Theresa May 3

Joelsnan have you been living in a parallel universe? In 1973 Britain was known as "The Sick man of Europe"
Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community in 1973 as the sick man of Europe. By the late 1960s, France, West Germany and Italy — the three founder members closest in size to the UK — produced more per person than it did and the gap grew larger every year. Between 1958, when the EEC was set up, and Britain’s entry in 1973, gross domestic product per head rose 95 per cent in these three countries compared with only 50 per cent in Britain.
After becoming an EEC member, Britain slowly began to catch up. Gross domestic product per person has grown faster than Italy, Germany and France in the 42 years since. By 2013, Britain became more prosperous than the average of the three other large European economies for the first time since 1965.
Still fantasy land is always nice.

You wouldn't have a perfect manufacturing base. I came from Sheffield and know how a steel firm was managed. After the war the world had needed all our steel and then others started manufacturing it, my old firm went down with all the other 8 steel firms in Sheffield.

The Eu was not to blame. The Englishman is not as productive as most central Europeans. I have lived in both countries and know the difference but also have put children through the rigorous school system. The expectations are high.

Yes, Maizie we are awaiting info from you ( whispers) on another thread.

I agree completely Joelsnan and it has to be said, that ( on this forum) the moaning, and pessimism and doing the UK down all comes from left wing posters, can this be co-incidence? That does not mean that all Labour supporters are like this, far from it, and there are those who voted Remain who are sanguine about the result, but all the really negative stuff comes from posters who are avowed left wingers.Only a small handful to be sure, but they post a lot and never miss a chance to show their 'knowledge' of how bad things will be, for leaving the EU and being under a Tory government.

How strange that you can respond to my posts when you want to MaizieD, yet completely ignore my polite request for information on another thread!

Goodness me such pessimism, however did we manage before the EU.
From what I remember
We had a good fishing fleet, we had effective nationalised industries and were not expected to open 'to the markets' because of EU competition law.
We had a respected industrial base which provided good quality technical training for our youth. This was before the EU gave company's incentives to relocate to poorer Eastern European countries which left mainly low paid unskilled jobs for our workers, that is of course until free movement was introduced and these were mopped up by the Eastern European migrants.
Our hospitals were fully functioning, serving local areas and ran effectively, were staffed in the main by British staff supplemented by high skilled commonwealth staff, we did not have mass migration so our infrastructure, schools, health service, social services etc. Could cope
We had council run old people's homes, good mental health care, midwifery services and district nursing.
Our universities were world class .
Yes, British politicians agreed to encourage the transfer of our manufacturing base looking for the cheap Buck from Outsourcing to a cheap labour region without consideration for the long term implications.
Yes, British politicians agreed to free movement without researching and evaluating the threat to the lower skilled Brits who because of poor education and language limitations cannot move freely.
Leaving the EU will not return UK to to the post war pre Common Market era, but it will allow some greater measure of self determination such as would the NHS have been opened up to an open bidding process (back door privatisation), had we not been forced into this process by EU? Would we still have a manufacturing base?
We need more optimism, we are well respected as a nation throughout the world, more countries know about the UK than they do about the EU. It is saddening to see so many people doing their own country down and also saddening to think that there are a such people who are so lacking in confidence and so obstructive to change that they would sooner drown in a sinking ship than join in the rowing to reach a better place.

What is it that so many GN members seem to believe otherwise, Ana?

That Merkel & May won't meet amicably?

Or that something positive will come out of that meeting?

Or that May had to fall over herself to rush off to Trump?

Or was it the one about people believing that the EU hates the UK?

(my post was in reply to your first post, but of course you're also right about 'needs must')

Thank you for that post, MargaretX, what a pity so many GN members seem to believe otherwise.

--To continue when Theresa May comes to Germany she will get on well with Fr Merkel and I think something positive will come out of it for both sides. I didnt like what I heard and saw in Washington, but needs must. May had to behave like that. She could not afford to upset him. I can imagine he can be quite nasty.

