I note that our stabby friend from Russell Square with the 'mental health issues' has

[Burney]

It feels like that a bit. They also have quite protectionist import tarrifs in place, so that French cheese costs a fortune, simply because farmers in Norway (make up a big part of the govt) make cheese here. Tomato farmers in Norway are subsidised by the tax payer to grow tomatos expensively and Spanish grown toms cost a fortune (to protect the local farmers)

I worry a bit that the UK could end up going this way a bit re Brexit

The UK won't go that way since the UK hasn't been a protectionist economy since the repeal of the Corn Laws. We invented the idea of free trade and revel in it. Our whole Brexit effort is predicated on having the freest possible trade with the world at large.

Damn bad luck having to eat Norwegian cheese, btw. That brown stuff is particularly nasty.

[Brentwood]

The UK won't go that way since the UK hasn't been a protectionist economy since the repeal of the Corn Laws. We invented the idea of free trade and revel in it. Our whole Brexit effort is predicated on having the freest possible trade with the world at large.

Damn bad luck having to eat Norwegian cheese, btw. That brown stuff is particularly nasty.

I can't stand it, but Jarlsberg isn't bad. I sometimes pop over the border to Sweden to buy the EU stuff as it's only just over an hour away

What happens if the EU decide to charge the UK a high tax to sell our stuff in the EU, and we retaliate with higher taxes for them to sell into us?

[redgunamo]

The UK won't go that way since the UK hasn't been a protectionist economy since the repeal of the Corn Laws. We invented the idea of free trade and revel in it. Our whole Brexit effort is predicated on having the freest possible trade with the world at large.

Damn bad luck having to eat Norwegian cheese, btw. That brown stuff is particularly nasty.

Right. Everyone really seems to struggle with the idea that different peoples in different places will want to behave differently

[Burney]

I can't stand it, but Jarlsberg isn't bad. I sometimes pop over the border to Sweden to buy the EU stuff as it's only just over an hour away

What happens if the EU decide to charge the UK a high tax to sell our stuff in the EU, and we retaliate with higher taxes for them to sell into us?

Why on earth would they do that? If we left the EU tomorrow, we'd overnight become its biggest export market. Do you really think they're prepared to cut their noses off to spite their faces to that extent? Do you think a German government will be able to justify layoffs from its car companies on the basis that they were necessary to 'punish' Britain for leaving the EU? Not going to happen.

[Brentwood]

Why on earth would they do that? If we left the EU tomorrow, we'd overnight become its biggest export market. Do you really think they're prepared to cut their noses off to spite their faces to that extent? Do you think a German government will be able to justify layoffs from its car companies on the basis that they were necessary to 'punish' Britain for leaving the EU? Not going to happen.

All 27 countries have to agree on the terms of our new arrangement, I believe? I assume every country will want to punish us in some way, so that no other country amongst the 27 is tempted to do the same and destroy the whole thing for them. It would be pretty ridiculous if we walk away with better trading terms and don't have to accept the 'bad' bits we're walking away from. I assume that there'll be countries among the 27 who see opportunities to snatch industries from us who'll throw spanners in the works somewhere along the line. Banks are already carrying out due diligence exercises about moving to Paris or Frankfurt, running marketing campaigns to try to be the destination of choice for those in the financial industry

Assume that in the worst case scenario, most car manufacturers leave the UK and we can only buy from foreign manufacturers or niche UK ones that have remained here. We'll have to buy more expensive imported cars (or be left with a limited selection of UK produced ones) and the EU countries won't care about not being able to buy our cars.

[Sir C]

All 27 countries have to agree on the terms of our new arrangement, I believe? I assume every country will want to punish us in some way, so that no other country amongst the 27 is tempted to do the same and destroy the whole thing for them. It would be pretty ridiculous if we walk away with better trading terms and don't have to accept the 'bad' bits we're walking away from. I assume that there'll be countries among the 27 who see opportunities to snatch industries from us who'll throw spanners in the works somewhere along the line. Banks are already carrying out due diligence exercises about moving to Paris or Frankfurt, running marketing campaigns to try to be the destination of choice for those in the financial industry

Assume that in the worst case scenario, most car manufacturers leave the UK and we can only buy from foreign manufacturers or niche UK ones that have remained here. We'll have to buy more expensive imported cars (or be left with a limited selection of UK produced ones) and the EU countries won't care about not being able to buy our cars.

Both Nissan and Toyota have committed to staying.

[Burney]

All 27 countries have to agree on the terms of our new arrangement, I believe? I assume every country will want to punish us in some way, so that no other country amongst the 27 is tempted to do the same and destroy the whole thing for them. It would be pretty ridiculous if we walk away with better trading terms and don't have to accept the 'bad' bits we're walking away from. I assume that there'll be countries among the 27 who see opportunities to snatch industries from us who'll throw spanners in the works somewhere along the line. Banks are already carrying out due diligence exercises about moving to Paris or Frankfurt, running marketing campaigns to try to be the destination of choice for those in the financial industry

Assume that in the worst case scenario, most car manufacturers leave the UK and we can only buy from foreign manufacturers or niche UK ones that have remained here. We'll have to buy more expensive imported cars (or be left with a limited selection of UK produced ones) and the EU countries won't care about not being able to buy our cars.

What you're suggesting then, is that the EU might behave appallingly and against the interests of its own populations in the pursuit of propping up an organisation that has to frighten people into staying?
And that's an organisation of which you wanted to remain a part?

Also, there is literally zero evidence that any of this is going to happen. What will happen is that there will be lots of posturing, there will be some token bits of give and take and everyone will do the deal that suits them.
Also, as pretty much anyone will tell you, the idea that Paris or Frankfurt could replace the City is laughable.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Yes, I struggle with attaching moral values to personal choices such as gambling, smoking or drinking, to be honest. I'm of the old-fashioned opinion that it isn't really for the government to impose its ideas of good and bad on me.

The Sunday thing is always annoying on the continent. France basically shuts on Sundays, too. The Anglo-Saxon mercantile mind fundamentally believes that if we have the money to pay for something, there should be someone available to sell it to us. Anything else is a restriction of our rights.

In the cities, there's always an Ali (as we called the offies - Alimentation General) where you can buy booze to around 11 on a Sunday night. And if you know where to look, there's normally late night kebabies that flog you cans of 8.6 (if you like Brew - I guess they sell normal larger too, it's just I've never drunk it.)

So not much different to London, really, in terms of corner shop offies being open on a Sunday.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

The UK won't go that way since the UK hasn't been a protectionist economy since the repeal of the Corn Laws. We invented the idea of free trade and revel in it. Our whole Brexit effort is predicated on having the freest possible trade with the world at large.

Damn bad luck having to eat Norwegian cheese, btw. That brown stuff is particularly nasty.

Interestingly, the term Little Englanders was used during the Corn Law debates for those who wanted to ditch the empire because of the cost and hassle of running it and just free trade with the world.

I guess your side would see it as not paying to be part of a large economic zone. May I call you a Little Englander? In the historical sense, obv.