Brexited | the worst threads live the longest

Do you think there will be a Deal or No Deal?


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My point is that at least she was somewhat on their side in trying to somehow fund our aging population through the pockets of the aging themselves
Anything to avoid paying more right? UK is not the only place with an ageing population, NL is exactly the same. We have to pay more for the poor elderly folk and that's how it should be, you'll agree when you are old.
 
Jesus, that was a long read. hahaha

I don't believe Brexit has much directly to do with the free market really. It's not one of the top reasons to vote leave from the leave voters (Sovereignty 1, Immigration 2, worry about an expanded EU 3.) Many prominent orchestrators of the EU Referendum, people like Dan Hannan complain the EU is too protectionist and want more open free market.

The UK isn't America. You won't find many people here complaining that their jobs have gone to Eastern Europe, Mexico or China. You will find "some" people who complain yes; the highly publicised Tata Steel, Port Talbot closure is arguably a direct result from the price of steel from China, but it's not something people talk about everyday. The huge crash in 2008 that cost so many people their jobs.. those service jobs didn't go to Eastern Europe or Asia, they just went. In fact I'd say a lot less people talk about free markets today than they did in the 70s and 80s.

So the worry is about Immigration - yes. Free markets - no.

The article focuses on the different views of capitalism across the government and across MPs, which is quite right given that the average Brit doesn't tend to have an opinion on the subject.

With his modest communication skills, Miliband faced a huge task in advocating a different kind of economy. The few reforms he proposed were either too abstract and technical-sounding (“predistribution”, or creating a capitalism that requires less redistribution of income by government), or too short-term (a temporary price cap on energy bills) to form a coherent picture.

Like Blue Labour and the Red Tories, he wanted to remove the worst excesses of the free market while leaving the rest of it intact. The ambivalence of the Labour mainstream towards capitalism, an ambivalence as old as the party itself, “played out inside him,” says Cruddas. Last month, Miliband told the Guardian with a characteristically opaque mix of self-confidence and self-criticism: “I think what Jeremy [Corbyn’s success] teaches me is that when I had instincts that we needed to break with the past, and we needed more radicalism, I was right.”

In 2015, whatever Miliband’s true intentions, the many remaining neoliberals in the Labour hierarchy, such as then shadow chancellor Ed Balls, had other economic priorities. So, increasingly, did Glasman, who became controversially preoccupied by the idea that a reformed British capitalism would involve drastically less immigration. At that year’s general election, after an internal struggle that Cruddas and Miliband lost, Labour presented a manifesto that emphasised cutting the national deficit in language little different from that used by the Tories. The manifesto only criticised the deregulated capitalism that had effectively created that deficit in the first place in coded terms: “We will build an economy that works for working people,” it promised blandly. Even though more and more politicians and commentators agreed that free-market Britain was working less and less well, the anti-capitalist moment seemed to have gone.
Even economic thinkers close to McDonnell wonder if a Corbyn government could effect such a transformation. Paul Mason, author of Postcapitalism, says: “They have a big task with a small team. We face problems – climate change, information technology destroying jobs, a market economy that in many sectors is not capable any more of generating value – that were not faced by Keynes,” the last economist to shift British capitalism to the left, more than 70 years ago.

Mazzucato is probably McDonnell’s favourite contemporary economist. In her much-cited 2013 book The Entrepreneurial State, she argued convincingly – as the Labour manifesto did – that through state-funded research and other investment, government acts as an essential accelerator of capitalism rather than a drag on it, as free-marketeers usually claim. Last year, she gave the first lecture in an ongoing series of Labour events intended by McDonnell to set out a “New Economics”. According to the website LabourList, “McDonnell sat [in] rapt attention throughout.”

