It just says ‘think things are bad now? Just you wait!’ a few different ways.

At a basic level, that’s a pretty accurate summary.

 It’s important to make the distinction between Brexit induced shortages and more widespread shortages.

Sure, I don’t know of any of the major economies (or any economy for that matter) actively choosing to make it harder to recover from the supply shocks induced by the pandemic though.

If you believe that what has actually occurred hasn’t or it was caused by something else, then tell us. And if you still believe that Brexit will do the opposite, we’re all ears.

There is a scale of projected outcomes ranging from ‘Sunlit uplands and unicorns for all’ and ‘Post-apocalyptic mob dressed in rags fighting over the last can of beans’. I’m a lot further towards the latter of those two predictions than the first one, but probably not as close as the author here.

Yes, Brexit is already becoming an utter shitshow, and will almost certainly get worse, but I’m not sure that this writer has any more evidence to base his predictions on than the rest of us. I just observed that if the person who posted this is relying solely on this to form his view of Brexit, his household must be a pretty bleak place.

Sure, I don’t know of any of the major economies (or any economy for that matter) actively choosing to make it harder to recover from the supply shocks induced by the pandemic though.

It’s a unique type of stupid, isn’t it?

English exceptionalism

I think even those in business (hi there Next and Wetherspoons) who backed Brexit are realising that they may have ****ed up big time in leaving the details in the hands of the foaming-at-the-mouth ERG headbangers and their feckless ‘**** business!’ opportunist leader. Now they’re having to deal with the hardest Brexit short of a complete ‘No Deal’ (and it isn’t far off that) it would be funny if the rest of us didn’t have to deal with the fallout too

It’s a tiny example, but instructive. We’re a GP practice, as you might imagine, we get through hand soap at a pace. We have 2 suppliers, one has told us we can order 1 5lt bottle at a time, the other has told us they have none, as it comes from the Netherlands and the supplies are stuck “some-where”

Soap…

t’s important to make the distinction between Brexit induced shortages and more widespread shortages.

I’m not sure it is.

A bit like folk saying that the petrol shortage was caused by folk panic buying – it doesn’t really matter to a driver why there’s no fuel, there’s no fuel therefore there’s a ‘shortage’.

Fundamentally there are shortages of certain products across the world AND the UK decided to also make trade harder & more expensive (Brexit). That’s it.

important to make the distinction between Brexit induced shortages and more widespread shortages

Now, imagine if the EU offered and proposed that we extended the transition period, and operated in the Single Market and Customs Union as non members for longer, so that, while the world was dealing with the pandemic, we weren’t also dealing with additional constrictions on trade and supply. Who would turn down such a sensible, friendly, and cooperative proposal?

Why would they, though?

As the writer of that sensational article says, we have little to offer in return. Sheer goodwill? It’s possible, but that’s something we’re likely rapidly running out of also. We’ve been acting like petulant teenagers for the last five years, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not glad to see the back of us by now.

They did. That was my point. “We” said no.

“I can only hope that common sense and substance will prevail over ideology. An extension of the transition period is the only responsible thing to do.”

Scottish government making the case for an extension

Ah, right, of course. I thought you meant in the future.

That’s not possible. We were given every chance to avoid the situation we’re in right now. Nothing was ever inevitable. Choices were made by… what do we call them? Our political elites? Or is that lazy?

I’ve finished reading Chief of Staff by Gavin Barwell it’s a account as his time in the cabinet under Teresa May. In it he discusses the Brexit negotiation in detail, and gives a pretty frank assessment of why we ended up where we are. Now, it’s written by an ex-Tory MP and he’s a supporter of May (he doesn’t hide the fact) if you can look past that, I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a peek behind the curtain.

Thanks nickc
I read the reviews and it’s now on my Kindle

Have we done the latest “yet another” yet?

“Hi, CEO of Intel here.

We’re thinking of spending 95 billion $ on fab plants. Thing is, you guys left the EU, and the EU are being real nice to us…”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58820599

Edukator
Free Member

The chains shortage is Europe wide. The only 11s chains on the European sites I use are Campangnolo or over 100e.

The chip shortage is International. It’s important to make the distinction between Brexit induced shortages and more widespread shortages. Our supermarket shelves are all well stocked on this side of the Channel, but bike bits are scarce and there’s a long wait for new cars.

Yup. But of course a time of worldwide shortages and interrupted supply chains etc is the absolute worst time you could ever choose to make your own country harder to work with. I see a lot of people offering worldwide issues as a sort of excuse for brexit failures but it’s pretty much the opposite- brexit would have been a bad idea in a comfortable time but doing it at a rocky time is just so much stupider.

But somehow doing it at the worst possible time and making everything worse plays well for the Tories because you can say “look everyone else has problems that are superficially similar to ours but much less bad”

Brexit is a religion so no good throwing facts at it or at its believers.

Boris basically told us sacrifices have to be made at the Brexit altar at the conference but it’s worth it to appease the Brexit God. As in the long term our crops will flourish and our pollution will vanquish all!

With a large cult following in the population you can see why Boris is allowed to get away with such blatant fibs as he does.

We are all living in Waco, Texas now.

It looks like now would be the ideal time to double down on Brexit stupidity and trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol and thus launch a full on trade war with the EU

Everyone wins in a trade war

Can we be more specific when talking about the international shortage of computer chips – I was all set to get down the chippy and panic buy!

Can we be more specific when talking about the international shortage of computer chips – I was all set to get down the chippy and panic buy!

