UK Brexit aftermath/repercussions

[Joe]

Unspeakable Brexit!

BBC presenter explodes with frustration after struggling to say Brexit

 

[robert99]

Welcome to Poundland, where life is bliss if you’re a foreign buyer | Andrew Rawnsley
Since we came off the gold standard in the 1930s, when a pound bought five dollars, this country has experienced a lot of devaluations, planned and unplanned. If making your currency cheaper was the route to riches, our streets ought to be encrusted with diamonds by now.
For holders of dollars and euros and other “citizens of the world”, the sale is now on. Britain is becoming a poundland bargain – so long as you don’t actually earn your living here.
(How long before we hear of workers being paid in Euros or US dollars?)

 

[Moll Flanders]

I read quite a few financial blogs and I read that an early retiree in the UK has said that his/her wealth has increased by £150k since the Brexit vote. It's alright for some! I thought that any negative financial effects of Brexit would mainly affect the poorer people, who ironically were probably the ones who voted for it.

 

[robert99]

If they have shares in export based companies, or funds in non-Pound savings, that sounds right. BUT! When inflation starts to go up, because of more expensive imports, then everyone loses. In other words, now's a good time to buy that Ferrari you've always wanted

 

[Joe]

Theresa May 'obsessed' with immigration control, says Vince Cable

 

[Joe]

Steven Woolfe quits ‘death-spiral’ Ukip over fights and feuding

Steven Woolfe, the Ukip leadership frontrunner, has quit the party, saying that the party has become ungovernable and is in “a death spiral” without Nigel Farage at the helm.

The MEP said he had reconsidered his ambitions to lead the party after a public altercation with a fellow Ukip MEP Mike Hookem outside a meeting in Strasbourg and subsequent seizures that left Woolfe hospitalised.

 

[Moll Flanders]

If they have shares in export based companies, or funds in non-Pound savings, that sounds right. BUT! When inflation starts to go up, because of more expensive imports, then everyone loses. In other words, now's a good time to buy that Ferrari you've always wanted

Well, I don't even know how to drive so that might be an unnecessary purchase.

The richer people will be insulated against inflation and it is the poorer people that will suffer if we have more austerity as a result of the economic problems from Brexit. I keep reading people saying that they are worried about their jobs and rises in prices of food and fuel, etc... and they didn't realise the risks when they voted for Brexit. They clearly were warned if they were paying any attention.

 

[robert99]

UK inflation at 1% as price of clothes and fuel rises - BBC News
The UK inflation rate rose to 1.0% in September, up from 0.6% in August, according to official figures.

It was the biggest monthly rise in the cost of household items in more than two years, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Economists have predicted that prices will rise further, particularly when the fall in the pound makes food and clothing more expensive.

Howard Archer, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, said: "Consumer price inflation was actually prevented from climbing higher still in September by a dip in food prices, but that looks certain to imminently come to an abrupt end and turn around as a factor."

Others said the UK was on course to exceed the Bank of England's target of a 2% inflation rate next year.

 

[robert99]

Tory health minister calls Brexit vote 'a terrible mistake'
A government minister has added to Conservative divisions over Brexit by describing Britain’s vote to leave as “a terrible mistake” and urging Theresa May to fight hard to stay in the single market.

David Prior, the health minister in the House of Lords, also said that Britain must continue to be able to attract top medical, scientific and academic talent to bolster universities and especially the life sciences industry.
(The Tories schizophrenic view of EU (AKA "Johnny Foreigner") is on show again)

 

[Moll Flanders]

Immigration myths collide with reality in austerity Britain

In particular, according to Simon Letts, leader of Southampton council, locals are convinced that foreigners are allowed to jump the queue for council housing.

In reality, Southampton council allocated 1,963 homes in 2014-15 to UK residents, 84 to Poles, seven to Lithuanians and six to Czech nationals, a pattern that had been broadly consistent for the best part of a decade.

“The idea that council homes are going to immigrants is a myth,” he said. “When people say to me that all the houses are going to Poles, I send them a spreadsheet showing that almost every house has gone to a UK resident. It is an urban myth.

 

[Second Summer]

In reality, Southampton council allocated 1,963 homes in 2014-15 to UK residents, 84 to Poles, seven to Lithuanians and six to Czech nationals, a pattern that had been broadly consistent for the best part of a decade.

“The idea that council homes are going to immigrants is a myth,” he said. “When people say to me that all the houses are going to Poles, I send them a spreadsheet showing that almost every house has gone to a UK resident. It is an urban myth.

I'm a UK resident, but I'm not a UK citizen. Those are two different things. UK resident just means that you've lived here for a small amount of time.

You’re automatically resident if either:

• you spent 183 or more days in the UK in the tax year
• your only home was in the UK - you must have owned, rented or lived in it for at least 91 days in total - and you spent at least 30 days there in the tax year

From here: Tax on foreign income - GOV.UK

 

[Moll Flanders]

I'm a UK resident, but I'm not a UK citizen. Those are two different things. UK resident just means that you've lived here for a small amount of time.

From here: Tax on foreign income - GOV.UK

I can't read the FT article I posted again as you only get a couple articles free a week. I'm not sure what point you are making?

I think the problem with UK housing is that not enough houses are being built in general, with social housing council houses are being sold off under right-to-buy and the stock isn't being replaced. There was an interesting documentary on about housing the other night. Someone on there was explaining that the law means the council can only offer statutory assistance to those deemed a priority case and it isn't based on how long you have been on the waiting list. So immigrants would only be given council housing if they met the criteria for a priority case and wouldn't have any advantage over people who were born here. The London borough with a '50-year waiting list' for council houses | Society | The Guardian

 

[Second Summer]

I'm not sure what point you are making?