In a hot meeting room at University College London, where she is director of a new institute for innovation, the Italian-American Mazzucato told me that the 2017 Labour manifesto was “a turning point” in British economic policy, “full of good stuff, a new energy”. She advises McDonnell. Yet she also advises the Conservative business secretary, Greg Clark, and the SNP. She thinks Labour could do better: “I say to them, ‘You sound defensive. You sound like you know what’s wrong with the economy, rather than what could happen.’” She says Labour needs to explain its economic policies more compellingly: “When you do bold things, if you don’t have the language to describe them, you’re going to be in trouble.”
The Conservative reformers of British capitalism have the opposite problem. So far, their rhetoric dwarfs their solutions. “Their promises to put workers on company boards, to stop high executive pay, haven’t really gone anywhere,” says Tim Bale, a leading historian of the party. Many observers, on both the left and the right, interpreted the 2017 Tory manifesto’s anti-market talk as solely a ploy to attract Labour voters – a ploy that failed so badly that it led to the resignation of one of its devisers, Theresa May’s joint chief of staff Nick Timothy.

Blond insists that many senior Tories besides Timothy oppose neoliberalism. Before Thatcher, there was a recurring Conservative impulse to soften capitalism during hard times – from the future prime minister Harold Macmillan’s influential 1938 book The Middle Way to Edward Heath’s centrist government in the 70s. But that impulse has weakened. “Most Tory MPs are Thatcher’s children,” says Bale. “Most Tory thinktanks are still in a free-market phase.” So is the Tory press: “I could more easily imagine an asteroid hitting the earth,” says Mason, “than the Sun and the Mail coming out for state intervention.”
I think these questions mirror the debate going on elsewhere, with no real answers.

Have Britain fallen out of love with the free market? Who knows.
 
No there are some people in this country who can't fall much further. That's my point.

I would say that many people simply see a system that does not appear to provide for them economically and never has done. They also perceive this system as providing for others. When you live in the old pit villages and towns where there has been no work for 4 or 5 decades, and no hope of any in the future, and every promise of a better future for the past 40 or 50 years has proven to be a false one then voting for change carries little risk. You should see some of the towns around here - they look post apocalyptic. And they are in a way. They've been abandoned after their use as the engine rooms of the industrial revolution came to an end. People die on average 7 years younger then others living just 200 miles away in the same country.

Before I moved to France I lived not far from the area you're talking about, in Lincolnshire, and regularly went through Nottingham and surrounding districts. Then go and visit some African towns and villages or many other places in the world and see how far you can really fall, the government have a responsibility to these people and it is their fault that people are in those situations.
We are again back to ignorance, I know these people were desperate but if they were informed they would know it's only going to make it worse , not better and it will get worse for them, even if they think it can't.
But the vast majority of the 17million who voted for Brexit were not poor, what is their excuse.
 
Anything to avoid paying more right? UK is not the only place with an ageing population, NL is exactly the same. We have to pay more for the poor elderly folk and that's how it should be, you'll agree when you are old.
Actually it was the rich elderly she was targeting.
 
Actually it was the rich elderly she was targeting.

She targeted both. The 'rich' in terms of means testing free tv licences and perks, but all in terms of removing the triple lock on state pensions, which would potentially of hurt the poorest pensioners the most in terms of percentage of total income.

I probably agree with it in terms of austerity, with other benefits frozen and public sector pay capped well below inflation, but each to their own.
 
I don't believe Brexit has much directly to do with the free market really. It's not one of the top reasons to vote leave from the leave voters (Sovereignty 1, Immigration 2, worry about an expanded EU 3.) Many prominent orchestrators of the EU Referendum, people like Dan Hannan complain the EU is too protectionist and want more open free market.

The UK isn't America. You won't find many people here complaining that their jobs have gone to Eastern Europe, Mexico or China. You will find "some" people who complain yes; the highly publicised Tata Steel, Port Talbot closure is arguably a direct result from the price of steel from China, but it's not something people talk about everyday. The huge crash in 2008 that cost so many people their jobs.. those service jobs didn't go to Eastern Europe or Asia, they just went. In fact I'd say a lot less people talk about free markets today than they did in the 70s and 80s.

So the worry is about Immigration - yes. Free markets - no.

The article focuses on the different views of capitalism across the government and across MPs, which is quite right given that the average Brit doesn't tend to have an opinion on the subject.
The article doesn't directly link to Brexit but does explain well why people are fecked off with neo liberalist politicscs and are sick of the few making a killing why the average joe rarely feel the good times. Free markets are not the be all and end all. Average people don't feel the good times and have to pay for the bad times.