I’m sure the Irish Republic would step in and help out of sheer goodwill. No doubt they have fond memories of when they needed cooperation from Britain when it came to potatoes.

It’s a tiny example, but instructive. We’re a GP practice, as you might imagine, we get through hand soap at a pace. We have 2 suppliers, one has told us we can order 1 5lt bottle at a time, the other has told us they have none, as it comes from the Netherlands and the supplies are stuck “some-where”

Soap…

In Cuba we were told told that during the US blockade they had to make soap from some plant or other. You might want to check in your local park to see what’s growing.

Edukator
Free Member

The chains shortage is Europe wide. The only 11s chains on the European sites I use are Campangnolo or over 100e.

Not sure which sites you use, but a quick look at alltricks and bike24 show lots of stock, prices around 30 to 40€. Which is disappointing for me as I was hoping to be able to feel smug about the 2 spare chains in the garage that I accidentally double ordered last year

Alltricks, good oh! I usually use bike-components or pro bike shop.

If we can all take a moment to stop, think, and make sure we don’t start blaming shops and suppliers for the barriers they’re facing, and the knock on effects on us…

Brexit Fence pic.twitter.com/bXwspS0jSG

— Matt Green (@mattgreencomedy) October 7, 2021

…trust me, it’s very difficult out there at the moment for small business owners of all types. They’ll all be having more sleepless nights than the rest of us, and have a government blaming them for… well… it seems everything at the moment.

I went into Halfords for a new light and picked up a SRAM X1 chain for £27. I don’t normally pay that much but I have a big ride to do and my bodged up twin-used-quicklink effort might not be ideal.

More supply side woes a

Aye, took me nearly 5 weeks to clear some stuff through Felixstowe recently, rather than the normal 5 days max.

5 weeks… you’re lucky…

Frost is doubling down on pissing off the EU talking utter bollox. Its obvious to everyone that what he is doing is creating the narrative ( or attempting to) that the EU are the baddies and its all the EUs fault that brexit UK is a disaster area

Yep, they know they can’t fix things… so they are going to break things further and keep up the twin deceits… “it is all broken by us as part of bigger plan we’re not sharing” … “we didn’t break anything it was them, sticking to rules”… they’ll keep kicking that forward, with promises that it will deliver great things just around the corner… while that corner is never turned, but they get to stay in power in the UK.

First, possibly uniquely in the world the UK has no interest in influencing its neighbour's choices, covering 50% of our trade. Even the US and China want to influence EU regulations, recognising their importance, but not the UK. pic.twitter.com/K9ZVs4Rdnj

— David Henig (@DavidHenigUK) October 12, 2021

We’re no longer interested in influencing EU rules, despite our businesses having to conform to them to deal with any of our neighbouring countries (and many much further afield) and many of our citizens live on an island where those rules are absolutely key to their everyday lives. Square that circle.

Simpler than that…

Can i join in and play football?

No **** off

I didn’t want to play anyway..

Yeah right now **** off

From the horses mouth..

We took over a party on ~10%, worst constitutional crisis in century, much of deep state angling for BINO or 2REF. So we wriggled thro with best option we cd & intended to get the 🛒 to ditch bits we didn't like after whacking Corbyn. We prioritised. Now time for IM2 #Frosty

— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) October 12, 2021

Cummings almost making an excuse for his disastrous deal there

Still can’t quite bring himself to admit that priority was what’s best for Tories rather than what’s best for UK

Frost & Johnson also saying that it was time pressured so they had to sign it, even though they rejected multiple offers from EU to extend.

Should we be glad that (again) Cummings admits the plan was to lie to move things in their direction, in the knowledge that they’d eventually be found out but that as time only runs forward things couldn’t be undone? Is that a kind of honesty? Make the lie big, and then admit it when you have what you want? Or is that just revelling in the power of your con? The elite laughing at what they can get away with?

Doubling down on your own idiocy time after time seems to have now entered a bizarre death spiral

They’re relying on their constant animosity and entirely manufactured conflict with the EU to rally the morons and distract from their own numerous failings

This ‘deal’ was apparently a triumph. Now it’s a disaster and somehow that’s the EUs fault.

They haven’t got a clue what they’re doing, but they’re depending on falling back on conflict with the EU as it’s served them well so far.

They’ll carry on doubling down as they don’t give a toss about the damage they’re doing. They’ll all be long gone when the true scale of the destruction they’ve (completely pointlessly) caused to the British economy becomes apparent

This ‘deal’ was apparently a triumph.

I personally think it was, it’s up there with the great German victory at Stalingrad.

When you haven’t got anything doubling down is all you can do.

I reckon they’d use a trade war as part of an early election, evil EU versus plucky U.K. plenty of flag waving and patriotism good for votes.

I suppose a trade war is better than a trade blockade.

I personally think it was, it’s up there with the great German victory at Stalingrad.

But that’s the magic of Brexit, all thru the years.. the great promise and whats delivered bares no resemblance to anything.

The only thing successfully achieved by Brexit was to rip the U.K. out of the E.U whilst the U.K. was unprepared.

I reckon they’d use a trade war as part of an early election, evil EU versus plucky U.K. plenty of flag waving and patriotism good for votes.

When there’s fights on forecourts and bare shelves, I’m not sure the fake rhetoric is quite so powerful
The Tories are flagging badly in the polls, Johnsons majority has collapsed so they need something, I’d like to think their nationalism shtick no longer sticks

The Tories are flagging badly in the polls, Johnsons majority has collapsed

???

What is IM2 in that tweet?