Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[The Larch]

Sweden and the UK usually has the same views on a lot of stuff, with UK out Sweden loses a friend in the union. It also increases the weight of the southern/eastern europeans and I don't want the southern/eastern europeans to have even more to say on the future of the union. I really don't want more integration if that means that Sweden will become more like Italy, Spain or Poland. The UK leaving is most definitely a great loss for the EU as well as for the UK.

I can only roll my eyes so hard. Spare us your sanctimoniusness.

[Threviel]

I'm sorry to annoy you so in the middle of siesta time. Very rude of me.

[The Larch]

I'm sorry to annoy you so in the middle of siesta time. Very rude of me.

Fuck off.

[Threviel]

I think I quite deserved that one. I formulated myself badly and I can see why you got mad. It probably didn't help that I responded with nasty characterisation. Sorry 'bout that.

To be less antagonistic:

Sweden has a lot in common with the UK with regards to the EU. Both countries have a generally critical view with large parts of the population wanting to leave. Both countries opted out of the Euro and both countries are often against further integration. In the UK Sweden loses the "great power" most closely aligned to it. For Sweden it is a loss and it lessens our power to influence.

Sweden also has one of the most open bureaucracies in the EU. All paperwork, unless personal or national security demands it, are for example public. We have very low corruption and we want to keep it that way. I can't really find any good real numbers on corruption, but from what I can see it seems I was unduly harsh on Spain.

Now, I don't want the Italian, Greek or Romanian style bureaucracies taking over the EU. I like the open, quite corruption free style that we have in Sweden. I also don't want a quick forced integration, that might result in a nasty Swexit.

[mongers]

Just 921 hours to Brexit.

And MPs are 'talking' about doing "something" to force May's hand within the next couple of weeks. 

[Tamas]

Just 921 hours to Brexit.

And MPs are 'talking' about doing "something" to force May's hand within the next couple of weeks. 

You should just ignore everything until about 22nd of March. Nothing of substance is likely to happen 'til then.

[Tamas]

The number of EU workers in the UK fell by 61,000 at a time when the employment rate for British and non-EU workers has soared, according to new official figures which have been seized on by figures from opposing sides of the Brexit divide.

There was an estimated 2.33 million workers from the European Union between October to December in 2017, but that figure dropped to 2.27 million a year later. A notable drop in workers from eight eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004 had largely accounted for the decrease.

This contrasted with an increase in the number of non-EU workers in the UK, jumping from 1.16 million to 1.29 million in the same time period. This was an increase of 130,000 compared with the equivalent period 12 months earlier, and the highest number the highest number since records started in 1997.

It is probably in bad taste from me to concentrate on this, but it does amuse me a bit, because I doubt the general idea behind Leave-voters desire to curtail EU immigration was to replace it with a growing outside-EU one.

[Iormlund]

I don't want to be pessimistic, but the way automotive works is around economies of scale. If enough OEMs shift their production out, the big Tier 1 & 2s will do likewise, and the the rest of the suppliers will be turbofucked.

That is my understanding of the industry too. So you have 3500 folk at the primary plant, 10,000 or so at suppliers and who knows how many jobs supported by these people's wages.

Assuming that the tariff barriers go up I can see only one possible silver lining. The British car market is quite large and we also drive on the left-hand side. It would give plants based in the UK a competitive advantage for domestic sales against foreign competition. On that basis a manufacturer such as Nissan might target a much larger market share and expand production for the UK domestic market. All very 1950s of course........

The problem is it is not cost-efficient to make a plant build a dozen models. So most if not all your cars will have to come from elsewhere.

Also, suppliers work for different OEMs across multiple plants. For example we currently make components for VW (Navarre, Catalonia & Portugal), Renault (Valladolid), Ford (Germany & Valencia) and Opel (Zaragoza). If half of those plants shut down, our management would have to rethink our presence in the area.

[mongers]

Just 921 hours to Brexit.

And MPs are 'talking' about doing "something" to force May's hand within the next couple of weeks. 

You should just ignore everything until about 22nd of March. Nothing of substance is likely to happen 'til then.

Also, 918 hours to Brexit.

[Josquius]

Anyone going to the march on the 23rd? I'm considering the hike.
If at least so I can tell my kids I was on the right side of history and all that.
Languish meet?

[mongers]

Anyone going to the march on the 23rd? I'm considering the hike.
If at least so I can tell my kids I was on the right side of history and all that.
Languish meet?

Sorry, I'll be busy prepping by then. 

Nice idea about a Lanugish brexit meet up, iirc RH was thinking of being in London in April.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Indeed I am; for several days, part of a larger catch-up with my people down south.

[Zoupa]

I think I quite deserved that one. I formulated myself badly and I can see why you got mad. It probably didn't help that I responded with nasty characterisation. Sorry 'bout that.

To be less antagonistic:

Sweden has a lot in common with the UK with regards to the EU. Both countries have a generally critical view with large parts of the population wanting to leave. Both countries opted out of the Euro and both countries are often against further integration. In the UK Sweden loses the "great power" most closely aligned to it. For Sweden it is a loss and it lessens our power to influence.

Sweden also has one of the most open bureaucracies in the EU. All paperwork, unless personal or national security demands it, are for example public. We have very low corruption and we want to keep it that way. I can't really find any good real numbers on corruption, but from what I can see it seems I was unduly harsh on Spain.

Now, I don't want the Italian, Greek or Romanian style bureaucracies taking over the EU. I like the open, quite corruption free style that we have in Sweden. I also don't want a quick forced integration, that might result in a nasty Swexit.

The EU doesn't do quick and it doesn't force integration. I'm not sure where you get your weird ethnic views from either.

[mongers]

Another Labour MP leaves to join the independent group.

Rumours are a handful of Tory remainer MPs might join it tomorrow, Wednesday. Including a couple of high profile one.

[Valmy]

Some sort of Remainer revolt? They need about 300 more if they are going to topple May.