Toenga wrote:From an economic point of view, Brexit was a mistake. For the majority of UK inhabitants, they have been subjected to a bigger decline in living standards, healthcare availability, educational opportunity, then had they remained a member of the EU.
This can most easily be verified by comparing UK performance with its immediate neighbours on mainland Europe.
But for some, apparently, they think the gain of the nebulous, other benifits of removing freedom of movement, and another layer in their governance more then compensates. We can only speculate on their motives and belief structures.
This comes back to what I was saying before, benefits of Brexit are subjective to different people. You point out what you view and think that economically Brexit was a mistake, where as I take a different view that I knew that the UK economy will fluctuate for good and bad overtime but the UK economy it is fairly resilient. We saw over this even when we were in the EU and over many different economies across the member nations and over many years and how EC decisions can create good and bad outcomes for individual member nations.
Toenga wrote:Post Brexit, Britain now, must face up to the consequences of it's own failings, as it's opportunities for diverting blame elsewhere have declined.
And that is rather the point, no government is infallible people would like to think they are but they are not hence why we have different political parties with different viewpoints. The electorate now has that opportunity to directly hold those accountable as it goes no higher than Westminster.
We have had two general elections since the Brexit vote, the first gave a vote of no confidence how Theresa May was conducting negotiations which ultimately returned her with a reduced majority, then Boris Johnson overwhelming majority in the face of concerted attacks from the pro remain elements in government.
The next election will determine if they believe the current government has used its new returned powers to the advantage of the UK and if they are capable of turning it around. For that time will tell.
Toenga wrote:Rejoining is not an option available in any short term. Whilst the UK would have to initiate the process, the decision lies entirely with gaining unanimous approval from the 27 EU member countries, and subject to whatever conditions they like to impose.
With the recent history of UK destructive membership of the EU, the chances of any of the previous UK especially favourable terms being reinstated must be extraordinarily unlikely. So a UK without pounds and pence? That would be a challenge.
You forgot the most important element the UK electorate and any future referenda along with the campaign. I certainly don’t think it would be a straight forward and easy campaign to re-join either. And I don’t think using the economic argument is any silver bullet for the re-join movement either.
Toenga wrote:But very concerningly, where is progress now towards a more economically sustainable UK?
Changing PMs and cabinet every few months is a symptom of the currently directionless Britain.
I think that episode is now over until the election. Something massive would have to happen for another change in PM, But I suspect a cabinet reshuffle could happen between now and then
Toenga wrote:How is Britain going to at least reverse its comparitive decline? Decline in living standards and international standing. Comparitive to its peer countries.
I don’t believe we are in a terminal situation something are within government action and others are beyond their control. But some of the forecasts by international institutions do have an effect of consumer and business confidence which can turn into self-fulfilled prophecies, after all when you look at the IMF projects over the last few years they turned out to be wrong.
Toenga wrote:Bonfires of regulations is not a plan, it is simply more destruction. The enormously destructive GFC had two epicentres, one of which was London.
And it was the result of inadequate regulation. So given this history, relaxing regulation here, will not endear the UK to much of the rest of the world. Much the same as effectively moving out of the CE product certification regimes has introduced an unwelcomed trade impediment.
This I agree with to a degree, there is no point in just ditching retained EU law just for the sake of it. By all means change if something is not working or it could be made better by adding regulations. But just getting rid of it wholesale no I agree with you.
Toenga wrote:Joining the remote CPTPP smacks more of despiration then any meaningful lifeline. It will be a benifit, but very modest compared to what it gave up with the EU.
No not really I think it offers other increased opportunities that otherwise would not be open to the UK no matter how big or small
Toenga wrote:If lowering taxes automatically led to raising living standards then the high tax, high benifit, Nordic and North European social democracies would not be top of the tables for living standards and functional democracies.
What works in one nation does not mean it will work in another. The UK used to have extremely high taxation margin and it has been shown in the past reducing them does have a benefit to the local economy
Toenga wrote:The debate of whether Brexit was a mistake or not, is far less important then the debate that should be happening now, but largely isn't
Where now, and how, for Britain?
I think the closer we get to the next election will bring that to the fore. Then the majority of silent electorate will have their say.
