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Who would have predicted that removing ourselves from a large single market and customs union would make it being harder to source food and other goods? Oh, that’s right, everyone with a shred of honesty and the smallest necessary amount of understanding of trade.
The basic, number one, real-world effect of what 'we' have done to ourselves is to make us more difficult to trade with. That will always lead to increased bureaucracy, increased supply chain issue, increased price to the consumer and decreased choice for the consumer. I reckon most chimps could be trained to realise this.
I love the irony of chavs thinking Brexit will make them better off. It's kind of sweet in a way.
😅
There was a retail analyst on radio 4 this morning saying that when all the customs and import/export restrictions come fully into force in October (we ain’t seen nothing yet, remember!), with the huge increase in red tape, the ‘just in time’ logistics model we’ve just accepted and relied on for decades is now no longer viable in the UK.
So the days of walking into any supermarket and just assuming that they’ll have everything you want, just sat there on the shelf waiting for you, are over. Finished.
The UK alone will now have to develop a completely different supply chain model and do this with an enormous Labour shortage in the key areas required to do so, while dealing with mountains of paperwork, regulations and barriers that didn’t exist before
Well done Brexiteers, you ****ing geniuses!
*slow handclap*
I’d love to think that it’s going to royally kick off at Christmas when people are fighting each other to the death for the last pack of mince pies in Asda but the government will just wave some flags and blue passports at the *ing morons who voted for this lunacy and they’ll all stand together and sing Rule *ing Brittania
****s!!
I'm beginning to think an extra freezer and a bit of pre-December stocking up might be in order. I don't want my Christmas messing up by a bunch of knuckle-dragging racist halfwits.
I didn't vote for this, so if I get an extra turkey by default and a Brexiteer doesn't, then that's an extra intangible Crimbo present for me. Even if I don't need an extra one. I might consider selling it on the 24th, but the pricing will be means tested. Did you vote Leave? No = you can have it for what I paid. Yes = £500 and you have to wear a dunce's hat for the rest of Advent.
**** the morons, it's every man for himself.
So the Mail have finally realised that working with he EU to limit cross-border beaurocracy and delays benefits both sides...
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If only they had realised that a few years ago.
So the Mail have finally realised that working with he EU to limit cross-border beaurocracy and delays benefits both sides…
Jeez, how far through the looking glass have we gone?
the daily fail had irony bypass about 50 years ago, **** 'em
They state both sides will be "gravely damaged". One side might be, the other has a barely noticeable scratch.
The lie/assumption that "they need us more than we need them" always did make me smile wryly. People have to eat but no-one wants to import stuff they don't need and competes unfairly with stuff made locally. That was how it was seen here, we don't want you lot under cutting us but we know you need to eat. Barnier knew exactly what the UK wanted from Briexit, it was all over the British press. The agreement gave him the means of quashing every one of those wants.
That M&S only complain now a month before the deadline makes me smile wider. European businesses have been living with what M&S are about to face for eight months, and it's barely caused a ripple.
Brexit = project self harm.
That was entirely predictable and predicted by many of us on the original Brexit thread. Strangely those so keen on Brexit are only just waking up to the mess they've made and blaming those in the EU with the foresight to take measures to mitigate the mess on this side.
I’ve been going over and back to Pembrokeshire a few times every summer for about ten years now (don’t go, it’s rubbish!) and this year, I’ve really noticed the difference in numbers of Irish reg played HGVs. Seems the direct-to-Europe Ro-ro services are still seeing relatively high volumes - and I guess COVID has contributed to this too. I wonder if it will continue in a similar vein.
I’m relieved that once Priti’s “starve them” plan is put into action, Ireland has an alternative.
There’d be a delicious irony if Ireland had to supply the U.K. with potatoes for its Christmas roasts*. 😂
*just for the LOLz really - in truth, I don’t think Ireland manage to produce enough spuds for potato self-sufficiency.
deadlydarcy
Free MemberThere’d be a delicious irony if Ireland had to supply the U.K. with potatoes for its Christmas roasts*. 😂
*just for the LOLz really – in truth, I don’t think Ireland manage to produce enough spuds for potato self-sufficiency.
Seed potato imports/exports are still not included in the trade deals and DEFRA decided to end the derogation they'd put in place so the 30000 tons of seed potatoes that used to go from Scotland to NI and Ireland now can't. Takes time to sort out that sort of supply chain disaster...
The UK is a f*****g shit show.
The Daily Mail needs burning.
The Daily Mail needs burning.