I have been made redundant in recent years with my job going to india, all my other colleagues had their jobs moved to Hungary so it is a concern. We had 5 developers quit last Friday cos the code they were getting back from india was crap and they flagged it up, no-one listened. so from 20 developers we now have gone down to 7 for a product that the company is investing 90% of its marketing budget on. This is classic race to the bottom stuff. Scared of more resignations the company has promised not to replace those developers with people from India.

Our best selling product is now made in Hungary and the quality of service from there is shocking. Hungary is eastern Europe by the way so are people nervy about their jobs going? Yes they are. Do they talk about it often? Yes they do.

Poland is one of the few places in Europe that has seen a massive decline in poverty, why's that do you think? Either all the poor people are in London or companies are using it for cheap labour.

Lets see how Brexit looks once the dust settles.
 
The article doesn't directly link to Brexit but does explain well why people are fecked off with neo liberalist politicscs and are sick of the few making a killing why the average joe rarely feel the good times. Free markets are not the be all and end all. Average people don't feel the good times and have to pay for the bad times.

I have been made redundant in recent years with my job going to india, all my other colleagues had their jobs moved to Hungary so it is a concern. We had 5 developers quit last Friday cos the code they were getting back from india was crap and they flagged it up, no-one listened. so from 20 developers we now have gone down to 7 for a product that the company is investing 90% of its marketing budget on. This is classic race to the bottom stuff. Scared of more resignations the company has promised not to replace those developers with people from India.

Our best selling product is now made in Hungary and the quality of service from there is shocking. Hungary is eastern Europe by the way so are people nervy about their jobs going? Yes they are. Do they talk about it often? Yes they do.

Poland is one of the few places in Europe that has seen a massive decline in poverty, why's that do you think? Either all the poor people are in London or companies are using it for cheap labour.

Lets see how Brexit looks once the dust settles.
Yeah it is a concern, and it definitely happens. But the eastern europe / western Europe divide in wages isn't anywhere near the USA / Mexico wages divide.

I'm sorry you lost your job. It does suck.

I personally don't know what to think about free trade agreements with low wage economies. I understand the basic economic theory that both nations gain from it ... But .
 
The article doesn't directly link to Brexit but does explain well why people are fecked off with neo liberalist politicscs and are sick of the few making a killing why the average joe rarely feel the good times. Free markets are not the be all and end all. Average people don't feel the good times and have to pay for the bad times.

I have been made redundant in recent years with my job going to india, all my other colleagues had their jobs moved to Hungary so it is a concern. We had 5 developers quit last Friday cos the code they were getting back from india was crap and they flagged it up, no-one listened. so from 20 developers we now have gone down to 7 for a product that the company is investing 90% of its marketing budget on. This is classic race to the bottom stuff. Scared of more resignations the company has promised not to replace those developers with people from India.

Our best selling product is now made in Hungary and the quality of service from there is shocking. Hungary is eastern Europe by the way so are people nervy about their jobs going? Yes they are. Do they talk about it often? Yes they do.

Poland is one of the few places in Europe that has seen a massive decline in poverty, why's that do you think? Either all the poor people are in London or companies are using it for cheap labour.

Lets see how Brexit looks once the dust settles.

Im so sorry for you mate. I hope holland treats you better then what brexit uk would . After all, according to them, you are now a pesky foreigner who live on benefits and you should therefore be deported

In my opinion you should consider moving to Malta. They speak English, programming jobs are reasonably paid (especially in the gaming industry). Theres free nhs, free childcare and free tertiary education. If you need help let me know.
 
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Im so sorry for you mate. I hope holland treats you better then what brexit uk would . After all, according to them, you are now a pesky foreigner who live on benefits and you should therefore be deported
That was 2013 and I started a new job immediately so no claim. but it was the 2nd redundancy here where my job was moved to country with cheaper labour force and low business tax. There is no job protection these days, not in the current set up.
 
That was 2013 and I started a new job immediately so no claim. but it was the 2nd redundancy here where my job was moved to country with cheaper labour force and low business tax. There is no job protection these days, not in the current set up.

That's, good to know. If you ever be in that situation again and you consider relocating just send me a PM. I will do my best to help
 
No there are some people in this country who can't fall much further. That's my point.

