Brexit, the economy and house prices part 5

Herzlos

kabayiri wrote: »

I own a top of the line microwave with a German brand name. It's a lot more expensive than the stuff you can pick up at Argos etc.

It *was* made in the UK. It's not hypothetical.

When you pay a lot for something, you expect a lot from it. You expect it to last and you pay good money to local people to service the equipment regularly.

In my view we need more of this, not less.

Yup, cost is equated with value. Where did the components and materials come from?

Herzlos

kabayiri wrote: »

We haven't really an option now.

We will never make £30 blu-ray players, or £15 kettles.

Those markets have gone.

There are more billionaires in the world now than ever before. There is a growing wealthy class in places like India.

We need to be clever as to who we target, and understand what these consumers see in brand UK, and how we can build on that.

As I said before, Brexit affords an opportunity to re-appraise what we do. It's not a guarantee of anything. I think we need singular focus.

So are these billionaires being put off from buying our stuff because of tariffs? Will they buy more with less tariffs?

I'd always assumed the growth would come with the middle classes; the sort of price sensitive but want to be seen do it well and thus happy to buy a Jaguar or Land Rover.

But taking India as an example; they still buy BMWs from the EU with 100% luxury tariffs. So why aren't they buying British?

wunferall

Herzlos wrote: »

So are these billionaires being put off from buying our stuff because of tariffs? Will they buy more with less tariffs?

I'd always assumed the growth would come with the middle classes; the sort of price sensitive but want to be seen do it well and thus happy to buy a Jaguar or Land Rover.

But taking India as an example; they still buy BMWs from the EU with 100% luxury tariffs. So why aren't they buying British?

Oh here we go.

First, what will you class as "British" since we have many popular marques? Those made here? Then who say's that Indians are not buying UK-made luxury cars?


Jaguar Land Rover sales in India were up 45% in the first nine months of 2017. If you want more luxury, Bentley are expanding in India; Aston Martin has recently significantly increased (as in doubling) sales in India; and McLaren are starting to sell in India this year.

So why say billionaires are being "put off buying our stuff"? They're not but as a country we should take every opportunity to promote great British products and workmanship, and this is where the UK could do far more.

Maybe you should try acknowledging that Great Britain is actually really very good at quite a few things instead of trying to decry it at every turn.

wunferall

Herzlos wrote: »

Yup, cost is equated with value. Where did the components and materials come from?

Who cares? The fact is that the base products are taken and manufactured into something saleable and profitable for the UK.

That's the way the world has worked for millenia, ever since those nice furry skins were traded for sharp flint tools. The Romans for example invaded Britain because we were rich in iron, tin, silver and gold amongst other things. If you can't grow or otherwise procure what you need, you trade/buy what you need to make the things you want.

Now please let's return to Brexit-related talk rather than obfuscatory attempts at decrying the UK.

wunferall

kabayiri wrote: »

We haven't really an option now.

We will never make £30 blu-ray players, or £15 kettles.

Those markets have gone.

There are more billionaires in the world now than ever before. There is a growing wealthy class in places like India.

We need to be clever as to who we target, and understand what these consumers see in brand UK, and how we can build on that.

As I said before, Brexit affords an opportunity to re-appraise what we do. It's not a guarantee of anything. I think we need singular focus.

Spot on.

China's upper-middle class is expanding from 14% of urban households in 2014 to a suggested 54% by 2022. That's an extra more than 400 million households in China alone with money burning a proverbial hole. The "affluent" are tripling in number too, from 3% of households in 2012 to 9% in 2022.

Chinese perceptions of the UK has already led to increased tourism and spending, as seen in reports like "Chinese tourists splash out £29m in UK shops during Golden Week" and more.

The UK does need to be clever. It's all very well harping on about existing trade with the EU when that has been shrinking and will shrink further. No it isn't a guaranteed "given" but focussing on the main growth areas (mainly Asia) could be what the country needs to get it out of the doldrums which we have been in now for far too long. What is certain is that the EU would not help when we were members, with their restrictive and often protectionist policies.

Herzlos

wunferall wrote: »

Oh here we go.

First, what will you class as "British" since we have many popular marques? Those made here? Then who say's that Indians are not buying UK-made luxury cars?


Jaguar Land Rover sales in India were up 45% in the first nine months of 2017. If you want more luxury, Bentley are expanding in India; Aston Martin has recently significantly increased (as in doubling) sales in India; and McLaren are starting to sell in India this year.

So why say billionaires are being "put off buying our stuff"? They're not but as a country we should take every opportunity to promote great British products and workmanship, and this is where the UK could do far more.

Maybe you should try acknowledging that Great Britain is actually really very good at quite a few things instead of trying to decry it at every turn.

I didn't say they were put off. I said if they were put off. So sales of luxury cars are do it great while we're in the eu. Will they improve when we leave?

Herzlos

wunferall wrote: »

Who cares? The fact is that the base products are taken and manufactured into something saleable and profitable for the UK.

That's the way the world has worked for millenia, ever since those nice furry skins were traded for sharp flint tools. The Romans for example invaded Britain because we were rich in iron, tin, silver and gold amongst other things. If you can't grow or otherwise procure what you need, you trade/buy what you need to make the things you want.

Now please let's return to Brexit-related talk rather than obfuscatory attempts at decrying the UK.

My point is that buying British still requires imports so doesnt have as much of an impact on the trade deficit as you'd assume.

Matt_L

Ballard wrote: »

A lot has been said since the referendum that our vote to leave the EU is by definition a vote to leave the single market but that flies in the face of what the arch Leavers were saying before the referendum.

I dare say that most of us have already seen this video (and it may have already been posted on here - I don't visit particularly regularly). It's been around for a while but has recently been reposted on my Facebook feed so I thought it worth posting on here for the sake of discussion.

https://youtu.be/0xGt3QmRSZY

If you believe thats worth watching then you really do need to watch this after, it puts your clip into perspective...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9dKcjfeVTs

slopemaster

As the owners of this site, it seems relevant to point out how Moneysupermarket.com seem to have been using peoples data

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/21/arron-banks-insurance-personal-data-leave-eu

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/apr/21/price-comparison-data-may-have-been-used-leave-eu-brexit-cambridge-analytica

slopemaster

slopemaster wrote: »

As the owners of this site, it seems relevant to point out how Moneysupermarket.com seem to have been using peoples data

Might also be worth someone who uses Twitter posting this on Martin's Twitter please?

(I thought of signing up but they wanted me to give my phone number and confirm it by texting me - no way!)