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.

Wondering how the your place or mine conversations are going to go when the EMA wants to consult the UK medical agencies and related industry or indeed their US interactions?

Still don't really understand this, though.

And even in the light of your last post. The UK won't be a member state, so what is the pertinence of that statement above.

Happy to be corrected if I am misunderstanding as I have no claims to medical expertise.

That has been the problem with the whole referendum campaign, though, hasn't it? People saying things in a very definite manner when really flying by the seat of their pants. The bus dosh was just a potentiality, not a promise.

It really crystallised just once. When Farage went on TV and said to Andrew Neil that the UK could do something unilaterally to the EU on tariffs to teach them a thing or two. He had been carpet bagging around tv saying this for ages. For once, Neil said that his researchers had said that was not allowed under WTO rules. Farage just went into another 'tell you what, we can just do X,Y or Z then'. Don't know if that was allowed in reality either. Did he say I was just bs'ing before? Did he heck.

Facts are facts, though.

Didn't say anything definitively. Just challenging the assertion that the EMA acts independently and to what extent the UK regulatory framework is or isn't intertwined with it.

As with so much of the debate there is indeed a great deal of misapprehension about the structure of the EU as an overarching framework.

Many non-EU / EEA States, I understand, currently have co-operative arrangements with the EMA and if the UK doesn't remain within the EMA then I would assume this would be the mutually beneficial way forward? Relocation of HQ aside, the regulatory framework changes look essentially cosmetic?

Wee bit cheery news on the Chinese export market front.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42107311

Oh yes and Glasgow has a new distillery. [whisky]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/scotland/scotland_business

On the "1000 plus staff" relocating with EBA and EMA. Turns out less than 200 are FT contract staff. The rest are temps (800) or seconded national experts (20). Less than 100 are UK Nationals who are in line for healthy severance pay and are already being poached by industry.

www.politico.eu/article/ema-eba-staff-london-benefits/

Ah, so "More than 900 well paid staff will no longer be paying taxes and into the local economy" is some kind of good headline in Brexitland...

If not many UK citizens are affected then you have to wonder why David Davis thought the EMA and EBA were worth keeping?

And the knock on effect for local businesses that received trade from EBA and EMA?

Relocation of HQ aside, the regulatory framework changes look essentially cosmetic?

Not quite sure what you mean by this. If it is the EMA, I don't think the nigh on 40,000 hotel bedrooms occupancy per year, with ancillary services, and the relocation of many HQ's is based on a cosmetic agency.

The Netherlands will benefit from billions of Euro extra per year. We're not even talking about the staff.

"Bert Leufkens, chair of the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB), announced that the MEB will increase its scientific capacity to take a larger share of the post-Brexit workload. The Netherlands is investing €10 million to expand the MEB’s capacity and to help strengthen other national medicines agencies across Europe. ‘EMA is not just any organisation,’ said Mr Leufkens. ‘The viability of the European medicines system is at stake and the MEB, as a proven strong regulator, is fully committed to helping EMA to continue functioning effectively.’"

www.government.nl/latest/news/2017/07/11/the-dutch-bid-for-european-medicine-agency

The key issue is that companies will choose preferentially to market their drugs first in EU and only then will they turn to the uk market in the next wave. Uk patients will not get access to new medicines as quickly as they got before when the EU. That is a loss. Because of this the Uk's influence is diminished because their role in the EU system has been voluntarily given up.

Temporary staff means 5 year contracts. All highly paid, high qualified experts. According to an EMEA survey, 80 percent will relocate. Failure to relocate will mean resignation. Without severance pay. Because of their qualifications they will probably get well paid jobs, but many may not want to stay in the uk and they are mobile. National experts will also go.

The EMA's contact with the FDA is on behalf of the EU and is part of a trade agreement. MRA.

The UK doesn't have one of those.

Here's a wee list of the MRA's and the countries on it.

www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/regulation/general/general_content_001843.jsp

By the way, those 5 year contracts can be renewed.

