Who stands to gain if we crash out?

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Rachel Johnson said something deeply concerning. And the media have all but ignored it. They have done no more than report it.

She commented that there are people who have invested billions in shortening the pound, that they need us to crash out, and that there effectively may be pressure on Boris due to these people. In her interview yesterday.

So basically if you buy dollars, for example, then sell them when we crash out, because the pound will drop between an estimated 25-40 percent, you then get 25-40 percent more pounds when you sell. You then wait for the pound to stabilise and you've cashed in and made a small fortune. One example of how you can cash in on no deal.

Why are the media not exploring who stands to gain if we crash out? What influence do these people have on the prime minister if any? None of the opposition parties have commented on it either.

Everyone is focusing on language, but for me, the thought there may be people who need a no deal brexit, and who will make a fortune if it happens, or loose big if it doesn't, is something deeply concerning.

Any views?

Those Leavers who are happy to go No Deal (and not all Leavers are, are they?) are so entrenched they will not listen to anything said against the idea.

They are playing right into the hands of hedge funders like Odious Odey.

The people at the top simply don’t care. Big business keep making junk which is killing the planet, business men keep making money, and it feels like a significant majority are selfish bastards who only care about themselves (and presumably their immediate family). I have no idea how we can solve it.

I agree with you @adagio. But the ordinary person is complicit too as they buy all that junk and fall for the lie that having a good life is about having more and more "stuff".

I also agree OP that the fact that the PMs sister has said that he is under pressure from people who stand to gain financially is something very significant and alarming that in any other times would be jumped upon by the media

This is it. It's a huge deal that's being swept under the carpet and all but ignored.

Lljkk posts links to interesting articles (thank you) that shows that it is absolutely suspected and some media are exploring it, but this should be headline news.

If there is a whisper of corruption, even a suggestion of it, then it should be headline news everywhere. Instead the media is focusing on some woman receiving business funds, the language he uses. When underneath it there is the whisper of a scandal bigger than watergate. Why is no one in opposition asking the question? They surely know.

If there is nothing there, and what his sister has suggested, even what his brother has suggested, that he's not working in the public's interests, is incorrect, then investigate it and close it. If there is something there then the public have the right to know that there is a potential those who have influence are standing to gain billions collectively and there may be a hidden agenda.

Sorry, it was the Benn Act, not the WA, that Johnson has been calling "Surrender Bill".

MrsMaiselsMuff, if people are already using that language to canvasses, maybe use the same terms back to them? (I'm no fan of it, but subverting it will be more effective than trying to stop people using it.)

Ie, Boris is complaining about surrendering to ordinary Leave voters, who were expecting an orderly departure. He wants to crash out to please his friends in the City – his own sister said so.

Apparently Philip Hammond has written about this in todays Times

That's interesting that Hammond has now raised it, albeit gently. I wonder if people are starting to sit up and think about this now and if it will gain momentum (pun intended).

It's unthinkable that it isn't discussed as it's potentially so huge

I'd do a petition but I can't because of my job. But if Hammond is starting to talk about it, and his sister has put it out there, his brother has hinted at it, hopefully it will be seriously discussed.

It's the 'people v the elite' narrative that BJ/Cummings are pushing that's really sickening because they know it's actually the reverse. Sadly though people are falling for it and the opposition parties really need get their act together to call them on this at every opportunity.

We'll crash out with no deal, certain wealthy people will become even more wealthy while ordinary folk become poorer.
These wealthy people, through the media will blame the 'remain elite' for this and there we have it!

Completely agree @adagio. All of that right wing reinforcement from the tabloids counts too.

Slight tangent, but there's also too much of this going on, in all spheres But it's the subject every one is avoiding. There's far too many things going on that we're not allowed to mention, because we're too nice (contrast the right wing screaming headlines) or because we mustn't make a fuss, or we'll appear to be snowflakes. There's a couple of specifics I'm thinking of: one, the amount of violence and aggression in Britain. How long have public figures been receiving regular death threats and other abuse and been told to suck it up? Would that have been a regular feature of politics in past times? Perhaps it would and I'm looking through rose-tinted spectacles, but perhaps not. The other specific is the lack of communication across the board, not being able to tell higher-ups everywhere that their favourite projects are just not bloody working. That really kicked in Blair times, as far as I know, and it's got worse and worse until we have these completely out of touch and untouchable classes at the top.
So much talk of social skills and communities around at the moment, but actual communication and exchange of information that matters just does not happen.

