Rumour has it, some remainers are a little glum.....

[Carolinesbeanies]

So in the spirit of sharing our deluded brexiteer cheerfulness, heres a round up of some of this weeks good news.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-5040279/UK-exports-booming-outside-Europe.html

http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/business-news/london-news/big-boost-world-bank-ranks-uk-seventh-in-its-doing-business-report/18554.article

https://global.handelsblatt.com/politics/world-trade-makes-a-comeback-845798/amp

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-volkswagen/vw-explores-uk-banking-licence-ahead-of-brexit-idUKKBN1D22KR

The government have 'found' £60billion to put is a slush fund for brexit.

https://amp.ft.com/content/f3271ac7-7439-319f-ba90-9252f59aafee

And in the week that saw the interest rate rise, the Bank of England said gloomily "as migration tightens, we will see wage growth". Note the 'we will'.

Excellent. All this whilst the media obsess over impotent politicians as Britain works.

Indeed, reality is an illusion created by a lack of alcohol. No danger of that then.

Terrific article about leaving the Single Market

Can’t argue with this.

Pinch me, I must have dreamt it all.

Brings me to JC. Whats he saying on the issues?
"ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,mmmmmmm,mmm. Universal credit?"

So there we are.

Weekend highlights.

UBS upgrades its forecasts.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/11/17/ubs-upgrades-pessimistic-forecast-uk-growth/

John Bamford points out the obvious re the CBI.

"But Lord Bamford’s views were backed by John Longworth, the former director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, who quit the body in March after saying UK businesses had a “brighter” future outside the EU. "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/11/18/jcbs-lord-bamford-reignites-cbi-row-claiming-brexit-businesses/

and this really needs highlighting. It popped up on friday, but I may have had a wine or two.

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/20-banks-likely-to-join-frenemy-trade-pact-between-hong-kong-and-singapore

So in an attempt to bore the arses of some here, Ill expand. Blockchain makes me very cheery, so a bit of background.

As blockchain moves forward at a rapid pace, theres ensuing panic in our controlling echelons of society. For each 'transaction' that uses a distributed ledger (block chain) instead of the traditional centralised systems, fat controllers become obsolete and their source of power and income disappears.

These areas, needless to say, view blockchain as 'bad' technology. Indeed the EU have set up a task force and are looking at further legislation to tackle this alleged assault. They want to be the fat controllers of blockchain, and create the very point of corruption that blockchain counters.

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/the-european-union-wants-to-identify-bitcoin-users/

Blockchain is and will continue unabated, and thats because its awesome! Looking at the impact on international trade, its a no brainer. (Ill come to that).

Estonia, (I love Estonia, population of Birmingham dont ya know) who brought us e-residency, have embraced blockchain and have tested using blockchain to enable their citizens to use their ID cards to order prescriptions, vote, bank, apply for benefits, register business, pay taxes, and access approximately 3000 other digital services. On the African continent, blockchain is being used in various countries to manage land registries. In the UK, the DWP is testing blockchain for benefits payments.

So whats all this got to do with Brexit, or even NI?

This is moving faster than anyone is crediting. We had our first blockchain trade transaction last September 2016. Heres a bit more on that.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/02/blockchain-trade-trust-transparency/

Below is an infographic on monitoring blockchain over the last 18months . Green is good. And its very very good.

When you view neccessity as the mother of invention, I absolutely believe blockchain will be adopted around the world within the next 5 years in international trade. Its a complete game changer when discussing borders, customs, and the control of goods and taxes.

When looking at Brexit and the NI/Ireland border, Its important to understand exactly what the issues are, what we already have in place (which works perfectly well) and what the potential solutions are, before jumping up and down in indignation.

The UK government are assuming this knowledge is known. The EU is hoping this knowledge isnt known, and even if it were will do what it can to restrict it. And Leo Varadkar is now apparently living from tweet to tweet.

Just off for some cheery toasted crumpets.

When looking at Brexit and the NI/Ireland border, Its important to understand exactly what the issues are, what we already have in place (which works perfectly well) and what the potential solutions are, before jumping up and down in indignation.

Agreed.

"Exports to Great Britain accounted for 12.3% of total goods exported in 2015 while exports to Northern Ireland accounted for 1.6%.

Imports into Ireland from Great Britain accounted for
24.1% of total goods imported in 2015 while imports from
Northern Ireland accounted for 1.6%".

At 1.6% of ROI goods trade cross border trade with NI is not nearly as significant or prevalent as rhetoric suggests.

www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/statisticalpublications/Brexit.pdf

Howabout- the border issues are not all about trade.

@shhhfastasleep

Absolutely.

But it sounds as though trade and possibly immigration policy (UK and EU) could require the establishment of a border which then causes the problems? Exiting the SM and CU is what will engender the problems everyone is talking about.