Just to clarify, I don't know if any information has been issued about how the EMA will deal with the issue of British nationals in their employment. Maybe it will be announced nearer the time of leaving. Don't forget some British nationals may have dual nationality, so have options.

I guess that will have to be looked at across the EU institutions and agencies.

Despite Brexit or because of Brexit?

950 new jobs in London and 800 in Manchester with the prospect of better links to NICE/NHS/ UK Government, leading to faster access to the latest medicines for patients.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42131742

"MSD's managing director in the UK and Ireland, Louise Houson, linked the company's investment to the government's approach to the economy: "This investment presents a major opportunity for us to work in collaboration with the UK government to build on the forward thinking and ambitious industrial strategy white paper being published."

The chief executive of Qiagen, Peer Schatz, said the involvement of the University of Manchester, the NHS Trust and the UK government were "essential" to the partnership they are investing in.""

"Mr Clark said the UK's decision to leave the EU meant the strategy was "even more important" and he said political commitments to limit immigration would not hamper the development of research related industries. He said the government would "make it easier for more scientists to come and work in the UK"".

Saw that. It would be good news if it actually happens, but wouldn't count any chickens yet.

faster access to the latest medicines for patients.

That is a bit of a leap. You could possibly say it about medicines produced by Pharma based in the UK and marketing here quickly to a smaller market.

One of the proposed facilities is a research centre and the other a genomics and diagnostics research campus. Not yet in train and doesn't say anything very definite.

And I would take anything Greg Clark says with a crock of salt. Look at the web site of the company.

MSD aren’t creating 950 new jobs - it’s 150 new research jobs and then moving 800 existing staff from its current UK HQ at Hoddesdon to create a new London HQ.

www.msd-uk.com/static/pdf/MSD%20press%20statement-Jewel%20announcement.pdf

Interesting 'cos BBC has this statement

"MSD, known as Merck in North America, will support a new research centre in London creating around 950 new posts."

Which makes you wonder about the report of Quigen creating up to 800 jobs

Reminds me of those blinkin' sales which lure me in with the sign 'up to 70% off'. And then you find out most things are nowhere that discount price.

Qiagen

And the BBC also adds 950 to 800 and comes up with 1850

Can’t find any Qiagen press releases but wrt MSD Reuters reporting:

MSD said it viewed Britain as a world-leader in science, although a spokeswoman said Brexit raised "some very real concerns" for the supply chain, drug regulation and the ability to attract talent to Britain.

Agnes I thought that too on first reading, but actually it is "800 additional staff for the UK domestic market and other European clinical functions,"

My assumption is these jobs may have been going to Dublin if EMA decision had gone differently?

Laughing at the BBC's editorial shortcomings on 950 + 800. (Just been looking at the UCAS student number stories. The Scottish figures are presented in 2 entirely inconsistent manners because the BBC Scotland team have lifted the Scottish government press release which presents a very different picture than the UCAS press release. The complications in the underlying data mean it would take a bit of journalistic head scratching to join the dots. As noted earlier this seems to be sorely lacking in the era of fast news).

Another person could make the assumption they still might. If we're going by what we feel in our water. The old adage about the first three letters in the word assumption.

It just says It is also envisaged that the new site will accommodate approximately 800 additional staff for the UK domestic market and other European clinical functions currently based in MSD in the UK’s Hoddesdon headquarters. It doesn't say it will create positions for 800 additional staff.

They currently employ around 1,400 people in the UK. It may be a rejigging. It may even be a consolidation dressed up as new jobs. We shall see what happens.

The pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply centre in Cramlington, Northumberland This will be the interesting one to watch.

pharmaboardroom.com/pharmadirectory/merck-sharp-dohme-limited-msd/

Came across this. Wonder what is going on at the Hoddesdon site. Has it been sold and MSD are relocating?

"26 SEPTEMBER 2016 NEWS
Pharmaron to acquire Merck Sharpe & Dohme’s Hoddesdon research facility in UK"