I would say that many people simply see a system that does not appear to provide for them economically and never has done. They also perceive this system as providing for others. When you live in the old pit villages and towns where there has been no work for 4 or 5 decades, and no hope of any in the future, and every promise of a better future for the past 40 or 50 years has proven to be a false one then voting for change carries little risk. You should see some of the towns around here - they look post apocalyptic. And they are in a way. They've been abandoned after their use as the engine rooms of the industrial revolution came to an end. People die on average 7 years younger then others living just 200 miles away in the same country.
So is this all the fault of the EU?
 
So is this all the fault of the EU?

Read what the man says:

Perhaps yes. What I'm positing is that when you are living on nothing, and have never had anything, and your folks lived on nothing and never had anything, that is an economy that for them has already tanked. It's hard for for those of us who do ok to realise that for many people things don't seem as if they could actually get any worse. No prospects, no hopes, no aspirations, real poverty, substance & alcohol abuse, mental and physical ill health etc It's a cliche but it's genuinely seriously grim in these old industrial areas. There are communities here where unemployment goes back over several generations now ( I use the term "communities" lightly - most semblance of community has broken down). Rightly or wrongly a lot of people in these areas voted to leave simply because it was seen as an alternative to a system perceived as having abandoned them and there is a strong argument that it has. They were offered a vision, possibly a blatantly false one, where they would be better off and they voted for it. The fact that they might have been lied to doesn't make them necessarily stupid - just desperate enough to vote for something that might improve their lot.
 
Before I moved to France I lived not far from the area you're talking about, in Lincolnshire, and regularly went through Nottingham and surrounding districts. Then go and visit some African towns and villages or many other places in the world and see how far you can really fall, the government have a responsibility to these people and it is their fault that people are in those situations.
We are again back to ignorance, I know these people were desperate but if they were informed they would know it's only going to make it worse , not better and it will get worse for them, even if they think it can't.
But the vast majority of the 17million who voted for Brexit were not poor, what is their excuse.

I don't want to keep banging on about UK poverty as it is only part of the Brexit conundrum but this post needs a response. This comparison you seem bent on making with third world poverty is irrelevant. The UK is not Africa. Any accurate measurement of poverty here is taken against a UK median. I'm afraid your stance on this hints at the belief, held in some quarters, that the poor aren't really poor and should be thankful (as you seem to be suggesting) that they're not living in some cholera infested hut on the other side of the world. That's pretty offensive as is the idea that you can glean some understanding of UK poverty merely by passing through an area or two in your car en route to somewhere else. It's a bit more complex than the fact that there aren't rows of Dickensian slums to navigate whilst trying to get to somewhere else.

There can be endless debates about the measurement of absolute vs relative poverty etc but whichever way you look at it when a country that has the 6th largest economy in the world has, according to substantial and respected reports, 21% of it's population in poverty there is a clear and stark economic divide and it's one that no doubt played it's part in the Brexit result. Like I said - rightly or wrongly some have been so badly served that they have voted for change.

I've just had a read back through some of your posts in this thread just to make sure I'm not taking you up wrong as nuance can get lost on a forum such as this. But it appears not - you've been quite consistent in your appalling arrogance, heightened self regard, and constant belittling of the Brexit vote. I'll leave you to it.
 
I don't want to keep banging on about UK poverty as it is only part of the Brexit conundrum but this post needs a response. This comparison you seem bent on making with third world poverty is irrelevant. The UK is not Africa. Any accurate measurement of poverty here is taken against a UK median. I'm afraid your stance on this hints at the belief, held in some quarters, that the poor aren't really poor and should be thankful (as you seem to be suggesting) that they're not living in some cholera infested hut on the other side of the world. That's pretty offensive as is the idea that you can glean some understanding of UK poverty merely by passing through an area or two in your car en route to somewhere else. It's a bit more complex than the fact that there aren't rows of Dickensian slums to navigate whilst trying to get to somewhere else.

