EU Brexit impact - Treasury Analysis

BobQ

Some compelling evidence in this report. Do those who favour leaving disbelieve these statements?

Box 1.B: Impact of the EU on the UK’s pharmaceutical industry The UK pharmaceutical industry: • contributes £13.0 billion of UK Gross Value Added (GVA), 0.8% of the UK economy and 7.7% of UK manufacturing GVA42 • employs around 93,000 people, many of whom are highly skilled43 • 43% of the sector’s total exports goes to the EU44 The UK is home to operations of all of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies,45 as well as many smaller ones, including a flourishing bioscience industry and innovative startups. The UK has 80 different companies involved in one or more stage of pharmaceutical manufacturing. These companies operate on 91 different sites and are involved in one or more of the stages in producing 216 products authorised across the EU market.46 Exports of pharmaceuticals are significant with over half going to the EU, worth £29 million each day. The Single Market will give life science companies investing in the UK access to new opportunities in a wider market for their products.!These benefits for UK-based companies would be put at risk if the UK was to leave the EU. The EU provides a single framework for regulating and improving pharmaceutical products. This ensures a high standard of patient safety, raises productivity through economies of scale and increased competition, and reduces the cost of supplying drugs across the EU. The UK has strong influence over the EU’s regulatory framework for pharmaceuticals, which would be lost under any of the alternative relationships discussed in Section 2.

BobQ

Alan_Brown wrote: »

Actually, I feel the 'Little Englander' attitude is when you go and live overseas and refuse to intergrate with your new country, preferring to hark back to your original country rather than to look forward with the new one.

If I had emigrated, and to a distant land especially, I doubt I would give a fig about the UK and it's political affiliations.

How bizarre!

BobQ

Generali wrote: »

I have emigrated to Australia however I am invited to vote in this referendum and have decided that I will take the British Government up on that invitation.

The outcome of the referendum will affect me in a number of ways. For a start I am a holder of an EU passport and Drivers Licence at present so a Brexit will impact on my freedom of movement and ability to drive.

Good point, keep a UK passport and be fast tracked in the EU Passport holders line in 28 countries. Reason enough to vote remain on its own.

CLAPTON

It would seem that there is no analysis that shows that exit would
-change anything at all
-make it better
-or make it worse

missbiggles1

Alan_Brown wrote: »

Actually, I feel the 'Little Englander' attitude is when you go and live overseas and refuse to intergrate with your new country, preferring to hark back to your original country rather than to look forward with the new one.

If I had emigrated, and to a distant land especially, I doubt I would give a fig about the UK and it's political affiliations.

You're using the terms "living abroad " and "emigrating" as if they're synonymous, which they aren't.

Alan_Brown

My apologies to everyone who took offence on this thread for me asking the question about why someone who emigrated, especially to a non-EU country would be go engrossed in the EU debate. I was actually interested in the answer, because as I have mentioned, I personally would not be interested anymore in the political wranglings with the UK. I (like many people) have toyed with leaving over various stages of my life for one reason or another, usually due to dissatisfaction with the UK. The main one was when, despite a million demonstrators (four of which were me, my wife and two children), President Blair decided to start his illegal wars.

I understand that not everyone who leaves the UK does so because they are dissatisfied, though there must be an element of that, no matter how small, and so I should have asked the question "Generali, did you leave the UK because you are dissatisfied with it in some way, or did you just see a better future for yourself and family overseas?". I was interested in case the reason could have a connection with the UK's membership of the EU (perhaps generalli was a builder who has been so undercut by eastern european migrants that he couldn't find work anymore?). I also was hoping to understand the interest in the EU, perhaps there were solid reasons (generali could own an international export company and finds it easier to work within the EU structure?). I was inetersted in the point of view of an emigrant, as it's often very informative to hear the views of someone on the "outside looking in", unfortunately all I got was that he wouldn't be able to drive in Australia without an EU passport (?).

I understand that feelings run deep on the issue of the EU, but I have tried to keep my posts reasonable and polite, despite a few personal insults (talking out of my aris, et al). Perhaps this is the general way debates are conducted on here, but I can assure you that is not my way and that my questions about emigration were not a personal dig, but for seeking the purposes of seeking information.

