Brexit, the economy and house prices part 5

Herzlos

wunferall wrote: »

Remember remainers rambling on about supposed superiority of EU rules & regulations?

Well the UK are the ones considering improvements in animal welfare post-Brexit, not the EU. Surely that can't be right; all the best welfare bits are EU we're constantly told; who'd have thunk it?

"UK considers live animal export ban post-Brexit"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43706978

Curious. Firstly, I don't think any remained claimed the EU was a paragon of animal rights, unless you have a reference. We said the EU has higher standards than the US.

Secondly, this same Gove, wanting us to be a world leading in animal welfare, voted that animals can't feel pain, in the animal sentience bill. His party is also considering having a vote to bring back fox hunting. Both the hallmarks of someone caring about animal welfare.

Since this is a tiny issue, I suspect it's virtue signalling to try and claim that the Tories care about animal welfare to detract for the difficult admissions on trade deals and potentially to try and make the EU look like the bad guys.

Herzlos

kabayiri wrote: »

Specifically, I want to know why this viewpoint is wrong :-
https://youtu.be/qpUh_ejubyY

Firstly, I'm not sure I buy the notion that one country in a bloc being in a trade surplus due to export means that others need to be in a (trade?) deficit, since it's not a zero sum game. I'm also not sure if he's trying to tie a trade deficit to an economic deficit as he's talking about forced austerity.

Beyond that; I do agree that the Euro and fiscal union isn't great. I think the fiscal union needs to be an all-or-nothing, with either no union or a superstate. I think that we should all be able to manipulate our currency relative to our neighbours, and that everyone being able to handle payments in a 2nd currency (Euro) would make trade fairly painless. Of course maybe this would have been different if countries didn't cook books to join, and didn't follow the fiscal rules regarding deficits and so on.

So I agree that the Euro (currency) in current form is bad. I don't agree with the notion it's bad because of a trade surplus.

kabayiri

Herzlos wrote: »

...
So I agree that the Euro (currency) in current form is bad. I don't agree with the notion it's bad because of a trade surplus.

I don't understand.

What do you mean 'current form'?

What other form could it take?

Herzlos

Almost any other form.

mayonnaise

cogito wrote: »

Lets see how Eurozone growth is doing by the end of the year shall we? There's a lot of negative stuff in the pipeline which could wipe the smirks from the faces of remoaners. As you say, times have moved on as German industrial output figures for February suggest.

German industrial production numbers for February were poor yes.
But one month's figures are meaningless.
As 'wunferall' would say:

wunferall wrote: »

Have you heard the saying "one swallow ........."

This graph will help you understand better.

buglawton

Herzlos wrote: »

Firstly, I'm not sure I buy the notion that one country in a bloc being in a trade surplus due to export means that others need to be in a (trade?) deficit, since it's not a zero sum game. I'm also not sure if he's trying to tie a trade deficit to an economic deficit as he's talking about forced austerity.

Beyond that; I do agree that the Euro and fiscal union isn't great. I think the fiscal union needs to be an all-or-nothing, with either no union or a superstate. I think that we should all be able to manipulate our currency relative to our neighbours, and that everyone being able to handle payments in a 2nd currency (Euro) would make trade fairly painless. Of course maybe this would have been different if countries didn't cook books to join, and didn't follow the fiscal rules regarding deficits and so on.

So I agree that the Euro (currency) in current form is bad. I don't agree with the notion it's bad because of a trade surplus.

Yup, banking regulation in the Euro zone at the moment is a bit like a big family who throw all their savings into one pot, then everyone from toddlers to teenagers to grandparents can take out what they feel they need.

wunferall

mayonnaise wrote: »

German industrial production numbers for February were poor yes.
But one month's figures are meaningless.

Ah, that would be why the OP very clearly said "Lets see how Eurozone growth is doing by the end of the year shall we?" You even quoted it.

mayonnaise wrote: »

As 'wunferall' would say:

Flattered though I am by your continued attention, if you do a pluxy next and ask where I live I might start to worry that you're becoming a little obsessive; stalker-ish even.

Thrugelmir

ilovehouses wrote: »

The UK being atop the G7 growth league was certainly big news around these parts.

Been common knowledge for a long time that it's been consumer spending driving growth. A combination of PPI payouts and increased debt levels being major contributory factors. Hence the lack of surprise in the tail off.

Thrugelmir

mayonnaise wrote: »

German industrial production numbers for February were poor yes.
But one month's figures are meaningless.

New car sales appear to have dropped way. Not just in the UK either.

wunferall

ilovehouses wrote: »

As has been said it's a virtue signal. There's a clue in that it's a piece of political news rather than business news. It's a cheap signal too - the UK's export of live animals amounts to around 50 truckloads of sheep each year.

Also, it's another reminder of why caution needs to be exercised when trusting the good nature of farmers rather than tough regulation when it comes to stewardship of the countryside. If this is so cruel why do farmers do it in the first place - current legislation allows for it but farmers are hardly being forced to export live animals.

Yet another quiet day in the Brexit Impact business I see, plus you're contradicting yourself again. Farmers don't "do it" according to you in your reply, or at least only one truck per week from the entire UK. That's not the same in Ireland & the rest of the EU though, is it? Hence the furore over the EU's illegal transportation of livestock and inhumane conditions.

P.S.
The EU won't even virtue signal that they will consider the same; it's the UK that leads the way yet again. Plus of course it's another example of unwanted EU influence, since the UK could not introduce the law as an EU member.