As a Brit living in Germany with a German family I am, for the first time considering not coming to the UK this year. Driving a Mercedes with a German number plate might not be such a good
basis for a holiday.

The idea that the EU hates the UK and is out to see it go down is ridiculous. Germany and the EU would like the Uk to be in the EU and if out, then they want it to prosper as having the poorman Brit on the other side of the North sea is not good for the EU. I hope it never comes to that.

Your post were fine sunseeker and I agree.Forget all the daft LOLS and whining , because that is all some posters do on here.

Do you believe that other EU countries have no trade deals with Turkey?

The EU has a trade deal with Turkey. We already trade with Turkey. All the trade deals the EU has negotiated with countries outside the EU (some 50+ I've seen quoted) and which we are already trading with because we are still in the EU, will no longer apply to us on the day we leave the EU. So they all have to be renegotiated. From a position of weakness because the UK cannot offer them access to as large a market as the EU bloc could.

So far, the prime concession possible future trade deal partners seem to want is free, or freer, movement of their people to the UK.

France and Germany don't have to tear up anything...

LOL Sunseeker. The future is rosy with the prospect of being bullied by America, doing a brisk trade with Turkey. And next on the list ... Iceland?
T'reesa has already annoyed India. Who are less than delighted with Brexit. If you were the board of Tata wouldn't you be? Nice foothold established in the UK - especially with the success of Jaguar Land Rover. Tata must be really fed up at the idea they have invested so much in JLR in the midlands and now their goods are going to get a 10% tariff on them when they export to EU.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37950198
And Australia, Demanding easier immigration rules . And she hasn't even been there yet.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/australia-brexit-theresa-may-alexander-downer-free-trade-deal-immigration-rules-a7539071.html
Where next? China? Russia? Iceland?

The point I was trying to make welshwife, badly perhaps, is that no matter what Theresa May accomplishes some GNs will criticise simply because of who she is and the party she represents.

'If you don't understand how it differs there would seem to be no point in debating with you.'

Fair enough.

Do you honestly believe that as soon as America is mentioned the world should stop trading with it because in your world that is what you would do

No POGS, I do believe we should mention, and insist that we are unwilling to accept, some of the awful things Trump proposes.

In your world would all Starbucks , American companies and business connections be closed / shut down, refused to continue doing business throughout the world?

No but they would be expected to apply UK law and standards.

Not sure I can see a difference in how Trump is behaving to some comments being made quite honestly.

If you don't understand how it differs there would seem to be no point in debating with you.

It would be a great thing if anyone did that sunseeker - but it will take big concerns to replace the jobs likely to go in the City and industries like aerospace

Here's a little story, a true one, about what it is like having a trade deal with the WTO
Samoa in the Pacific is a very poor country. There is a serious problem with obesity, diabetes etc, and not much of a health system to pick up the pieces.
One of the high fat delicacies which became popular in the Samoan diet was fried turkey tails. These were removed from turkey carcasses in the US and exported to Samoa.
The Samoan government banned the import of turkey tails. This became a bone of contention in the negotiations to become part of the WTO. The WTO won and an agreement was reached to phase in the import of turkey tails again.
How's that for "taking back control"

www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/05/14/182568333/samoans-await-the-return-of-the-tasty-turkey-tail
www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min11_e/brief_samoa_e.htm

I do get the feeling that if Theresa May returned to the UK with enough trade deals to guarantee full employment, investment that would guarantee billions of pounds being available for the NHS and had brokered world peace at the same time, there would still be people on GN who would find something to criticise.

In answer to your questions.

No

No

No.

Not sure how to reply to your last comment

Do you all think that Merkel and Hollande are going to rip up all Trade Deals between Germany and France come Monday morning ?

Do you honestly believe that as soon as America is mentioned the world should stop trading with it because in your world that is what you would do.

In your world would all Starbucks , American companies and business connections be closed / shut down, refused to continue doing business throughout the world?

Not sure I can see a difference in how Trump is behaving to some comments being made quite honestly.

Yes perhaps I should have

trisher your lonely hearts ad would be very funny if it wasn't so near to the truth!