Balham_Green wrote:Frank_Butcher wrote: There will always be those looking to carp from the sidelines - now that they can no longer bemoan WTO terms, they'll have to find something else to moan about. But this is an amazing achievement on both sides to negotiate a trade deal of this size in such a short time. If it was ever to be concluded it would always be at the eleventh hour as brinkmanship continued to the end - that's why it was pointless debating Brexit for the last 12 months. One just hopes that the approval process is a formality (unless of course there is anything significant to be found).
There will be negatives in the detail - no doubt about that. But what I would really like to see is us investing in our own country once again. Just one example in agriculture is that as a climber of mountains in the Scottish Highlands for the last 30 years I can reliably say that 30 years ago the hills were covered with sheep, but these days you'd be lucky to find a white furry thing anywhere. That's a good, very visible example of the impact of import policy. Another is seeing Spanish tomatoes on the supermarket shelves in August. Let's start to re-build sustainable industries in our own country, only importing where it is necessary to do so.
And no, this is not a Little Englander (or Scotlander) attitude. I happen to believe all nations should be doing the same because what follows with globalised import poilicies is a high percentage of the damage we do to our own environment. It's all connected. Time to re-think the way economics works for the good of all of us - and the planet.
So there you have it. It's all worthwhile in order to get more sheep back on the Scottish mountainsWhereas I was thinking it was all about fish - 0.06% of our economy I believe. Makes you laugh all the folk saying 'I'm not little Englander but...' Yes you are!
Likewise how many times also I have heard from different people 'I'm not a racist but.....'!
Tee hee - and there you go right on cue. Well done. Didn't disappoint. Almost like you've been waiting for months for me to post. Flattering.
Anyway, if you cannot work out the negative impacts of lost industries in this country, the link to globalisation and consequent detrimental effects on the environment, I cannot help you. If done right, Brexit can be a model for other countries to follow. If done right, believe me they will.
I'll ignore that last line BTW - you really are an undesirable individual at times.
Merry Christmas though - I hope there may just be a second of the festive period that brings happiness to you... somewhere... somehow.