Brexit has well and truly begun!

[Carana]

Honda is set to announce the closure of its Swindon car plant in 2022, with the loss of about 3,500 jobs.
The Japanese company made 160,000 Honda Civics in Swindon last year, of which some 90% were exported to the EU.

Trying to find out if the 3,500 jobs are at the plant  or whether others related to the supply chain and are on top of that.

[Admin]

It was a non-issue to begin with.

I disagree Carana, the EU had big plans which now are in chaos.

Snip

West Midlands MEP James Carver said the debate planned by the pro-EU think tank the Kangaroo Group showed why Britain was right to be leaving the EU.

The Kangaroo Group’s space, security and defence working group invited MEPs to a debate on Tuesday next week entitled: European Army, Better Chances Without UK?

The event will be opened by Michael Gahler MEP, who is president of the Kangaroo Group and an influential member of the European Parliament’s defence committee.

Mr Carver, an independent eurosceptic, said it made clear the EU's intention to create a European Army.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/politics/2019/02/16/plans-for-eu-army-laid-bare-says-mep/

[Carana]

The Trump administration not only dislikes the European Union, it is out to destroy it. The trip by the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, to Europe last week was episode three of the onslaught, designed to play on east-west divisions within the EU. Episode one was Donald Trump’s 2017 Warsaw speech, infused with nativist nationalism. Episode two was Trump’s 2018 moves on tariffs, and his tearing up of key agreements such as the Iran nuclear deal and the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. To which should be added his open encouragements to Brexiteers, and his decision to pull out of Syria. All of the above affect European (including British) interests in very concrete ways, unlike mere tweets or insults thrown at allies.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/18/trump-pompeo-bolton-eu-eastern-european-states

Bannon all over it.
Another reason why the EU can't abandon Ireland, and the UK still hasn't found an "alternative arrangement" that could work.

[Carana]

I disagree Carana.

Snip

West Midlands MEP James Carver said the debate planned by the pro-EU think tank the Kangaroo Group showed why Britain was right to be leaving the EU.

The Kangaroo Group’s space, security and defence working group invited MEPs to a debate on Tuesday next week entitled: European Army, Better Chances Without UK?

The event will be opened by Michael Gahler MEP, who is president of the Kangaroo Group and an influential member of the European Parliament’s defence committee.

Mr Carver, an independent eurosceptic, said it made clear the EU's intention to create a European Army.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/politics/2019/02/16/plans-for-eu-army-laid-bare-says-mep/

There are noises about it, but what exactly is it? US keeps making threats to pull out of NATO and Putin is gloating.
If the chap I linked to earlier is correct, the UK could simply opt out (as it has over numerous things). If it just means more cooperation in military exercises, then I don't see the problem.

What I haven't worked out yet is where it would overlap with NATO, if ever.

[Admin]

The Japanese have bitten off their own nose to spite their face, the UK can do what Donald Trump has done and impose tariffs on any rogue states who move their manufacturing out of the UK.  Japan is not the wondrous must go to economy it once was and has been overtaken by China.  Doing a deal with China is what counts now.

[Carana]

I'm hearing that Fox is trying to offer 0 tariffs, like a headless chicken. An effect of that would be to decimate UK producers (including farms). Other countries are bound to protect their own interests and get the best deal possible for themselves. They know the UK is up the creek without a paddle. The whole idea of the UK holding all the cards was just ignorant bluster from those who should know better. Yet people believed them.

[Venturi Swirl]

The Japanese have bitten off their own nose to spite their face, the UK can do what Donald Trump has done and impose tariffs on any rogue states who move their manufacturing out of the UK.  Japan is not the wondrous must go to economy it once was and has been overtaken by China.  Doing a deal with China is what counts now.

Why are you describing Japan as a rogue state?

[Carana]

The Japanese have bitten off their own nose to spite their face, the UK can do what Donald Trump has done and impose tariffs on any rogue states who move their manufacturing out of the UK.  Japan is not the wondrous must go to economy it once was and has been overtaken by China.  Doing a deal with China is what counts now.

Erm, yes, if we're still alive if and when that might happen....

[Carana]

Why are you describing Japan as a rogue state?

Ditto. I don't understand that, either.

[Venturi Swirl]

Erm, yes, if we're still alive if and when that might happen....

A trade deal with China could be a double edged sword...
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2018/08/making-china-great-again/

[Venturi Swirl]

Trying to find out if the 3,500 jobs are at the plant  or whether others related to the supply chain and are on top of that.

The people of Swindon voted for Brexit, now they will have to live with the devastating effects on their town and communities.

[Carana]

A trade deal with China could be a double edged sword...
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2018/08/making-china-great-again/

Yes, someone who knows far more than I do has been telling me this for quite some time, but I wasn't tuned in.

[Carana]

The people of Swindon voted for Brexit, now they will have to live with the devastating effects on their town and communities.

As I suspected (if this is true), many more jobs lost in Swindon that the 3,500.

https://twitter.com/pernilleru/status/1097504408181633025

[Venturi Swirl]

As I suspected (if this is true), many more jobs lost in Swindon that the 3,500.

https://twitter.com/pernilleru/status/1097504408181633025

Just get the UK government to invent a nationaised new car industry by 2022 and it will all be sorted.

[Carana]

Just get the UK government to invent a nationaised newl car industry by 2022 and it will all be sorted.

I very much doubt that the majority of people in Swindon would have voted to lose thousands of jobs if they'd been aware of what it would entail at the time.