Brexit Thread IX - Voters' Remorse

[EnglishEdward]

Blimey, all that money spent on Erasmas research and they neglected that.

Now the Aussies have worked out how to reduce methane from cows.

ttps://nationalpost.com/news/world/how-one-researcher-is-fighting-cow-farts-and-climate-change-by-feeding-the-gassy-beasts-seaweed

 

[Mega Tsunami]

OTOH

From the Guardian in March:

Feeding cows seaweed could cut their methane emissions by 82%, scientists say
Researchers found cows belched out 82% less methane after putting small amount of seaweed in their feed for five months

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/18/cows-seaweed-methane-emissions-scientists

Woops - Edward beat me to it

 

[EnglishEdward]

I am sure that given enough time the EU will declare an EU standard for cows belching and farting.

And ban beef imports from other countries because they can not prove they have met the standard.

 

[Mega Tsunami]

We might want to exclude mice from the Australian trade deal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-57225103

 

[Sofista]

I missed World Bean Day these last few years.

I'm definitely going to catch up!!

 

[FriendlyFire]

What about the free trade deal we have with the EU? Does that not count?
As Liz Truss said yesterday “Currently the EU have tariff-free, quota-free access to the UK and they are a much bigger beef producer than Australia so we already import over 200,000 tonnes of beef from the EU.”
Competition will always be good. Maybe the EU will reduce their prices and so we, the consumer, will benefit.

Let me unpack this for you
The UK is a importer of agriculture produce and has been this way. Leavers say that the UK was self sufficient in ww2 is pure Fantasy and delusional
The EU agriculture is a protectionist market and designed to function as a protectionist market

What is going to happen to your small inefficient agricultural farms that function under protectionist system
Everyone with two brain cells can put together what is going to happen.
That is the price that is going to be paid for cheaper consumer produce

 

[Mega Tsunami]

@FriendlyFire
One thing you should be aware of is that we Brits are happy to buy any old car, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, bottle of wine etc. no matter where it comes from, just as long it is good quality or cheap or both.
When it comes to certain foods however we are quite patriotic. Some supermarkets (eg Morrisons) sell only British beef for example. McDonalds says all its patties come from British or Irish cattle** etc. (It is thought this goes back to the horse meat found in ready made meals that came from the continent about 8 years ago). It is very similar story with lamb.

But you are absolutely right about the EU market and the fact our farmers have become fat on the subsidies and the protected market. It will do them the world of good to become more efficient in an unprotected market. Good for us all in the end.
The thing is, it looks like there will be a 15 year transition to the full trade deal, so that gives them plenty of time to become more efficient.


** At least I think that’s what they meant when they said “British and Irish farmers are our most essential ingredient.”

 

[EnglishEdward]

Prior to 1 January 1973 the UK used to import food tariff free from Australia.

I don't have a problem in resuming that.

 

[AmazonQueen]

Let him reap what he sowed.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...ration-to-staff-bars/ar-AAKCGVO?ocid=msedgdhp

 

[EnglishEdward]

It is quite funny really.

The UK dining out industry has laid off nearly all its chefs due to Covid 19 restrictions.

Many of the best of them have gone to local factory cookeries to support takeaways.

They all now want to recruit in bulk to restart on 21 June (assuming that is not delayed)
and suddenly realise that the 90 applicants for a job, buyers' market is no longer there.

The shock as the bosses realise that they might even have to train staff and be polite to their
employees, instead of indulging themselves in minimum pay minus and hire and fire policy.

 

[mitsho]

Let him reap what he sowed.

No, let's institute a humane and socially responsible atmosphere where job conditions prevail that allow for an acceptable quality of life. And for that you need him. Revenge may be sweet, but getting him to admit he was wrong is way more valuable.

But yes, he personally can...

 

[AmazonQueen]

No, let's institute a humane and socially responsible atmosphere where job conditions prevail that allow for an acceptable quality of life. And for that you need him. Revenge may be sweet, but getting him to admit he was wrong is way more valuable.

But yes, he personally can...

You are ofc correct.
Still its hard not to gloat a little, he isn't deserving of sympathy in the way a farmer or fisherman who was fooled into voting for Brexit is.

 

[mitsho]

You are ofc correct.
Still its hard not to gloat a little, he isn't deserving of sympathy in the way a farmer or fisherman who was fooled into voting for Brexit is.

Totally, I'm all for punishing people that knowingly spread lies. Or maybe he really was naive in 2016 and truly believed what he said.

Nah, probably not. They always know.

 

[Samson]

You are ofc correct.
Still its hard not to gloat a little, he isn't deserving of sympathy in the way a farmer or fisherman who was fooled into voting for Brexit is.

This is a whole different thing to the farmers and fishers, this is just about keeping his wage bill down while getting people to work in hazardous environments when UK people have realised how dangerous it is.

 

[GinandTonic]

Looks like he will have to improve his pay and conditions to something vaguely reasonable, poor flower.

 

[AmazonQueen]

Looks like he will have to improve his pay and conditions to something vaguely reasonable, poor flower.

I suspect the Tories will look at other ways of incentivising Brits to take the work.
After all "The British are among the worst idlers in the world" according to Kwasi Kwarteng, Priti Patel, Dominic Raab, and Liz Truss

 

[FriendlyFire]

5.5% unemployment rate and a labour shortage.
I guess the Leavers would rather collect unemployment benefits after all.

UK ‘faces labour shortage’ as Covid and Brexit fuel exodus of overseas workers
sharp decline in the numbers of EU workers, fuelling the risk of labour shortages.
There is hot competition for staff, with many hospitality and retail workers having left the industry to look for more secure work after the ups and downs of the last year.“There are also far fewer foreign workers seeking employment in the UK
Bank of England expects the jobless rate to peak at almost 5.5% after furlough ends

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...id-and-brexit-fuel-exodus-of-overseas-workers

 

[EnglishEdward]

I suspect the Tories will look at other ways of incentivising Brits to take the work.

I suspect that nothing will happen unless the government stands up to exploitive employers.

I have doubts whether the conservative government will do so willingly.

Ultimately they may be obliged to by a financial crisis and civil disobedience, but that may be a couple of years away.

 

[Takhisis]

I suspect that nothing will happen unless the government stands up to exploitive employers.

But how can they stand up to themselves? Who funds their campaigns? Who manages their contact networks? Who are their contact networks?

 

[Zardnaar]

Let me unpack this for you
The UK is a importer of agriculture produce and has been this way. Leavers say that the UK was self sufficient in ww2 is pure Fantasy and delusional
The EU agriculture is a protectionist market and designed to function as a protectionist market

What is going to happen to your small inefficient agricultural farms that function under protectionist system
Everyone with two brain cells can put together what is going to happen.
That is the price that is going to be paid for cheaper consumer produce

It's not pure fantasy.

The UK government in the war years was a lot more interventionist in what farmers grew in the war years. They worked out what crops gave the most calories and only planted them.

I can't quite remember if they became self sufficient but it was close.

BUT....

There was no variety or very little and you would have to eat less beef. Which happened in the war years anyway.

The book I read was from 1973 and broke down the war economy.