Instead the media is focusing on some woman receiving business funds

That allegation is also about corruption. Oh and sleaze. Because the start of her wealth was as a pole-dancer

the language he uses

That is important too. I suppose he's playing to the crowd who see him as 'plain speaking'. I could be fascinated by the factors of those who find this appealing, if I wasn't horrified.

When underneath it there is the whisper of a scandal bigger than watergate. Why is no one in opposition asking the question?

Lacks the simple optics of a simple wrongdoing (unlike the Ukraine-allegations accuations against Trump). Sadly.

@ragged So many parallels with Trump. We laughed and mocked crazy Americans for falling for Trumps lies and rhetoric and now here we are.

Yes here we are, and it's getting nasty in parliament, and I think it's going to get nastier, as Boris tries desperately to crash us out and parliament try desperately to stop him.

I simply don't get it. I get there are people who will make a lot of money from it. But what about after. It's not short term disruption, it's years.

Yes they can declare a state of emergency, yes they can employ 20k extra police officers but how many people can genuinely stand for a 30-40 percent increase in the cost of living. The anger will be huge. I just don't get it. Will they all fuck off abroad to live or something.

It won’t be years it’ll be decades.

Will they all fuck off abroad to live or something. Probably, or they will be living in places isolated by huge estates. It's never the seriously rich people that get targeted, they all live too far away. It's the slightly better off people on the hill in the same town who'll catch it. I also wonder if we'll see a big return of private 'security guards', or by another term, armies.

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Thanks dusty that's really interesting. I seriously hope they get the investigation. This question needs to be asked and answered, who stands to gain and what influence do they have over the prime minister.

I can't believe it took the pms sister to raise it, and Hammond to push it further, before any one wrote and requested an investigation. And it's still not being reported in places like the mail.

It's bigger than watergate if it's found to be true. And yet much of rhe populist media is ignoring it totally.

It’s in the Independent online this morning. Can’t post it now but think it’s one of the main stories.

Boris Johnson always acted "with probity". Funniest thing I've heard in a while. On Broadcasting Ho. this morning (R4) where the same interviewee (Manchester Tory conf delegate?) was asked about whether BJ was only acting in the hedge funds' interests.

This is really good news I think, and maybe leads us to understand which media owners may be involved as they refuse to mention it, I really hope it grows legs and this is just the start of it.

It should be everywhere and being debated in parliament. I would like Jacob Rees mogg to answer if him, his wife or his companies will financially benefit, and I'd like other MPs to do the same.

And the party backers, how much do they give to the party and do they stand to gain, how much influence do these people have.

Because let's be honest, this is an insinuation of corruption at the highest level.

And the party backers, how much do they give to the party and do they stand to gain, how much influence do these people have.

I agree OP but sadly I think the level of corruption and influence within politics and the media is so now so entrenched and powerful that this question will conveniently get swallowed up by some other noise or distraction this week. The same happened with the vote Leave campaign - blatant lies and propaganda, electoral fraud and dodgy backers with ulterior motives. There was a time that if this sort of thing were happening in another country it would be big news here with calls for international observers to oversee free and fair elections.

Interestingly the mail has now mentioned it. But only to completely rubbish it, in an article that actually raises more questions than it rubbishes. Says something about the powers that be there, We all knew they were not independent but this goes too far, they did it as opinion as opposed to reporting it and asking the question.

And the mail comments show a total lack of understanding, an article saying the "wealthy wish us to leave" and the comments are, "yes the wealthy want us to remain".

At least though it is garnering attention, irrelevant of what side of th fence you sit on.

It was on Irish radio this am - apparently Mrs Oddly (I am surely not spelling that right) was on the board of Northern Rock that completely failed to take the appropriate steps when necessary?

The presenter annoyed me by saying it was the Labour Party pointing out about the shorting when it was Rachel Johnson and Philip Hammond. Neither known as Labour Party supporters.

Apparently you can short the FTSE 100 and 250 as well as the pound.

And the interviewee said he doubted Boris Johnson actually understands any of this stuff, (can't blame Boris for this, I don't understand how it works either) but that Dominic Cummings certainly does.

Radio 4 will shortly be discussing who stands to make money from a no deal Brexit

Discussing now