Or do I have that wrong?

Yep, leaving the SM which means end to FOM because controlling immigration was the cornerstone of Brexit even if some leavers now deny this.

@GhostofFrankGrimes

Which leavers deny this? I haven’t picked this up?

Olivia,

Within MN threads there has been a complete playing down of the significance of immigration during the referendum by some. This coincides with the realisation that an Irish border won’t work

@GhostofFrankGrimes

Thanks. I thought you meant politicians. Though it is true come to think of it that the politicians have been quiet on this lately.

There’s a deliberately disingenuous ‘misunderstanding’ from some of the more po-faced Remain voters re what ‘control of borders’ means to leave voters.

When we leave the EU, we can decide what borders we want to control & how we want to control them. For example, wrt movement of goods, we could say no border in NI if we wanted, whilst still maintaining border controls elsewhere. We will be free to decide whatever we wish without needing permission from the EU.

The CTA predates the EU free movement, and it will continue, so movement of Irish citizens into NI and the rest of UK & vice versa will continue to be unaffected.

Only people like Ghost continue to make a massive deal about hordes of (imaginary) illegal immigrants using Ireland as a staging post & sneaking into Britain - and she continues to assert that this entirely fictitious scenario will OUTRAGE people who voted for Brexit.
It’s bizarre, & rather unhinged tbh.

Faith, you have been reminded of both the turkey joining eu and breaking point posters. Clear evidence that immigration formed a major part of the leave campaign.

The UK has decided it is leaving the cu and single market. The cta is not the issue it is honouring the GFA and creating a border that is. It is incompatible hence the UK government not having a clue how to solve this issue.

@FaithHopeCharityDesperation

Why do you think that?

First, assuming we leave the SM/CU, the EU will require a border. So there will be one as far as the EU is concerned. For goods and people going into the EU.

Now, are you saying the UK would not have one? So we would allow goods in without checking them for compliance with UK standards? No customs duties - which for some goods (agriculture and autos mainly) is not allowed under WTO (if that’s where we fall)?

No checks on people coming in to be in compliance with immigration policy?

Have I misunderstood?

he cta is not the issue it is honouring the GFA and creating a border that is

I agree, and the UK govt have said they don’t want a border.

The EU however are not happy with no border if we’re out of the CU.

It’s entirely up to the EU whether or not they want a border between Ireland and Uk.
Uk do not want a border between NI & Ireland.

EU have even tried to dictate that UK puts a border within itself which is atrocious.

It’s the illusion of controlling a border. Sorting NI will require pragmatism, give and take. It will not be true control it will be at best compromise and a climb down. Leavers have been played. Unicorns and the cake and eat it brexit do not exist.

After that we will find out that trade deals will be anything but easy.

@FaithHopeCharityDesperation

The EU does not have a choice: it cannot accept a border if the UK is out of SM/CU. That is impossible because of single market rules. It will protect the SM integrity over everything. There is zero chance that 27 need to play by rules and one country does not. That a Brexidiot unicorn.

The suggestion that the UK introduce a border with NI was a provocation: the EU had had enough nonsense from Westminster and wanted to escalate to a commitment from the UK of a solution. Fun and games; no one in the EU thought the UK would accept. Just wanted a reaction which they got.

*Now, are you saying the UK would not have one? So we would allow goods in without checking them for compliance with UK standards? No customs duties - which for some goods (agriculture and autos mainly) is not allowed under WTO (if that’s where we fall)?

No checks on people coming in to be in compliance with immigration policy?*

You haven’t misunderstood, no.

This is why it is ridiculous that the EU are being so intransigent about moving on to trade talks.
The NI/Ireland situation cannot be resolved without talking about a trade deal.

Faith your scenario essentially means a sea border. Anyone can enter NI from RoI undocumented but they could not do the same with other parts of UK. Unionists will not accept a sea border.

@FaithHopeCharityDesperation

This position is impossible for the EU to accept. They are not being intransigent at all. They are protecting the integrity of the single market.

And there is ZERO chance the UK would not check goods on the way in or apply zero duties in contravention of MFN. Not. Gonna. Happen. UK needs to protect its citizens and just imagine the US having ZERO tariff access to the UK via MFN.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

Worth reminding that this is a clusterfuck of the UKs making not the EUs nor Ireland’s.

Anna Soubry rather enjoying the attention a little too much

How can you say this? The woman's had 13 death threats, which is neither something anyone could "enjoy" nor a subject for joking (as I hope you are).

Jo Cox had death threats, too. Are you sugegsting that she might have been "enjoying the attention a little too much"?

That comment about Anna Soubry is incredibly inappropriate :-/

That's about the level of the Leave campaign. "Saboteurs", "Enemies of the People", etc...