Let's not forget Brexit

The situation of Ireland (republic of Ireland I mean) doesn't seem to be mentioned much as a Brexit issue. UK has had very strong trading links with Ireland since they gained independence from UK in 1922 and they joined the EU in 1973 with us.

I know the Northern Irish border with Ireland is an important issue for Brexit negotiations ( Good Friday agreement etc) but our exit from the EU will leave The Republic of Ireland quite isolated unless we have no border and no tariffs between UK and Ireland at all. Is this possible as they will be an EU country? A large percentage of their exports are to the UK.

Also we've always had freedom of movement with Ireland. Can this be continued or does that just mean UK can't control immigration from the EU? I'm not personally concerned about immigration levels but it seemed to be one of the main drivers of Brexit.

Australia did not make cars for long - they had no production in the early nineties - most of the cars were Japanese imports.

Thanks for the links. It is really one almighty mess isn't it.

No you didn't forget. That's why you used that name.
You're right (does that belong in pedants' corner?); it was in the dark depths of my memory which was jogged when I typed the name. The firm was often known by the old name of 'Siemens' even though the name was changed years previously.

Interestingly, there is no longer any car production in Australia - it ceased this month.

I do think we need to be careful about jumping to conclusions. Australia seems to have decided which way they want to go. This has not happened by accident.

It is not the type of manufacturing the UK or Aus should be focussed on. We have to be higher value and specialised. Without a low wage economy it is an industry that needs constant subsidy.

But it is always hailed as a great disaster because the govt don't provide a contingency for people who lose their jobs, then it is a circular argument between protectionism and the free market, which seems to miss the point completely!

Ref: My son, emailed in Aus to find out how disastrous this actually is

I can only agree that we need a high skilled, highly specialist economy. But I also agree that the government needs to be prepared for the changes this will make to peoples lives.

None of this is to do with Brexit - but it never was.

www.theweek.co.uk/brexit/89358/goldman-sachs-threatens-brexit-job-exodus-from-london

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-30/brexit-s-retail-mess-you-can-t-move-a-supermarket-to-frankfurt

I'm hoping that my Miele products will see me out

Me too!

Miele- Siemens- non EU- confusing.com

Why ever not?

Well, petra has already said elsewhere that she doesn't buy anything from the EU, Primrose.

I'm hoping that my Miele products will see me out
If they don't, there's a washing machine (Ebac) made in County Durham.
We have quiet a few Siemens solar panels, but they last forever so I won't have to worry about replacing them.

No you didn't forget. That's why you used that name.

Siemanism?

Oh, I forgot, DF used to work for Siemens more years ago than I care to remember (in England).

Why ever not?
I think you're confusing Brexit with xenophobic household appliance purchases. Is there a word for that? Anti-Mieleism?

That will not please Brexiteers, suzie.

Hopefully, more likely from Germany.

Will we get them from Italy, though?

I don’t think we will getting many washing machines, cars, ovens, farm machinery etc from Australia.

You hadn't heard of the Walloons, petra?
It was probably because you couldn't care less about trade deals and what they mean.

It is absolutely Schrödinger’s Brexit until we understand the terms of any deal.

^ How long did the Canada deal take? 9 years and then some no horse region in Belgium who nobody had heard of put a spanner in the works.^

What an extraordinary statement.

Leavers have been insistent all along that the monstrous EU rides roughshod over everyone, and that we had no voice and no control, yet faced with an example of a a small region being able to influence the terms of a FTA the region is described in breathtakingly contemptuous terms.

It really is Schrodinger's EU, isn't it?

Interestingly, there is no longer any car production in Australia - it ceased this month.

Australia has ten FTAs currently in force with China, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, US, Chile, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) (with New Zealand) and Malaysia. Australia concluded negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in October 2015.

Welshwife
I think you'll soon be able to get your jam.
The eu are going to start free trade talks with Australia. We can't start ours until march 2019 but everything is in motion.
I would lay money on us getting a deal first. How long did the Canada deal take? 9 years and then some no horse region in Belgium who nobody had heard of put a spanner in the works.
The poor Australians don't know what they're setting themselves up for.

This is very good of Boris. I hope Theresa realises what he said and backs him, not just for Polish immigrants but for all EU immigrants.

infacts.org/bravo-boris-now-turn-words-eu-citizens-action/