There's a market for it among the hard of thinking. It ain't going anywhere.
Interesting story about the restranaut trade
My take on this is that the low-wage/high hours culture required there to be a pool of available workers to provide the base of the pyramid and keep expectations down at all levels. Brexit has eliminated much of that pool, and Covid has encouraged people with skills to take elsewhere who were hanging in to get out (and not regret it). A bit of a perfect storm.
I'd hope that the working culture in restaurants will change. A friend of my lad is a talented trainee chef, and his hours were horrendous. If nothing else, he's now on slightly better money, but he's stuck with it as he loves it.
That couple who owned the restaurant in the story linked by greyspoke, I wonder if it's dawned on them yet that their staff weren't that happy after all?
We were in the Cairngorms this weekend, quite interesting how many vacancy notices we saw, plus in the local 'tourist' publication I was reading - lots of hotels had vacancy adverts.
But which Brits are going to take a seasonal job at £9.50 who don't actually live there? And it's not like accommodation is cheap or available.
I think Basic Income would help a lot. If you can move to a local area and work on your own projects (or smoke weed and watch Netflix for six months) but knowing you could have extra income from seasonal work for part of the year that would make a massive difference to rural communities.
I think Basic Income would help a lot.
As with so many things. The idea that fear of starvation and homelessness is needed to get the workers doing what needs doing needs to be shown the door.
Apparently the relaunched Brexit Party (nee Reform Party, nee Brexit Party etc) has had it's bank account closed, current leader Richard Tice is having a meltdown about it, but there's more going on than meets the eye...
^^^
£7.7m of unitemised 'Other Expenses'.
I'm sure I could find a way to be comfortable with that. So long as someone replaced my brain with a turnip. Or (more likely) bunged me a few hundred £k to look the other way.
Thanks @PMJ1974, that's a fascinating thread. It would appear that setting up another political party for Farage is impossible. No wonder he's grifting on YouTube and GB News
Its something that will finally directly effect a lot of Brexit voters: Spoons has run out of Carling 😂
https://twitter.com/marieannuk/status/1432975095316860929?s=21
Brexit has eliminated much of that pool, and Covid has encouraged people with skills to take elsewhere who were hanging in to get out (and not regret it).
I have 2 mates who worked in hospitality for years. During Covid, as everything was shut down, they had to find jobs in other areas. They're both intelligent and educated with transferable skills so they didnt struggle.
Now everything has opened up again I asked them if they would be looking to return to the hospitality sector
After considering the question for approximately a quarter of a millisecond, they replied “not a ****ing chance!”
Why the hell would they go back to working longer, antisocial hours for shit pay instead of the 9-5 they have now, on better pay?
Looks like plenty of other people have reached the same conclusion. So its not just EU nationals going home. Covid has provided the catalyst for people to look for better jobs
It's nice when the market on occasion works for individuals. And very inconvenient for exploitative industries when the thing that was supposed to lower their costs via deregulation ends up increasing them, and teaching their staff the lifelong lesson that their labour has value.
Tim Martin won't care all that much. He'll cash out, sell Spoons on and **** off into the sunset with a smaller, but still astonomical to a normal person, amount.
Still - Bollocks to Brexit and all who sail in her.
🏴🍆💦🏴
MrsRNP has bought wine direct from Portugal for years, nothing big or fancy, its decent price good quality and the company out there are always good to deal with. Usually buys around £100 and shipping is ~£30.
Latest post Brexit shipment was £106 for the wine. £130 DHL invoice for vat/duty/handling charge arrived today 2weeks after the wine arrived.
1st world problem I know.
*waves from Australia*
When we first moved out here from the UK, availability of stuff I wanted to buy was really noticeable.
Certain products just aren't available in Australia at all, and somethings months behind them becoming available in other countries.
If they are sold over here - they'll often be available only through a single or relatively small number of suppliers - and often the price is identical. Sometimes an item is sold-out at all suppliers over here for months at a time (even pre-covid).
If you try to buy something from abroad, often they don't ship to Australia at all, and if so, often the price is exorbitant. Even small items are $50 for standard shipping from smaller retailers (M&S, JL etc are much cheaper)
But here, if you import something under $1,000, there is no importation tax due.
I think this new reality is going to be a bit of a culture shock for people.
Brexit may rid of us of the annoying “We Value Your Privacy” pop-ups…
… but what will replace it and will our privacy be removed and exploited instead?
