Tampon Tax : who should decide

cells

michaels wrote: »

If you run a trade surplus with the UK (most countries given we rund a deficit), why would you not want to try to keep the same level of access to the UK market as you currently have?

UK consumers pay about 15% more for their food due to trade restrictions imposed by the EU. I understand for the rich this is a non-issue, they can afford it. For the poor who spend more of their income on food it is probably more of a problem. The UK obviosuly imports more food than it exports so we are imposign high costs on our poorest to support EU farmers who are often extremelly rich. How progressive is that?

Free movemnt of people supresses the wages of the lowest skilled in the UK whilst holding down prices of all those services such as cleaners and Capacinos that only the well off can afford - again no wonder the chattering classes are in favour where as those without an articulate voice lose out - but then who cares about people who can't speak up for themselves - surely they aren't smart enough to deserve a vote anyway?

Where do you get the figure that food is 15% more expensive due to the EU. I am confident that is wrong. It may be that base foods like corn sugar flour oil are 15% more expensive but a typical family food shop includes a lot of processesed foods. For example a bar of chocolate or a pack of biscuits that sells for £1 has only about 3p of base ingredients that make it up the other 97p is non food costs. So if base foods get cheaper by 15% we would see a decrease in the cost of a bar of chocolate of some half of one penny or 0.5% decrease.

Also if tariffs are out in place it won't be great but it won't be as bad as first appears. The economy would quickly rebalance to more internal production consumed internally. The biggest example would be cars if the EU imposed a 100% tarrif on cars asnd we did the same we may find that importing cars is unviable and so is exporting cars. However we produce about 2 million cars a year domestically and most of that can and would be diverted to domestic consumptions. So we would see exports fall about £25 billion but so would imports.

Mistermeaner

And we all drive Nissans or jags? I think the manufacturers may take a different view as to whether the uk is the best place to make them

Edit Landrovers too

BenjaG

The EU, with the aim of harmonizing VAT and reducing distortions in cross-border shopping, is demanding a minimum VAT rate, currently standing at 5%. According to ‘The Economist’: “A uniform VAT rate would minimise distortions, remove any government meddling over which types of consumption are favoured over others, and focus different bits of the tax and benefit system on what they do best.“

mayonnaise

BenjaG wrote: »

The EU, with the aim of harmonizing VAT and reducing distortions in cross-border shopping, is demanding a minimum VAT rate, currently standing at 5%. According to ‘The Economist’: “A uniform VAT rate would minimise distortions, remove any government meddling over which types of consumption are favoured over others, and focus different bits of the tax and benefit system on what they do best.“

Clapton won't be happy if they slap a uniform 5% on his tampons.

michaels

mayonnaise wrote: »

Clapton won't be happy if they slap a uniform 5% on his tampons.

1st rule

CLAPTON

BenjaG wrote: »

The EU, with the aim of harmonizing VAT and reducing distortions in cross-border shopping, is demanding a minimum VAT rate, currently standing at 5%. According to ‘The Economist’: “A uniform VAT rate would minimise distortions, remove any government meddling over which types of consumption are favoured over others, and focus different bits of the tax and benefit system on what they do best.“

if this takes place
would this change be an example of 'ever closer union'
or simply a minor 'administrative' change?

cells

CLAPTON wrote: »

if this takes place
would this change be an example of 'ever closer union'
or simply a minor 'administrative' change?

why do you try to make closer union a negative for all things?

I think its likely in the long run the EU will want its members to have very similar duties and sales taxes on products and services. So fuel duty or Alcohol duties will I think converge into a narrow band.

It makes sense as it would get rid of the incentive for EU nations to 'steal' each others retail sales. Also on a logical point it makes sense why drive 100 miles to France to avoid duties to buy bottles of wine and 100 miles back when the same wines are available 1 mile away at your local Tesco.

There may also be some push to stop EU nations stealing each others corp taxes (think Ireland) unless a way of accounting can be put into place to stop multinationals moving profits artificially to the lower corp tax EU nations.

antrobus

Mistermeaner wrote: »

And we all drive Nissans or jags? I think the manufacturers may take a different view as to whether the uk is the best place to make them

Edit Landrovers too

And Minis.

And some Toyotas and Hondas. And Bentleys and Rollers, and Aston Martins, and Morgans, and Lotus and Caterham and McClaren. Is that it? I think GM might still be building Astras in the UK, and aren't some MGs still built at Longbridge?

Granted, a lot of them are on the pricey side, but there's at least some choice left.

antrobus

cells wrote: »

Where do you get the figure that food is 15% more expensive due to the EU. I am confident that is wrong. ...

Here's some chap from the IEA who thinks it's 17%.
http://www.iea.org.uk/blog/abolish-the-cap-let-food-prices-tumble

CLAPTON

cells wrote: »

why do you try to make closer union a negative for all things?

I think its likely in the long run the EU will want its members to have very similar duties and sales taxes on products and services. So fuel duty or Alcohol duties will I think converge into a narrow band.

It makes sense as it would get rid of the incentive for EU nations to 'steal' each others retail sales. Also on a logical point it makes sense why drive 100 miles to France to avoid duties to buy bottles of wine and 100 miles back when the same wines are available 1 mile away at your local Tesco.

There may also be some push to stop EU nations stealing each others corp taxes (think Ireland) unless a way of accounting can be put into place to stop multinationals moving profits artificially to the lower corp tax EU nations.

An important strand of the 'remain' camp is that 'ever close union' has been rejected.

I glad you clearly see it as totally lies and that compulsory standardisation is inevitable if we stay.

Diversity breeds innovation, new ideas and alternative ways of doing things.
It will allows different areas with differing issues, problems and opportunities resolve them to meet local circumstances.