Perhaps though it is easier to argue with people on a made up point about my non-existant 'little englander' stance than my actual arguments about devolution, local government and democracy?

I dunno, it seems sad though that adults can't chat about a serious issue with name-calling and juvenile behaviour.

Alan signing out of this debate.

mwpt

Alan_Brown wrote: »

Perhaps though it is easier to argue with people on a made up point about my non-existant 'little englander' stance than my actual arguments about devolution, local government and democracy?

I found your posts reasonable. I'm still interested to hear why you think devolution works within a nation but doesn't work at the supra-national level. The UK and countries within the EU have certain (lots!) of devolved powers, while the EU decides on certain other issues almost all around trade.

wotsthat

Alan_Brown wrote: »

My apologies to everyone who took offence on this thread for me asking the question about why someone who emigrated, especially to a non-EU country would be go engrossed in the EU debate. I was actually interested in the answer, because as I have mentioned, I personally would not be interested anymore in the UK. I (like many people) have toyed with leaving over various stages of my life for one reason or another, usually due to dissatisfaction with the UK. The main one was when, despite a million demonstrators (four of which were me, my wife and two children), President Blair decided to start his illegal wars.

I think your incredulity about someone having an interest in the UK after leaving says more about your attitudes and motivations.

I'd still be interested in the UK if I left as I'd be leaving behind friends and family and would wish the best for them.

Also, selfishly, I wouldn't really want the UK to go to hell in a handcart in case I ever wanted to come back.

Alan_Brown

mwpt wrote: »

I found your posts reasonable. I'm still interested to hear why you think devolution works within a nation but doesn't work at the supra-national level. The UK and countries within the EU have certain (lots!) of devolved powers, while the EU decides on certain other issues almost all around trade.

A federal, pan-European government is the polar opposite of devolution. The government is so remote from the people (before the referendum, did anyone actually know the name of their MEP, do they know how they have voted in the European parliament, do they even know which political party they represent?)

I feel that the larger a government becomes, the slower it operates because of the huge divisions and fractions within in. A parliament representing the UK may have different views on how to get there, but they all want what they believe is best of the UK. A European parliament has members that often are fighting for what is best for their own country, not the the EU as a whole.

The only way the EU and especially the Euro can work is by much closer integration, economic and otherwise. They need to become a federal state, like the US where the inhabitants call themselves Europeans rather than Czechs, Poles, Germans, etc. Only then will people in the region formerly known as Germany want their taxes to help aleviate poverty in the area formerly known as Greece.

In the UK, I'm happy for my income tax (and various other taxes) to be used in other regions of the UK to help fellow Brits, most people have the same attitude. Do we have the same attitude for helping the Greeks? I think not.

It's fine to have European co-operation on a variety of issues, I just don;t see that joining a superstate and being governed at a European level is the only way to achieve that co-operation.

Alan_Brown

wotsthat wrote: »

I'd still be interested in the UK if I left as I'd be leaving behind friends and family and would wish the best for them.

Also, selfishly, I wouldn't really want the UK to go to hell in a handcart in case I ever wanted to come back.

This I can debate with. I'd be the same if it was something along the lines of a European war, but a vote on whether to remove a layer of government and renegotiate trade agreements wouldn't have me thinking the UK is on the precipice of disaster. I would be as interested in the EU debates as much as I am interested in the US elections. Slightly during the debates, greatly on the day of the result. I assume (remember I'm not an expat) that I personally wouldn't have that great an attachment to the political goings on in the UK if I had emigrated, I was wondering why Generali did. It's interesting to me what makes people tick, and what helps define their viewpoints. I've made it clear on here why I think we should leave the EU, I was interested to hear from someone "on the outside" as it were, why he thinks we should stay. Is that so bad?

wotsthat wrote: »

I think your incredulity about someone having an interest in the UK after leaving says more about your attitudes and motivations.

This is just a personal attack, and I don't see what the point of it is? I have a different opinion on the EU than you, that doesn't make me a bad person, there is no need to personalise the debate. We're not children.