I hope the tourist industry is ready for the drop after Brexit really kicks in. Britain is the 8th most visited country in the World - with 36 Million foreign visits in 2015, spending 22.07 Billion Pounds. Of these 21.5 million were from EU. countries. From the 10 most common senders of tourists, 8 are in the EU. with even 1.92 million tourist visits from Poland - yes, even amongst Poles there are more tourists than people wanting to work in the UK. Altogether there are 19 tourists for every one potential resident. The need for passports will substantially reduce these figures (particularly when it comes down to extended weekends in London). What will reduce it even further is that 'Brand Britain' has been damaged - people do not go where they do not feel welcome. Our friend SH. will, no doubt, chip in and say that we can attract more American and Japanese tourists to compensate for the European loss - but, currently, American tourists apply for one visa ie. for the whole EU. and those that go to London, can also go to Paris, Rome, Berlin etc. on the same Visa - that will also change. Already the number of language learning holidays in the UK. is going down because language schools are relocating to Ireland and Malta - this will make a big difference to smaller towns on the south coast.
I think it is easy to concentrate on tourists, but there is another group that will be affected. Every time I arrive in the ferry port at Dieppe there are lorry drivers in the terminal having their paperwork checked and presenting their ID cards. The drivers come from all over the EU and from what I have been told they can cross the channel twice a week in each direction. I wonder how many of the drivers or indeed their companies will be bothered to apply and pay for passports? If they do think it worthwhile you can be certain that the UK will pay for it through increased costs.
Given that 'proper' muslims do not believe in free speech, women's rights (let alone equality!), democracy, LGBT rights and get all dictatorial about what one can and cannot put in their mouths amongst other things.... For clarity, I have no truck with any religion, as most here know.
So now it turns up that we want to receive loans from the European Investment Bank after we have left. The Bank, which is the biggest multilateral borrower and lender in the world, has funded £31.3 billion of for infrastructure spending, entrepreneurship and development in the UK over the last five years. The largest chunk of the EIB's loans to the UK, around 30 per cent, go to energy projects; the second largest chunk are on sewage and waste disposal. Other areas that benefit significantly include transport and telecoms, education, and health. The EIB describes itself as “representing the interests of the European Union member states” and makes no profit on its activites, which are aimed at enacting EU policies like European integration and cohesion. Now this sounds very much like cherry picking or cake eating to me.
Totally misleading. The EIB lends money around the world not just in the EU. It does make a profit on the difference of its borrowing cost compared to its lending cost rate. It is currently sitting of retained profits of £66 billion which the UK has rightly asked for its share to set against any ransom. There is no reason why projects in the UK cannot be financed through the EIB after Brexit. The UK is one of the largest fund guarantors, it can use this facility to also fund UK projects after Brexit.
Yes it does lend money to countries that have prospects of at a later date becoming members of the EU. It states quite clearly that it supports European integration and cohesion. I doubt that the UK qualifies, unless you take into account it's lending to help out poorer countries.
Of course the EIB could lend the UK. money but it is not obliged to. Whether or not this happens would, presumably, depend on how amicable the Brexit deal is - it would also be influenced by the credit worthiness of Britain at that stage which would be at rock bottom if it left the EU. in acrimonious circumstances, but will be low anyway. Besides which it comes over, to me at least, as if I were to divorce someone in acrimonious circumstances - fight the divorce bill for every penny - and then ask my ex to lend me money. I mean how low can you get ?
Sorry you are wrong again. From their website: We are the world’s largest multilateral borrower and lender. We provide finance and expertise for sustainable investment projects that contribute to EU policy objectives. More than 90% of our activity is in Europe. But we also are a big investor around the world. They are commercial lenders, they borrow money from the international capital market through bond issues. The backing for this borrow is from the donor countries including the UK.
The EIB does not lend to countries, just projects within countries. The EIB is able to do this because countries like the UK use their financial muscle to enable the EIB to borrow at lower rates.
As I said SH. they could but they are not obliged to and Britain would be stark raving mad to rely on such a thing happening.
Since Article 50 was invoked all applications have been rejected. The key to who they will lend to is in the words you used sh, EU policy objectives. I doubt that even you can equate leaving the EU as one of their objectives.
Projects will not need to rely on the EIB, the financial backing the UK government currently gives to the EIB can be transferred to a UK investment bank.
This is purely a ploy to offset the UK's demands for a slice of the retained profits. The Ebb have already stated there will be no reason why the UK cannot remain member after Brexit. The way the Brexit negotiations are going the chance of no agreement is rising rapidly.
We have moved from uncle Trump will help us, to the Chinese will help us, through to the EIB will help us - is this the sovereignty you wanted - the sovereignty of a begger. So desparate for foreign money that Britannia will become a prostitute - trying to make herself attractive for the investors, the frackers and the other parasites of this World. According to you Britain could open itself up to the rest of the World (like Britannia opening her legs) - does it not worry you then that the only World leaders who supported Brexit, at the time, were Putin and Erdogan ? Outside of the comfort of the EU. it is a mean World out there in which Britain will have to lower its environmental standards, lower its workers rights, in short turn itself into a bargain basement society in order to attract anything. For this you exchanged the pooled sovereignty amongst equals which the EU. offered ?
Brexit could deliver an economic blow to Britain from which the country may not recover, the Scottish Conservative leader has said. Ruth Davidson, a staunch Remain supporter, acknowledged that no party had a mandate to prevent Britain leaving the EU but said ministers had failed to prepare the public for the realities of the negotiation period. How far will she be prepared to stick to her view and vote against this government?
The UK is currently one of the largest members helping to provide funding for the EIB, if it ceases to invest in the EIB it can help UK projects directly through a UK investment bank. I am not worried about the outcome of Brexit, I have read so much 'project fear' nonsense on here, some of you guys are frightened of your own shadows. I am not at all confident a Brexit deal can be reached with the EU, it looks impossible at the moment.
The overwhelming majority of MPs respected the wishes of the people therefore the result of the referendum. I doubt she will suddenly become undemocratic.
