Brexit means Brexit?

[villain]

While I'm here, do you remember that WTO Rules fall-back option? (you know, the "God help us" trading option assuming that we can't keep access to the Single Market AND kick Johnny Foreigner out)

Well, we'd even have to renegotiate entry to that club too - we can't just waltz in. And God-forbid if a WTO member had a long-standing UK thorn in its side, like ownership over some obscure South Atlantic islands, for example, and decided to be difficult about admitting us.

Did you not listen to what the WTO head said yesterday or have you conveniently dismissed it?

The Head of the WTO said we would have to renegotiate our "membership". At the moment the UK's membership of the WTO is as part of the EU. If you think a renegotiation is risk-free, then I think you're being naive:

"the U.K. to submit its own schedule of tariffs for the approval of trade partners, all of whom must agree to them. At that point, any of the other WTO members can flag issues, forcing the U.K. into a series of talks that could take years to resolve"

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-17/wto-economist-says-u-k-may-wait-years-to-sign-new-trade-deals

[villain]

What lies you were told to make you vote remain!

Whether or not, and which of, these predictions were correct we will find out when we leave.

The predictions were made on the assumption that Article 50 would be triggered immediately after the referendum. As Colwyn states, we haven't left yet.

[villain]

While I'm here, do you remember that WTO Rules fall-back option? (you know, the "God help us" trading option assuming that we can't keep access to the Single Market AND kick Johnny Foreigner out)

Well, we'd even have to renegotiate entry to that club too - we can't just waltz in. And God-forbid if a WTO member had a long-standing UK thorn in its side, like ownership over some obscure South Atlantic islands, for example, and decided to be difficult about admitting us.

You obviously do not believe in referenda (unless the result goes your way). As I seem to remember that the Falkland Islanders voted to remain under UK control.

They voted to stay a British colony, sure. But you don't think Argentina would like to have the Islands? And you obviously don't see any risk in other countries throw a spanner into our WTO renegotiation.

[villain]

For the record I did vote to leave and my reasons are I admit entirely selfish.

I last had a pay rise in 2011, since then every year I have been told by one of our directors (this is a FTSE 250 company by the way) that. For what we are paying you we could get 2 eastern Europeans in I am quite certain that similar conversations have happened elsewhere.

I will not question your experience, but statistics suggest that migration has not held down wages, except possibly at some very low wage jobs. It is also widely believed that migration has had a positive effect both on taxation revenue and overall GDP, which boosts the UK economy as a whole.

[villain]

Do you not listen Brexit Means BREXIT.

Does that mean we're in the Single Market or not? What about the Customs Union?

Why can't a single Brexiter answer these questions?

Do you really not care?

[JohnF]

It would seem that Nissan don't seem to be too bothered at the moment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37787890

I wondered about  this new found enthusiasm from Nissan for the United Kingdom of England and (maybe) Wales, then I saw Nissan have been given the equivalent of a BLANK CHEQUE (how generous of us):

"Britain has given Nissan (7201.T) a written commitment of extra support in the event that Brexit reduces the competitiveness of its Sunderland plant, in return for new production investments by the Japanese carmaker, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

In addition to unconditional investment aid, Britain pledged in a letter to offer further relief if the terms of Britain's European Union exit ended up harming the plant's performance, the source said."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-nissan-support-idUKKCN12R1AK

Aye, that one made me chuckle.  But the French must be laughing their bollox off given the strategic partnership between Renault and Nissan.

Despite claims by the Business Secretary that there was no "cheque book" involved, what this undertaking amounts to is that the UK government will underwrite any reduction in profit incurred by Nissan post brexit.  Wow.  What a sweet deal.  That'll be another chunk of that £350zillion a week heading towards Tokyo...

Who's next... Toyota? 

JF

[villain]

Brexiters love to moan about un-elected officials cutting murky secret deals.

If Brexit never happens Theresa May would presumably therefore be a shoe-in for the next EU President.

[villain]

Who knew that the current Conservative government was elected on an explicit manifesto commitment to “safeguard” the UK in the Single Market?

Remaining in the Single Market will mean we will continue paying into the EU coffers. Unless the EU budges, it also means Free Movement of people.

Now, do you think the current government could remove us from the Single Market without gaining a clear mandate obtained from having another General Election? Yes? Try again. No can do.

Boring, boring detail, eh, Brexiters?

Oh yeah, I forgot, "Brexit means Brexit". 

What an unholy mess.

[Colwyn]

I wish you hadn't posted that Villain. This thread was slowly moving to 66 replies and 666 views - which would have been appropriately spooky. Now you've made it 67 and as soon as I press return I'll make it 68. Anyway Brexit means Brexit in CAPITAL LETTERS. So stop asking your difficult questions about where the hell this country is going. You are giving the Brexiteers a headache; you know they don't want to think about these difficult sort of things.

[strange]

The 'very early' morning after the vote we were on route to the airport at an unGodly (is that a word, sorry if it isn't) hour and was listening to BBC radio.
They kept playing an interview with George Osborne they had from the day of the vote, and as a whole they were all stunned by what he'd said, as was I.
When asked what the Governments economic plan was IF the vote went against them and the people voted out, he stated that the Government didn't have an economic plan for an out vote.
Is this why we are now in this mess?
The saying is 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail'.
If that is the case that they hadn't even bothered to work on the possibility over the last X years when it was known there'd be a referendum, surely this Government are the elected people (not the people that voted for an exit) that are responsible for seeing what was proposed in their manifesto (i.e. a referendum) through to a suitable conclusion for the people they are supposed to represent?
How can they not have even thought that they might lose the vote?