EU referendum, brexit and the aftermath

Meanwhile the budget deficit is going to get Donald Trump sized HUUUUUUGE.

That nice, post-referendum period of 'oh maybe it won't be quite so bad after all' is coming to an end. The worst two PMs in history, one after another. Fucking great.

This seems ludicrous:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-03/may-said-to-downgrade-city-in-brexit-shock-for-financial-sector

I work in the City (programmer, not fat cat) so maybe I'm more worried than I should be, but isn't financial services the main thing that we do that other people want?

I'm not sure what's happening - they're not too worried about car manufacturers leaving, not about services leaving... Who are they going to protect?

Jam, cheese and tweed... Oops, no... That's Scottish...

it would be super awesome if someone. anyone from the labour party could start making some fucking capital out of this.

If you think socialism is bad for your wallet...try leaving the EEC :p

isn't financial services the main thing that we do that other people want?

"The financial services industry of the United Kingdom ... employed around 1.2 million people in the third quarter of 2012 (around 4% of the British workforce).

The estimated amount of total taxes paid by the Financial Services Sector in the year to 31 March 2012 is £63bn, 11.6% of the total UK government tax receipts."

You'd think employing 1.2m (more than the NHS employs) and accounting for +10% of tax receipts would be something the government want. But no, not in this age.

I'm finding this hard to parse, the Tory party is (as has been said) the Party Of Business - which I think just means it expects to have a rotating door between Parliament and Company Directorships for it's members, but this whole move is clearly injurious to that basic, venal cornerstone of Conservative policy.

Now we did have ideologically driven austerity which demonstrably harmed the economy, which was a bit of a shock, but does this mean that the Conservatives have a principal that they hold more dear than money?

it would be super awesome if someone. anyone from the labour party could start making some fucking capital out of this.

At least we know from her conference speech that the shadow Brexit minister is personally still opposed to Trident.
Or did she have her one of her other job hats on for that speech - you lose track.

It's not a populist policy though, we're going to maintain free movement of workers so that the bankers can keep their jobs will go down like a lead balloon with the general public.

I don't think the free movement of people/bankers is the issue with the City's objections. I think it's the passport / access to European markets.

The barrier to banks / finance companies moving stuff to other countries if necessary seems very low, and they can do it very fast. Like any international company, I don't think they'll feel particularly loyal to the UK if they can get a better deal elsewhere..

edit: it's not even a matter of loyalty, they won't be able to function properly from the uk...

My understanding is that lots of organisations have already started the process. They can't take the risk that a satisfactory outcome will be reached for passporting, and the govt isn't giving assurances (in fact it is hinting the opposite) so they have little choice.

I don't get this either, I'm starting to believe that it's all just a play to get the small-medium business owning, Jaguar driving, fat and bald, mansion owning, British countryside dwelling, cunts - you know, the real British people - everything they want.

Ugh I'm disgusted at my own prejudices

^that's pretty much me.

where's the fuckin' jag???

we should buy jags.

That's what I mean, the current suggestions are that in order to to be granted passporting rights, we'd have to agree to free movement of labour.

That's going to be a hard sell to the general public though.

Dublin, Paris and Frankfurt have already started courting the banks/finance companies.

That's what I mean, the current suggestions are that in order to to be granted passporting rights, we'd have to agree to free movement of labour.

Aah yes, sorry, I misread - like we'd have to specifically agree to bankers being able to move around :)

There is hardly a financial transaction for any decent size company in Europe that doesn't go through London at some stage. There are about 2 million people in the city compared with a few thousand in Frankfurt. If that cannot continue it's economic suicide for Europe, and who would vote for that?

Oh yeah...

So Diane James lasted 18 days as UKIP leader

Sacrificial? No-one can replace Farrage, so make her the scapegoat and then bring in who they really want?

Bit like when Fergie left United.

Moyes took United out of Europe though.

Has this been rereferendummed yet?

Excellent.

So May is trying to claim the centre ground? With stuff like this?

@jaw - it's unreal, facism isn't dead.

2 Attachments

your value as a person in the UK is now defined by the geographic location of your mother's vagina on your day of birth.

what a time to be alive.