There can be endless debates about the measurement of absolute vs relative poverty etc but whichever way you look at it when a country that has the 6th largest economy in the world has, according to substantial and respected reports, 21% of it's population in poverty there is a clear and stark economic divide and it's one that no doubt played it's part in the Brexit result. Like I said - rightly or wrongly some have been so badly served that they have voted for change.

I've just had a read back through some of your posts in this thread just to make sure I'm not taking you up wrong as nuance can get lost on a forum such as this. But it appears not - you've been quite consistent in your appalling arrogance, heightened self regard, and constant belittling of the Brexit vote. I'll leave you to it.
:lol:

I think you just put Paul back in his box
 
I don't want to keep banging on about UK poverty as it is only part of the Brexit conundrum but this post needs a response. This comparison you seem bent on making with third world poverty is irrelevant. The UK is not Africa. Any accurate measurement of poverty here is taken against a UK median. I'm afraid your stance on this hints at the belief, held in some quarters, that the poor aren't really poor and should be thankful (as you seem to be suggesting) that they're not living in some cholera infested hut on the other side of the world. That's pretty offensive as is the idea that you can glean some understanding of UK poverty merely by passing through an area or two in your car en route to somewhere else. It's a bit more complex than the fact that there aren't rows of Dickensian slums to navigate whilst trying to get to somewhere else.

There can be endless debates about the measurement of absolute vs relative poverty etc but whichever way you look at it when a country that has the 6th largest economy in the world has, according to substantial and respected reports, 21% of it's population in poverty there is a clear and stark economic divide and it's one that no doubt played it's part in the Brexit result. Like I said - rightly or wrongly some have been so badly served that they have voted for change.

I've just had a read back through some of your posts in this thread just to make sure I'm not taking you up wrong as nuance can get lost on a forum such as this. But it appears not - you've been quite consistent in your appalling arrogance, heightened self regard, and constant belittling of the Brexit vote. I'll leave you to it.

You are missing my point - the point you made is that they can't be any worse off, I'm saying yes they can and voting for Brexit is not going to make their life better. I can understand a vote for change but not when the change is for a worse situation. What is arrogant about thinking a Brexit vote is a bad idea because it's glaringly obvious that it is and the poorest are the ones that are going to suffer the most.
I know some extremely rich people and I know some extremely poor people so I could find it offensive that you think I'm living in some ivory tower casting aspersions. There are clever poor people and dumb rich people. Brexit is dumb.
 
Brexit is going to cost around £100bn. Probably more, but we'll start with that figure.

That's £1500 for every man, woman and child in the UK. Note the children aspect.

How many would have voted Leave if they had to personally pay that. A £6k bill for a family of four.
 
You are missing my point - the point you made is that they can't be any worse off, I'm saying yes they can and voting for Brexit is not going to make their life better. I can understand a vote for change but not when the change is for a worse situation. What is arrogant about thinking a Brexit vote is a bad idea because it's glaringly obvious that it is and the poorest are the ones that are going to suffer the most.
I know some extremely rich people and I know some extremely poor people so I could find it offensive that you think I'm living in some ivory tower casting aspersions. There are clever poor people and dumb rich people. Brexit is dumb.

No. The point I made is that some people, rightly or wrongly, believe it can't get worse for them. I don't believe for a minute, from anything that you've posted that you have an understanding of that nor any empathy for those who find themselves in that position. Quite the opposite in fact.

So you've missed my point entirely. Dumb comes in many guises.
 
No. The point I made is that some people, rightly or wrongly, believe it can't get worse for them. I don't believe for a minute, from anything that you've posted that you have an understanding of that nor any empathy for those who find themselves in that position. Quite the opposite in fact.

So you've missed my point entirely. Dumb comes in many guises.

I've said several times that I have understood what you are saying, and I understand why you are saying it but you don't seem to want to accept it, doesn't make the reason people voted that way right. So you're the one missing my point entirely..
 
Brexit is going to cost around £100bn. Probably more, but we'll start with that figure.

That's £1500 for every man, woman and child in the UK. Note the children aspect.

How many would have voted Leave if they had to personally pay that. A £6k bill for a family of four.

What a ridiculous question. And where do you get the confident prediction of £100bn + from? Everything I've seen quotes a range of scenarios but nothing close to that figure.
 