Point of order here, and it's an important one,
The old EU cookie policy and GDPR are very, very different beasts. It's akin to equating "immigrants" and "refugees" as being the same thing. Please be vigilant and tread very carefully here, we're potentially being sold a strip-mining of human rights under the guise of "yes but pop-ups."
So the Mail have finally realised
Mail on Sunday, again, different beast.
Why the hell would they go back to working longer, antisocial hours for shit pay instead of the 9-5 they have now, on better pay?
Begs the question: why didn't they do that before?
So Brexit/Covid (as applicable) encouraged them get better jobs?
In other words (not that I think it's a good thing at a macro level) the jobs market post Brexit/Covid appears to have delivered a good result for them?
The old EU cookie policy and GDPR are very, very different beasts
Yep, details matter but the majority of people can't handle* detail.
* - applies to most subjects
There is a huge selection of quality English wines to choose from, you just need to believe harder. If you think of Blighty and have Rule Britannia on really loud you won't notice you are drinking something with tasting notes that read "Overriding flavour of piss, but subtle undertones of paintstripper".
First World problem, yes, but what are we getting in return for this massive reduction in choice and increase in price?
Yep, details matter but the majority of people can’t handle* detail.
The Devil is in the detail.
First World problem, yes, but what are we getting in return for this massive reduction in choice and increase in price?
Sovereignty.... you get a bucket of it with every purchase.
Anyone doing a fast track HGV Course then 🙂
Sovereignty…. you get a bucket of it with every purchase.
The bucket has a hole in it, though.
But it does have a reassuring 'Made in Brittun' (sic) sticker on it, though.
🤦♂️
Sovereignty…. you get a bucket of it with every purchase.
Unfortunately due to the beer shortage at Wetherspoon's the piss, sorry, sovereignty, is no longer supplied with the bucket. It should be back in stock sometime in 2023.
^^^
😂
Must admit I've got the popcorn out waiting to see if the actually do anything with letting furrigner drivers back but I reckon they'll just pass the buck to industry.
I suppose you let one lot of furrigners back then you'll have to let the pickers back as well and all the others which is going to be against the mantra....
What level of discomfort do the public have to take before they're a bit fed up of supply shortages.
I'm also thinking of the people moving from one industry to another.... creating shortages in the industry they leave.
What level of discomfort do the public have to take before they’re a bit fed up of supply shortages.
That's been the big question since 2016.
Unfortunately the answer is 'quite a lot' as Brexit was very successfully tied to bone-headed national 'pride', racism and xenophobia. Admitting it is a colossal mistake challenges those deep-seated prejudices too.
RustyNissanPrairie - you're lucky Mrs RNP's suppler is still delivering to the UK.
A Spanish company I used last year suspended deliveries to UK in January and have no plans to resume anytime in the foreseeable future.
A Spanish company I used last year suspended deliveries to UK in January and have no plans to resume anytime in the foreseeable future.
Given all the unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape, why would they?
Letting foreign drivers back in won't solve the problem - the shortage of drivers is Europe is estimated at 400,000+ (and also an issue in the USA) and has been growing since 2018:
2021 - https://www.globalcoldchainnews.com/driver-shortage-is-pan-european/
There are several supply and demand factors at play:
Supply:
- an ageing workforce
- poor pay that has pushed many drivers into finding other roles with the same pay that don't involve antisocial hours
- loss of truck stops / basic amenities for drivers
- the slow down in new drivers being trained / licensed even before covid hit
- unwillingness of firms to pay for driver training
- civil servants (UK) sitting on their hands and doing very little to get test centres and the provisional license process up and running
- backlog in trained drivers waiting for tests / full license
- IR35 impacting drivers that own their cabs and are now unable to recover the capital or operating costs
Demand:
- massive modal shifts due to the pandemic resulting in an even greater demand for drivers
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/02/empty-shelves-britain-workforce-workers
This is as clear-eyed an analysis of where we're headed - and why - I've read in some time.
Brexit is merely a symptom.
Letting foreign drivers back in won’t solve the problem
Agreed. They won't come. Well, some with the contacts and friends already here might come back for the right price... but we've sent the message loud and clear to EU drivers... make your lives somewhere else... we'd rather shoot ourselves in both feet than have you living here. The message has sunk in now, better work and lives can be had elsewhere, with the rights and opportunities and respect that they won't get here.
Surely a shortage of drivers, while a short term problem, is partly answered by more goods trains?
Dust off all the branch lines and mobilise the pony and carts to distribute from the local sidings.
