milly more proof the asset flight is not propaganda news.sky.com/story/1708865/is-money-leaving-the-uk-due-to-brexit-fears
"This is one of the first pieces of statistical evidence that worries about the EU referendum are causing investors to take drastic action to protect themselves in the event of a Brexit. So far, the vast majority of numbers that have been bandied around have been forecasts, guesses, stabs in the dark about what might happen in the event of a departure. These are figures showing something that has actually happened."
Q: Isn't this just propaganda fed to you by the Stronger In campaign?
A: No. We dug these numbers up ourselves following a deep dive into the Bank of England's statistical database.
The Remain camp learnt of them in the same way as the Leave camp - when we contacted them to tell them we were running the story, and explained our findings.

Frankly it seems typical of the leave campaign - the minute you say something that they think could damage their case they attack the (wo)man rather than the ball...

Apart from the odd weirdo, most people have well reasoned thoughts for why the want to vote remain or leave, even on this thread the majority of posters are civil and articulate. This reassures me because what ever happens at least people have looked for the available info out there.

Again, I get the op and her do feel panicked in light of what they say there company is doing. I judge her company for poor behaviour, rather than voters.

Whilst I have looked into the arguments for and against I'm not thinking of me and mine, I'm also thinking of the people we employ, a significant number are from Eastern Europe. Whatever occurs, they will still be employed by us as long as they wish to be, because we value our people.

I judge her company for poor behaviour, rather than voters.

I still don't really understand this argument. Why should a company be expected to show loyalty to a particular country? Why should it be expected to remain unchanged in a country where political changes mean it may no longer be profitable? Why does its responsibility to its British employees outweigh its responsibility to its other employees in other countries?

"I judge her company for poor behaviour, rather than voters."

I don't think we can blame companies. Companies exist to make money for the people who own them - in the case of mine, the tens of thousands of shareholders.

Most shareholders are investment funds - that includes people's pension funds.

At the end of the day, a company isn't there for its staff, or the country it's currently based in. Legally it has an obligation to deliver the best return it can for shareholders. In a globalised world that does mean companies will pick up and go wherever it needs to do be most effective, to buy stuff from elsewhere if it's cheaper or easier, or to lose jobs here and employ them elsewhere.

Obviously I am very worried if this actually happens. But I understand why my company, and any company, would do that - because companies aren't people with principles and generally have no attachment to a particular country. That's the sad truth of the world we live in today.

milly I really cannot take you seriously if you're trying to place the current surge in the UK economy down to a possible Brexit vote.

I mean there's optimism, there's being daft and there's just being ridiculous.

No one knows why the situation is as it is. But what we do know is that it's fragile.

I can't see how it is possible that a huge change won't have repercussions.

That said, I'm not too worried one way or the other for me and mine personally. As I say, I've nothing much to fear from a BJ/Gove/IDS government. The idea that the rich would be terrified of that scenario is a little .

I understand "shareholder value." I find the thought leadership on reconsidering who the stakeholders are and how they should be prioritised very persuasive. Especially looking at BHS for example.

I think it's poor behaviour to shit up your employed by announcing apparent contingency plans based on the result of the 23rd.

I run a business so by definition am a capitalist and believe any company can go where they please. But I think it's grossly irresponsible to frighten your staff in this way.

" I judge her company for poor behaviour, rather than voters."

Just. Fuck.

What an amazing moral compass. A company has been set up with someone's money, that employs people, and in return that person wants a return on their money (or they could take it away and do something else with it) and you think they should be screwed over to keep the people they are employing happy?

I run a business so by definition am a capitalist and believe any company can go where they please. But I think it's grossly irresponsible to frighten your staff in this way.

But some of those staff will be involved in drawing up the contingency plans and options. And all staff will be pretty sure that it's something the company may be considering for any multinational ahead of a big political and economic shift.

And as OP said, they are dong this quietly. It's not like they've made an all-staff announcement.

I don't think they should be screwed over, no. But I wonder why release the information?

I understand "shareholder value." I find the thought leadership on reconsidering who the stakeholders are and how they should be prioritised very persuasive. Especially looking at BHS for example.

But unless there is a major legal shift company directors will continue to have a legal duty to their shareholders.

I don't think they should be screwed over, no. But I wonder why release the information?

They haven't. OP was clear they're doing it quietly.

HoneyD - I would much rather work for a company that was open, honest and transparent with their staff - and realised "shit, they might be worried - I need to let them know what is happening".

Kate - might not be but sure as hell is not great for them now

"Funny then that everybody blamed Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for the last one"

Although to be fair they kind of made themselves targets having claimed to have ended the cycle of boom and bust. Arrogant arseholes.

Also, the last one wasn't a cyclical recession - it was a bubble bursting. But the bubble itself had stopped us from identifying we were in a "recession" for a long time.

"might not be but sure as hell is not great for them now".

Although, you know workers hours protections, minimum wage, sick leave, rights to tribunals, rights to trade unions, paid holidays and maternity rights are all things which have been attacked by various members of leave before. So it will be far, far, far worse afterwards.