What a ridiculous question. And where do you get the confident prediction of £100bn + from? Everything I've seen quotes a range of scenarios but nothing close to that figure.
SOMEONE has to pay it, after all.

And what on earth are you on about???

The EU's opening gambit is a €100bn bill.

Plus another £0.5bn for moving the EU science out of the UK. There will be other instances of such bills

Then there is the damage to the wider economy.

What about Jobs moving to the EU? What about workers not coming to this country? And Euro clearing

So what will the UK economy look like after 13 years?

Brexit to cost Britain more than 5% of GDP by 2030, say City economists
This is an estimate of the loss of GDP relative to where the economy would have been without Brexit and adds up to more than £100bn in today's money

So you are right, the £100bn figure is way off the mark. It's £100bn per year!*

*By 2030
 
Brexit is going to cost around £100bn. Probably more, but we'll start with that figure.

That's £1500 for every man, woman and child in the UK. Note the children aspect.

How many would have voted Leave if they had to personally pay that. A £6k bill for a family of four.
My guess is, a lot of people would still have voted for Brexit. You cannot underestimate the power of nationalism.
 
What a ridiculous question. And where do you get the confident prediction of £100bn + from? Everything I've seen quotes a range of scenarios but nothing close to that figure.
Just to say, I'm genuinely a bit shocked by this.
A transition phase of three years, such as that proposed by the chancellor, Philip Hammond, would take Britain comfortably through to the end of the current EU budget cycle in 2019-20. The bulk of the up to €100bn (£90m) currently demanded as a financial settlement relates to unfunded commitments known as reste à liquider (RAL). If meeting these obligations can be disguised as part of the transition arrangements rather than an exit bill, then compromise may be possible.
https://www.theguardian.com/politic...busier-negotiating-with-itself-than-eu-brexit
But member states appear to have ignored the Commission's own advice by demanding €100bn (£85bn) from the Government, a sharp hike in the original demand of €60bn.

The inflated bill deepened the rift between Brussels and Downing Street. A leaked report of a Downing Street dinner with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker accused Theresa May of living in “another galaxy”, prompting the Prime Minister in turn to accuse EU politicians and officials of seeking to disrupt the General Election.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...ally-impossible-enforce-european-commissions/
In a new report by the UK in a Changing Europe initiative, Professor Iain Begg said that reports suggest that the demand from the EU could exceed €100 billion (£88 billion).

The LSE research fellow said that this sum is close to the gross amount, after deducting the UK rebate, that Britain was expected to pay into the EU budget over the span of the 2014-20 financial framework.

Professor Begg said: “Unsurprisingly, messages from the UK side dismiss these claims which, it has to be emphasised, no-one on EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier’s team has formally made.”
http://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...-how-much-cost-UK-exit-payment-European-Union

Whatever you read, you should know the bill we are in for.
 
I think both Barca and Paul has a point TBH. As said before, as we drove outside London I was astounded by the difference in terms of Standard of living between London and the areas outside of it which made you think you’re in a totally different country. It’s no surprise why people were so angry with the ‘estabilishment’ and that some voted exactly against what the establishment and its army of experts suggested

However, I can’t help thinking that people had shot at their own foot here. The EU with all its weaknesses does take care of its own people. EU Funds had been allocated for the most vulnerable areas which had helped people a great deal. I also don’t think that it’s a very bright idea to allow the British government to allocate the same amount of funds (or more) to the affected areas either. We’re talking here about the same people who ruined the NHS, who had created this sorry state in the first place and who never gave a damn about the poor in the first place. People who would be under intense pressure to sign trade deals to compensate to the massive trade deal lost with the single market. The only way to achieve that is by spending £££ in a ‘divorce’ deal, giving concessions to its own labour market and by conceding in areas that the Brits aren’t actually happy conceding in (the end of the NHS, lowering food standards etc).

