Brexit, the economy and house prices part 5

vivatifosi

I want to ask a question that I don't know the answer to.

Prior to joining the EU we were a member of EFTA. Much has been said about our freedoms prior to joining the EU and how we should go back to that.

However EFTA has to take the EU's legislation and FoM etc, without being able to shape or vote on it.

So at what point did EFTA adopt these rules? Was it before we joined the EU or has it been at some point since? Also, was EFTA losing economies of scale as a result of countries like the UK leaving to join the EU part of this process?

Tromking

gfplux wrote: »

Sad news that those new factory’s are not in the UK. However it would be foolish to invest such huge amounts of money in a country leaving the EU.

I think the JLR plans in Slovakia at least preceded the Brexit referendum, but I guess if it suits your miserablist agenda re. the country of your birth, then the timeline isn’t important.
That said, I’m not sure that on the cusp of the obsolescence of the combustion engine, the location of these type of factories is the issue you think it is.

Enterprise_1701C

vivatifosi wrote: »

I want to ask a question that I don't know the answer to.

Prior to joining the EU we were a member of EFTA. Much has been said about our freedoms prior to joining the EU and how we should go back to that.

However EFTA has to take the EU's legislation and FoM etc, without being able to shape or vote on it.

So at what point did EFTA adopt these rules? Was it before we joined the EU or has it been at some point since? Also, was EFTA losing economies of scale as a result of countries like the UK leaving to join the EU part of this process?

I seem to recall it was around the mid 90s? Can't point to any specific documents though.

Rinoa

buglawton wrote: »

The French government prohibits Frances passports being manufactured anywhere outside of France. That captive market enables its passport makers a great economy of scale so adding another country can be done very competitively.

Thanks EU, but especially the British government for caving in so easily to this sort of trade shenanigans.

Happens in so many other industries. Procurment is supposed to be EU wide. In reality every other government ensures their own companies get the business.

Go to google and look at images of French, German and UK police cars. UK has police cars imported from everywhere. All French police cars are Renault, Citroen, all German police cars are VW, Mercedes.

Over time our industries have suffered as we abide by the rules whilst other countries look after their own.

We've been stiched up for 45 years.

Herzlos

Rinoa wrote: »

Go to google and look at images of French, German and UK police cars. UK has police cars imported from everywhere. All French police cars are Renault, Citroen, all German police cars are VW, Mercedes.

British police choose the lowest bidder despite the merits of the cars themselves. British companies either can't or won't compete.

Rinoa

ilovehouses wrote: »

They're stitching themselves up if they blindly spend taxpayers money on stuff just because it's produced locally.

No they aren't. They increase or maintain market share to protect their industries.

Rinoa

Herzlos wrote: »

British police choose the lowest bidder despite the merits of the cars themselves. British companies either can't or won't compete.

Nothing to do with competition. If it were, French and German police forces would have cars from each others country.

They don't. They make damn sure their own companies get the order.

buglawton

CKhalvashi wrote: »

Because the EU doesn't control immigration policy, national governments do.

Why are you once again blaming the EU for something it doesn't control?

I've just been educated to the fact that any EU country can allow new immigration from outside the EU to an unlimited extent. That is in effect displacing Polish workers to countries further west. If we were looking for a reason to leave, this alone would be enough.

Rinoa

ilovehouses wrote: »

They need the best price for the correct spec of car.

If an approved car list doesn't extend beyond French cars then the taxpayer is rewarding inefficiency. There is zero incentive for Renault to make cars which might be more suitable because they've got a captive consumer. Captive consumers don't force innovation or better value. It just takes a small step back to see.

Your theory is fine. But that's not what happens.

Other countries are prepared to break the rules to ensure their own industries survive. A tactic which has worked well for those who employed it.

The EU do nothing to prevent it.

buglawton

ilovehouses wrote: »

It's not going to displace those Polish workers to the UK because non-EU net migration to the UK is now more than double that of EU migration and it's been higher for decades.

I don't know where to look for the data but I'd bet non-EU migration into the UK dwarfs that of Poland. I'd bet the UK has imported more non-EU migrants than any other EU country during our membership.

Not much to do with brexit and more to do with government policy.

I can see the top 10 figures for 2015.
http://www.migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/migrants-in-the-uk-an-overview/

Poland was the biggest contributor to UK immigration at 15%.

The next 9 countries (which include India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) added together contributed 33%
6 of the top 10 were EU other then Poland itself.

So it does rather look like Poland punches well above it's weight.