Reply With QuoteI can give as good as I get, but I do try not to start it, although I appreciate that makes me sound 12 haha .Originally Posted by life on mars
It is hard work trying to discuss things sometimes mind.
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I can give as good as I get, but I do try not to start it, although I appreciate that makes me sound 12 haha .
It is hard work trying to discuss things sometimes mind.
From a former French Diplomat:
Post-Brexit Britain remains just as strong
François-Joseph Schichan former French Diplomat .
Monday April 08 2024, The Times.
It is a common wisdom among most political commentators that Brexit has been a disaster for the UK’s influence in the world. Latest to repeat this line was David Miliband in an opinion piece for The Observer. According to him, Britain has become a lower-status nation as a result of Brexit.
But the facts contradict this simplistic vision. Since Brexit, there has been no sign that the UK has lost its influence in the world. If that was the case, why did the US and Australia join with Britain to sign the Aukus agreement in 2021, one of the most consequential partnerships for the Indo-Pacific region in recent times? How did Britain play such an important role in designing and implementing western sanctions against Russia?*And why did this country manage to sign several free-trade agreements with major countries on terms that are as good as what the EU has managed to negotiate itself?
While many British pundits might see the UK’s influence as having been diminished by Brexit, other countries — friends and foes — clearly do not think the same way. Britain is not, for sure, the global superpower it once was. Just like France and other European countries, it has been a middle power for some time and will continue to be a middle power after Brexit.
This does not mean that closer co-operation with the EU is not advisable — quite the contrary. There is space to intensify bilateral contacts with EU institutions and individual member states on security and foreign policy. The EU should welcome the Labour Party’s proposal for a foreign policy and security pact, and work pragmatically with the UK on the challenges we face together.
There are other issues that could have much more impact on Britain’s place in the world than Brexit. The “special relationship” with the US, a mix of reality and fantasy, will continue to be tested regardless of the result of the US election. Either way, it will be America first. Russia and China will be other challenges.
The EU is facing the same challenges and it is not yet proven that its approach — ever greater integration including on foreign policy and security — is necessarily the best one to defend and promote its interests. Just look at the EU’s internal contradictions on Russia, Gaza and China. In this new fragmented and more uncertain world, post-Brexit Britain has all to play for.
After Brexit reports now state China generates the most wealth from exports - more than three and a half times as much as the UK - followed by the United States, Germany and then Britain. May not see this on BBC
Indeed. UK exports have increased. Again, this is actual data and not predictions
You can see how culture wars happen. Cos the media outlets that many on the left read simply do not report this stuff, so we end up with the kind of arguments we saw earlier in this thread.
It is beyond frustrating
https://www.cityam.com/why-uk-servic...w-post-brexit/
"So has Brexit been a boon for British trade? Well, its more complicated than that.
The UK’s goods exporters have not performed anywhere near as well as the service sector. Although global goods trade has come under pressure in recent years, the UK goods exports have fallen much faster than the G7 average.
Goods exports have under-performed the G7 average by 15 per cent since 2020
Barriers to trade between the UK and EU have certainly contributed to this fall. The Office for National Statistics said that around half of exporting firms had faced extra costs due to Brexit.
The BCC has previously called for primary regulations on traded goods should mirror the EU’s in order to keep business costs low."
Indeed. Also service sector growth is heavily focussed on London and the SE. Is this service sector growth making the slightest difference to the life of most ordinary people across the UK? Is the goods sector decline disproportionally impacting ordinary people? I don't know the answers to these questions, though I have my own views.
Aggregate export figures from the government's website actually show a small decline overall for the last 12 month period, though there's not much in it. https://www.gov.uk/government/statis...rs-web-version
James's "UK exports have increased" statement (apart from being factually incorrect) is just as guilty of over-simplifying a complex situation and cherry-picking to support a case as he accuses other people of. Beyond frustrating, indeed.
Oh come on Peter, going from 7th to 4th biggest exporter isn't what we were told would happen, and that is entirely my point. The doom laden predictions garner more attention than the actual facts.
But I make no attempt to proclaim we are in sunlit uplands. I merely say we are okay and reject the hysterical negativity.
I suspect we would be in total agreement on the general overreliance of the UK economy on south East England, esp when compared to somewhere like Germany that has political, media, industrial, financial capitals etc well spread around the country.
We were an old couple the UK and the EU, been together for years - had a shot gun wedding where we were given a choice to stay together before we had already moved in. Then after many years of an ok situation with all the usual bumps in any relationship - one partner decided to move on.
Just like in a marriage / divorce situation the years after can be bitter and twisted - with each side trying to prove the other made the wrong decision to leave. I get the impression the UK and EU are just like that.
Hmmm. This is exactly the kind of reply that vindicates everything I wrote. I think you deflect and project an awful lot. It’s made my life difficult. I’ll be pushing back on this until it doesn’t. I await that day. You should really ask yourself why you champion this so much? Maybe people would have greater respect and understanding?
Fab! I’ll hotdesk over there for a few months hassle free…..oh…wait. Irony….can’t even do that in Europe now. NB…this is NOT a lefty insult but a fact. Real life.
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