Or get the RAF to parachute pallets in to Tesco car parks,
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But does need to be compared to imports and internal sales over that same time.
But does need to be compared to imports and internal sales over that same time.
So we have a truck shortage and a truckle surplus.
Surely a shortage of drivers, while a short term problem, is partly answered by more goods trains?
Nah you still need drivers for the end distribution, plus the railways are full already.
This is as clear-eyed an analysis of where we’re headed – and why – I’ve read in some time.
Brexit is merely a symptom.
Yep TBH us old uns bang on a lot of how nothings made here.
(I actually started my IT career in a shoe company loading mag tapes,course it wasn't long before the land was worth more as housing than as a factory as making shoes is a bit labour intensive and you couldn't be competitive against making it abroad.(Plus 50 Safety shoes).
Took a pay cut from an office job as well.)
Ah so this is the tip of the iceberg.
Interestingly I did see some one going on about how you've heard very little reported about the Swindon Honda factory closing and machinists finding that the pay outside is 50% less.
Interestingly I did see some one going on about how you’ve heard very little reported about the Swindon Honda factory closing and machinists finding that the pay outside is 50% less.
It's being repurposed as a tat distribution centre isn't it?
More jobs, but less pay. Just what the likes of Truss et al were on about in Britannia Unchained. This bunch of chancers do not want an educated workforce.
Edit: From that Graun article:
Germany’s Angela Merkel shouts about her highly trained workforce; Boris Johnson brags about how cheap his labourers are.
Never a truer word.
Germany’s Angela Merkel shouts about her highly trained workforce; Boris Johnson brags about how cheap his labourers are.
20 years ago I worked for a UK-based PLC with equivalent businesses in both the UK and Germany (plus many other countries) and we did live in Germany for a while while working for them. Something I saw was that the UK-based Executives were quite happy that the two businesses were run on 'cultural' lines with the German one very organisationally and technology led while the UK one concentrated on spending as little as they could. Germany spent (capital) near double what the UK did and it was accepted that they'd contribute less 'cash' into the PLC ordinarily, but interesting that their contribution was more stable and the UK businesses also suffered more outages and 'issues'.
My current experience of UK management 'culture' is that it's getting worse (for the vast majority of staff) and moving more to the American model - there's a line, and if you're below the line you're expendable and if you're above it you're showered with riches. Unfortunately I've only been above the 'line' a couple of times 🙂
Investment in the best tools always pays it back, even as a small business we buy all top of the range IT kit and we are all on starlink working from home with back up 4g wifi routers, all using fully loaded surface pros with a back up desktop and multiple monitors.
Phones are also all top of the range, some people might think this is overkill but i like the best belt and braces and a spare pair of trousers...
Slight change of tack but I notice no overt government condemnation of the racist abuse suffered by England's black players in Budapest.
In all honesty everyone knows there'll be racist abuse dished out in Hungary because their government condones it.
Less edifying for the UK is that we are now lumped in with Poland and Hungary in many European assessments of politics across the continent. And they're right. It makes me want to puke.
The plight of a British farmer who has lost the Europeans who used to pick, process and transport his carrots made TF1 news tonight. They said 80% of British food is imported, no idea how accurate that is.
Didn't make the ****ing Beeb News, though.
Censored.
It is on the German news most evenings
They said 80% of British food is imported, no idea how accurate that is.
Did they say “fresh” food? Sounds about right there. If you include ambient beverages the % falls a lot. There must be a pretty graph somewhere…
Probably not directly censored. My guess is that the BBC is feeling threatened by the government (deliberately) so it needs to keep as many viewers as it can, and it daren't risk upsetting the large numbers of leave voters by appearing pro-remain. Government exerting 'soft' but string influence rather than actively censoring. Cos it doesn't need to. The BBC can say what it likes about government incompetence or scandal, no-one cares, the government knows this. But it can let that happen to make it look like it's letting the BBC be impartial.
They said 80% of British food is imported, no idea how accurate that is
It varies seasonally, in winter we get almost all of our fresh fruit and veg from abroad, most of it from southern hemisphere (eu drops tarifs during winter, despite what Rees Mogg etc said)
Probably not directly censored
TBH may as well be, but it’s all being countered by the papers attempting to cover for the shortages not being Brexit related.
No empty supermarkets shelves where I am and plenty of beer and Diet Coke and I haven’t heard of blood tests being cancelled and my bins still being emptied.
It’s very bizarre sitting on the outside looking at you going down the rabbit hole.
