Off Topic Off-Topic Thread (Anything Non-Football Related)

We don't have proper access to common wealth trade agreements, we are only able to exert limited pressure on the EU which has resulted in a couple of long drawn out processes to try and do deals with a couple of common wealth countries which haven't been completed yet. Norway have more free trade agreements than the EU does. I'm very confident we would be efficient in securing deals with common wealth countries upon leaving the EU in a way that benefited us more than the current EU negotiations with common wealth nations.

Also in terms of the %, that would naturally grow upon removing barriers to entry from trade.

 

This is an interesting article.
http://euromove.org.uk/how-can-we-get-the-most-out-trade-with-the-eu-and-the-commonwealth/

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-bilateral-trade-relations-business-opportunities

http://www.case-research.eu/sites/default/files/publications/23704363_CNR_84_final_0.pdf
There's an in depth report here studying the FTA agreement set up between the EU and Commonwealth countries - it seems to state that, depending on how the FTA is set up that the Commonwealth countries would benefit to a much greater extent, and while the effect on the EU would be positive, it would be small, especially in comparison to the EU's main trading partners. As such the partnership is more beneficial to the Commonwealth countries than to us.


All of the above seem to indicate that we do have an FTA set up between the EU and (most) Commonwealth countries, I've seen it mentioned that this is as a result of UK influence.

We would struggle to convince these Commonwealth countries to give us better deals on our own, or to generate enough trade through the Commonwealth to make up for the loss in trade with the EU - especially considering the distance and differences in cultures between us and the majority of Commonwealth countries.

 

It would be easier to set up agreements on our own rather than the beurocratic monster that is the EU. Far easier to set something up we are happy with than worry about fitting with the EU. We would not struggle to convince those countries to give us a better deal than the non-existent deal they currently have. Currently afaik there are two deals still trying to be negotiated very slowly with common wealth countries and only because we have pushed for it. As I've pointed out Norway has more FTAs in place than the EU which is slow and difficult to deal with. I have huge confidence we would have deals with common wealth countries in place far quicker on our own than through the EU.

 

Why do you say non-existent deals when the deals are clearly there?

And why do you say we'd have no problems convincing countries to trade with our 60m population market and economy, rather than the far, far bigger EU market and over 500m population market? Where is your proof? Do you know that we won't have to give more incentives/inducements up to get countries to sign new FTA's with us rather than the ones already in place with the EU? Or to better the ones in place with the EU?

 

You say you have far more confidence in us getting deals in place quicker than the EU could. But the EU already has the deals in place. All we'd be doing is breaking out of those deals and having to start from scratch in negotiating our own deals!

 

They aren't clearly there. India started negotiations in 2007 and almost ten years on the talks have stalled since March 2015. Canada may have in recent years completed a deal with the EU but I'd have to check. Otherwise we aren't even in negotiations with any other common wealth countries afaik. The EU is slow and inefficient at doing anything.

In terms of why I think we would find it easier - it's far easier to find a deal that works for us, than a deal that works for the whole EU. Also using Norway as an example they have signed far more FTAs than the EU has so there are working examples of it being easier or more efficient to do it as an individual nation.

Edit: I've checked and the Canada deal will come into play later this year at the earliest but still needs to be passed through the EU I believe.

 

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Follow in line behind Cameron, May and Osborne then? My views are more tending towards this http://think-left.org/2015/07/06/tony-benn-the-case-against-the-eu-is-its-lack-of-democracy/

 

Cor-bin-laden is at it again, trying to stir up the lazy rabble in Wales.

The feckers would be earning a bit more if they got themselves off their lazy arses and worked a bit harder, rather than expecting handouts from those of us who did bother to get an education, thus leading to better jobs.

Scrounging ponces one and all.

 

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/...cons-of-eu-then-just-be-racist-20160307106893

 

Whilst on Holiday I had some very interesting conversations with some retired farmers from up north who are delighted they will have a chance to vote out of the EU. According to them the EU has been terrible for the agriculture industry and there part of the country. Agriculture, fishing and building seem to be three industries in the uk that have suffered due to the EU. I'd imagine a lot of people working in these industries will be voting Out.

I was quite surprised that the general feeling amongst the English people I spoke to in Spain (all of the older variety) was that pulling out of the EU was the right choice for the UK. Obviously I only have a small sample group lol but it was interesting none the less!

 

I know the farmers in Wales (in the main) are desperate to stay in the EU to keep the CAP. Interesting though. Were you on holiday in the N of England in somwhere rural or did you bump into these gentlemen while on holiday somewhere else?

 

I was in Spain and bumped into them there, they are retired but spend 50/50 in the uk and Spain and one of them still owns the farm (dairy). I was really surprised by how many of the ex-pats I spoke to wanted to leave the EU as I had expected to mainly find people who were worried about the referendum.

I think again, like with fishing, one of the key issues are EU imposed quotes (with dairy they got removed last year I think). Which lead to lots of farms having to close or lose lots of profit.

 

On another topic - did anyone see Sadiq Khan got told by TFL that his freeze on fares would cost almost £2billion rather than the few hundred million he claimed. When asked about it instead of saying he had got the figures wrong he denied TFL had even said it

Politicians are such liars!

 

Sad but true.

 

Ahh nice, hope you enjoyed your holiday!

It is quite surprising, especially as I'd imagine it would lead to quite a lot of uncertainty for ex-pats in Spain. I know (or rather the little I know about) the dairy industry have it hard, especially over the last 5-10 years or so.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35774629

Article about the current state of the EU economy.

Pulling out now would give us an amazing negotiating position... The eurozone countries simply won't risk anymore damage to there economies.

 

I wonder how much the Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Greek economies have recovered, or is everything being papered over?

 

I know that the Irish economy was the fastest growing economy in Europe (EU and non-EU) and a major success story as it has experienced impressive growth an recovery since the bail out. I've also heard positive things about the Portuguese economy, though not as much from the Italian or Spanish and obviously the Greek is still in dire straights and I totally understand and agree with the argument against the way Greece has been treated by the EU.

 

I've never understood this position or seen any evidence - breaking all our long negotiated trade deals and being part of the biggest trade bloc and peeing off our negotiating partners will somehow give us a stronger negotiating position - coz you know, we'll be negotiating on our own, rather than as part of the biggest trading bloc on the planet...