Nobel laureate economist says there is ZERO chance Brexit will leave the UK better off

Oh God remarks and nasty little asides and of course " jokes"

By the way Day6. I'm immune to patronising and sneering comments such as yours.

I actually did try to start a sensible, proactive and positive discussion about "WOODMOUSE"'s link, but it appears people such as you are more interested in snide remarks.

Actually Day6 I'm extremely concerned about the future of my country. Maybe you see my posts as taunting, but that's your perspective. Maybe if anybody ever had any sensible answers ...

If you want less inequality Hetty, vote Labour.

Day6 You could always follow your own advice to yourself. Nobody's stopping you.

Hetty We know what staying in the EU is like. We can work with our sovereign parliament for equality, just as we could have done since we joined the EU. We have always had the power to vote for whichever party we want. Inequality is the fault of the British government not the EU.

You tell me how that will change.

We are going over old ground because people's livelihoods depend on getting answers and, so far, they have been fobbed off with waffle. Is this really what taking back control was supposed to be all about?

Because (and you've been told this umpteen times) it is not a case of just walking away. We are faced with years and years of negotiations and the sooner we thrash out an agreement with the EU, the sooner we can start the real business of creating some kind of future outside the EU. Do you really not grasp that?

I'd ask you much the same question, Hetty

How will leaving the EU make UK society any more equal?

I'd also ask you who we are going to trade with that we don't already trade with and what are we going to trade; particularly bearing in mind that the Brexit economist, Patrick Minford has said that leaving the EU will lead to the loss of our manufacturing and agricultural industries?

And why would a country offering a market of 66 million people (of which about 4 million are held to be impoverished) get any more advantageous terms than a market offering some 500 million people?

But, what does going on and on about it achieve?

KittyI have this conversation with myself daily! It achieves absolutely nothing.

I also tell myself not to read the News and Politics forum. Getting embroiled is beginning to seem like a huge waste of time.

Let's get Brexit done and move on. (My Remainer friends feel the same way. We just keep going over old ground.)

There is nowhere where everyone is white well dressed speaks in BBC English and lives fairytale lives

I beg to differ paddyann, although, I have never visited this fabled land there are some GN, who do infact live there.

Yes, very good post Hetty and also Monica.
Experts ( in any field) disagree with each other quite often.

growstuff, we have a golden opportunity for change! Answer me this:

How will remaining in the EU make UK society more equal?

Oh dear growstuff. You are not in the least concerned. You just like to taunt. Do grow up and contribute to the discussion rather then deride people, if you possibly can.

But, what does going on and on about it achieve?

Good post Hetty58

I too fear the future if we remain in the EU.

Well, now you've become a Marxist sympathiser Day6, I must admit to being a tad concerned.

Who called you a racist?

I don't understand this comment at all " I want far more equality in the UK as the growing divide is dangerous to our society." How in realistic, practical, tangible terms will leaving the EU make UK society more equal and "less dangerous"?

I know the Independent newspaper though and it takes its own slant. Remain all the way through like a stick of rock.

Yup. Biased press again.

We must remember both the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England both said the Leave vote would be closely followed by all sorts of economic disasters and unemployment. They were both embarrassingly wrong - as wrong as anyone could be.

Forgive me if I continue to wait and see. There are very few certainties in life, but some Remainers seem to want us to live under a dark cloud and do not have the wherewithal to imagine a decent life in the UK after Brexit.

We can predict gloom if we want, just as 'experts' Osborne and Carney did.

Carry on predicting a hellish life post Brexit . It suits the Remainer narrative, doesn't it?

Aha, MaizieD and Growstuff (I've been working) you'd like to know my thoughts! Rather than a 'better off or not' vote it was a political one:

My informed decision to vote leave is about political independence, national sovereignty and true democracy. It’s being able to change the lawmakers if you don’t like what they’re doing. It's all about who gets to make the final decisions and looking to the future with easier, quicker trade worldwide and more opportunities for non-EU migrants. Of course, you may be quite happy with the idea of an integrated federal Europe. I am not! I see it as a ball and chain. There remains, of course, a vital need to cooperate (on both sides) - as a 'non-member'.

What happened to mutual respect, tolerance and understanding of different viewpoints? I don't see much of it on here. I strongly object to being called a racist just because I voted leave. I believe that immigration should be controlled (as it is in many countries) to allow for planning of public services. I want far more equality in the UK as the growing divide is dangerous to our society. Finally, yes, I have considered the future that my children and grandchildren will inherit if we remain under the control of Europe.

Hetty I've read your link and I really don't agree that it can be claimed that Krugman doesn't argue in a logical, academic way.

Krugman identifies as Keynesian, which Cochrane does not. Apparently that article was written in response to a criticism by Krugman of Cochrane's work. To me, it doesn't really seem very logical and academic itself.

My understanding of economics isn't good enough to argue who is right and who is wrong. However, I do know that Cochrane is considered the maverick compared with Krugman.

Hetty I would be grateful if you could explain how exactly you think that Brexit will lead to a less deeply divided and dangerous society.

I genuinely would like to know Hetty's rationale for her Leave vote.

Economists argue and disagree with each other worse than lawyers. He has won a Nobel prizefor his economics. He would not have got that if he got things wrong all the time.

Really MOnica? Krugeman doesn't argue in a logical, academic way, though, does he?

ricardo.ecn.wfu.edu/~cottrell/ecn272/cochrane.pdf