TLDR : number of Germans studying in the UK has halved.
Some will no doubt cheer every step towards isolation and division. I find it depressing and disheartening.
Some will no doubt cheer every step towards isolation and division. I find it depressing and disheartening.
Those that are cheering are the ones who feel most threatened by anyone who can string a sentence together - foreign or not.
TLDR : number of Germans studying in the UK has halved.
A friend's son is currently trying to get to Manchester. The year in a UK university was signed for before "the deal" and he couldn't pull out and still get the qualification. It's been an administrative nightmare with a series of Catch 22 situations over paperwork. We've done our best to help but when it's impossible to get hold of anyone at Manchester and e-mails aren't answered, we aren't much help. Current situation is limbo simply because he started filling out a form on line for a visa, missed a box and found he couldn't navigate back to the page to correct.
What it has done is give father and son a lousy impression of everything English before he's even got there. Students who enjoy their expereinces abroad are great ambassadors for that country even if they don't stay. Not only will there be fewer ambassadors, they're likely to take a negative impression away with them.
What it has done is give father and son a lousy impression of everything English before he’s even got there.
That'll teach the devious kraut. Sponging off of our universities, taking our, er, rooms in halls, flirting with our, er, female students.
At least he found out now, rather than having the shit kicked out of him by a bunch of scallies patriotic English boys for sounding 'forrin'.
There'll always be an England and England shall be....etc.
MrsRNP has found her Irish grandmother's birth certificate, gonna take an age to sort and we should have done it years ago but 🤞 EU residency here we come.
FU Boris.
I need to do the same with my grandad's birth/death cert
Guess we're still waiting for that magic technology solution to come into effect.
On the plus side, I see The Telegraph is reporting that Scottish independence is going to be like "Brexit times 10"
How good is that going to be!!?!?
The Telegraph is reporting that Scottish independence is going to be like “Brexit times 10”
In terms of the Tory nastiness/bullshit then very probably.
If Scotland goes independent and immediately rejoins the EU, then they will be better off than the rest of the UK.
On the plus side, I see The Telegraph is reporting that Scottish independence is going to be like “Brexit times 10”
Wow!
Based on them saying Brexit would be brill - then SCExit will be FANTASTIC, as FANTASTIC is ten times brill 🙂
I've mentioned this elsewhere, UK politics and business have a lot in common, far too many see it as a game. See the crap being spouted by M&S.
So rather than actually fix problems it's about who can be blamed whilst you line up the next roll.
So rather than actually fix problems it’s about who can be blamed whilst you line up the next roll.
Immigrants, EU, Remainers, lefties etc.
Just keep cycling through.
Immigrants, EU, Remainers, lefties etc.
Just keep cycling through.
My m8s theory was that by removing the eu from the decision making it would stop the government from blaming everything on them and they would be held more accountable.
Ah well,like all good plans lasted till the boots hit the floor.
In it or out of it it’s still the EUs fault.
Shit-filled rivers as another Brexit Benefit delivered. Add that to motorway pile-ups due to dozing HGV drivers.
Temporary my arse.
^ drivers are not just Brexshit, but it's worrying too read that.
Why are they not asking military to assist with such fundamental things?
Another promise over protecting the environment broken.
-
In other news, my brother in law who is finance director at an NHS trust has written his querterly letter to Prime Minister. He usually requests his share of £350m a week, but now he's upped the game by asking for confirmation of NI rise + £350m share.
Why are they not asking military to assist with such fundamental things?
Assuming this is a serious question.
UK armed forces are no where near big enough to have the manpower to cover a shortfall of 100k drivers.
The total is about 150k+50k reservists, of the 150k there aren't 100k with HGV licences and of those 50k many of those with HGV licences will already be driving as the day job.
Yes you can find a handful, but it's simply PR and not a practical solution.
Now how about offering visas to Afghanis with HGV licences or willing to train....
In other news, my brother in law who is finance director at an NHS trust has written his querterly letter to Prime Minister. He usually requests his share of £350m a week, but now he’s upped the game by asking for confirmation of NI rise + £350m share.
Ha. Came here to ask if anyone had heard what they're spending the £18bn a year from the red bus on...
Brexit + climate change … as you were expecting (unless you were one of those shouting “Project Fear” with your fingers in your ears)…
https://twitter.com/femi_sorry/status/1435547227599118336?s=21
https://twitter.com/samcoatessky/status/1435549961018544132?s=21
https://twitter.com/samuelmarclowe/status/1435551075810086920?s=21