I believe that Brexit is a complex issue which brings together a wide variety of people. From the ignorant right to those who felt that it’s time to shake up the establishment, from the xenophobic to the elderly people who were caught into nostalgia trip. From those who genuinely believed the Brexiters ‘cherry picking’ lies right to those who truly believed in a global Britain (some of whom assumed that global Britain was another word to cherry picking but on a global scale). By the looks of it, its slowly turning into a big mess as the EU is far less weak/divided as Brexiters thought and is getting increasingly organized to the concept of kicking the UK out of Europe (financially speaking of course). I wonder whether these poor people would be happy seeing the UK becoming a poorer version of the US
 
It's a ridiculous and hypothetical question. And you're asking someone who voted to remain. Think on.
Good on you. At least you are not hypocrite as opposed to other expats residing in Barcelona who voted Brexit.

White
 
Brexit is going to cost around £100bn. Probably more, but we'll start with that figure.

That's £1500 for every man, woman and child in the UK. Note the children aspect.

How many would have voted Leave if they had to personally pay that. A £6k bill for a family of four.
I have already paid that in taxes so they can use that
 
No. The point I made is that some people, rightly or wrongly, believe it can't get worse for them. I don't believe for a minute, from anything that you've posted that you have an understanding of that nor any empathy for those who find themselves in that position. Quite the opposite in fact.

So you've missed my point entirely. Dumb comes in many guises.

Obviously it's wrongly since the world evidences far greater depths of poverty on far greater scales than are found here - this isn't even up for question. It also isn't a difficult or elitist observation to make that the most vulnerable are often the least informed and that the least informed are often the most likely to make a mistake. Obviously your beef here is that you think Paul is undermining the dignity of the poor by calling them stupid and that the decision of those of them who voted to leave ought to be treated with at least understanding, if not respect. The truth is that you can do all this and still conclude that their decision was folly.
 
I have already paid that in taxes so they can use that
So does everyone earning over £15k. Unfortunately this is a new tax added on to it.

Amazing people baulk at the idea of paying a one off £1500. The wider economic pain will probably be £500-1000 per year.
 
So does everyone earning over £15k. Unfortunately this is a new tax added on to it.

Amazing people baulk at the idea of paying a one off £1500. The wider economic pain will probably be £500-1000 per year.
Nah it's existing taxes tbf, if a transitional agreement is reached the divorce bill will just be paid as part of normal EU budget contributions and the government will pretend they drove the price down. The problem of course is that we've put some proper dumb shits in charge of negotiations so it's hard to assume they'll take a responsible approach here.
 
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I can link a similar number of articles speculating a bill much lower. 5 minutes gets you...

http://www.cer.eu/publications/archive/policy-brief/2017/€60-billion-brexit-bill-how-disentangle-britain-eu-budget

http://bruegel.org/2017/03/divorce-settlement-or-leaving-the-club-a-breakdown-of-the-brexit-bill/

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...es-uk-willing-to-pay-40bn-brexit-divorce-bill

And whatever one reads one should also learn to discern between a euro and a pound sign? Genuinely shocked here.
£85bn (which is now £90bn thanks to the fall in the pounds) is only what we pay the EU as an exit fee. The wider cost will be far more. But let's break dow what you said.
And where do you get the confident prediction of £100bn + from? Everything I've seen quotes a range of scenarios but nothing close to that figure.
Even if you assumed I was only talking about the exit fee - which I wasn't - is £90bn not "close to" £100bn?

If the pounds slips a further 11%, the £90bn would be £100bn anyway.

As it is, I was talking about the whole cost of Brexit, which will undoubtedly be over £100bn
 
I can link a similar number of articles speculating a bill much lower. 5 minutes gets you...

http://www.cer.eu/publications/archive/policy-brief/2017/€60-billion-brexit-bill-how-disentangle-britain-eu-budget

http://bruegel.org/2017/03/divorce-settlement-or-leaving-the-club-a-breakdown-of-the-brexit-bill/

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...es-uk-willing-to-pay-40bn-brexit-divorce-bill

And whatever one reads one should also learn to discern between a euro and a pound sign? Genuinely shocked here.
"We will categorically not give the European Union €60bn in one lump sum"

Downing Street and the Brexit department are just over promising on this point. There's no way of getting out of previously agreed monetary contributions. They can just refuse to pay them, of course, but then there's no Brexit deal whatsoever and Britain falls into an economic abyss. Of course, you can't rule out the current cabinet choosing the abyss over looking bad in the daily mail.