"UK resident" could mean just about anyone, so when Simon Letts, leader of Southampton council, says that almost all social housing houses are given to UK residents, that doesn't really tell us to what extent the houses are going to foreigners.

I think the problem with UK housing is that not enough houses are being built in general, with social housing council houses are being sold off under right-to-buy and the stock isn't being replaced.

Not enough affordable housing, and completely ridiculous prices if you want enough room in your house to live comfortably, something which people take for granted in other western countries like the US, Norway etc ...!

 

[Moll Flanders]

"UK resident" could mean just about anyone, so when Simon Letts, leader of Southampton council, says that almost all social housing houses are given to UK residents, that doesn't really tell us to what extent the houses are going to foreigners.

I thought that is what you meant, but I already said that council housing is allocated based on need so immigrants aren't considered more of a priority than British people. Why shouldn't immigrants get some of the council accommodation anyway? They work and have families too.

Not enough affordable housing, and completely ridiculous prices if you want enough room in your house to live comfortably, something which people take for granted in other western countries like the US, Norway etc ...!

It's the fault of the successive governments that they haven't been building enough housing. You can still buy a house for a reasonable price in certain parts of the country, like the Midlands, the North etc... Some people at my husband's work have bought a home up in the North and commute everyday. They would rather travel for longer, but have a decent sized house. It's mostly just London and the South East that is ridiculous. Believe me, it pisses me off that high house prices have had a negative impact on my life. I didn't think for one minute that I would have had to live in such a small house in a crappy area for so long because it is so expensive to get something nicer.

 

[Second Summer]

I thought that is what you meant, but I already said that council housing is allocated based on need so immigrants aren't considered more of a priority than British people. Why shouldn't immigrants get some of the council accommodation anyway? They work and have families too.

Absolutely, if the UK wants to benefit from immigrant labour, then it would seem reasonable that the UK should afford immigrants the same rights as citizens when it comes to housing, medical care, state pensions etc. Though if the UK isn't willing / able to maintain these services at an acceptable level because immigrants or certain groups of immigrants are taking more than their fair share, then that is cause for concern. I agree with those who think it would make sense to expect the immigrants to contribute their labour and taxes for at least a couple of years before they can receive full benefits / rights.

The Southampton council leader was arguing against people who were worried about "foreigners" getting the council houses. The statistics he presented didn't distinguish between foreigners and citizens, so are therefore irrelevant to the discussion. He should have been brave and said it like it was instead of engaging in this sort of disingenuous straw-man argument. This is the kind of political elite speak that leads to support for populist, anti-establishment, anti-intellectual politicians.

 

[Moll Flanders]

Though if the UK isn't willing / able to maintain these services at an acceptable level because immigrants or certain groups of immigrants are taking more than their fair share, then that is cause for concern.

How would you be able to judge if immigrants are taking more than their fair share? If you have a British person who doesn't bother to get any education and sits on their arse for their whole life and then gets the state pension, have they paid their fair share? Obviously, they haven't. At least immigrants generally are young, healthy and come over here to work.

I just do not understand how people can scapegoat immigrants for any problems in their life, it's ridiculous and it happens far too much here. Maybe people should start taking responsibility for their own bad life choices.

 

[Second Summer]

How would you be able to judge if immigrants are taking more than their fair share?

This is a simplistic model, but I suppose in the case of council housing you want to start by calculating and comparing 2 ratios: one for immigrants, and one for citizens.

a = Number of council houses given to immigrants divided by total number of immigrants.
b = Number of council houses given to citizens divided by total number of citizens.

If a is significantly larger than b, then the immigrants are taking more than their fair share. If it's like you say, that immigrants are generally young and healthy, and able to get themselves jobs that pay enough to cover the increasingly expensive housing, then they're unlikely to be taking more than their fair share. These are the sort of numbers that politicians should get out there, exactly to combat xenophobia.

 

[Moll Flanders]

This is a simplistic model, but I suppose in the case of council housing you want to start by calculating and comparing 2 ratios: one for immigrants, and one for citizens.

a = Number of council houses given to immigrants divided by total number of immigrants.
b = Number of council houses given to citizens divided by total number of citizens.

If a is significantly larger than b, then the immigrants are taking more than their fair share. If it's like you say, that immigrants are generally young and healthy, and able to get themselves jobs that pay enough to cover the increasingly expensive housing, then they're unlikely to be taking more than their fair share. These are the sort of numbers that politicians should get out there, exactly to combat xenophobia.

Or British people could just stop being xenophobes? That would be an idea too.

What do you think is the difference between people who fear immigrants and people who live happily alongside them? I have lived in areas with different cultures and races and it doesn't occur to me to want to know the exact numbers of immigrants in social housing. I think that more council houses should be built for people who need them, I don't care if the people were born here or not.

From what I've read immigrants are good for the economy and are net contributors. I feel like I have posted this a hundred times before.What have the immigrants ever done for us? | The Economist

 

[Moll Flanders]

Brexit: Theresa May shares blame for rising hate crime, Tim Farron claims | The Independent

Tim Farron will today partly blame post-Brexit hate crime on Theresa May for making Britain a “nastier, more divided and more resentful country”. At an event to examine the worrying rise in xenophobia, the Lib Dem leader will accuse the Conservatives of being happy to “play on prejudice for their own short-term gain”.

ETA - I meant to add some links about people in the UK and whether they are net contributors or net takers to my post yesterday, but it was the weekend and I couldn't be bothered to look for them. They are from a few years ago, but they show how many people take out far more from the state than they ever put in.

Are you a contributor to, or a burden on, the nation's finances? - 'Squeezed middle' increasingly dependent on the state | This is Money

How much we give the state in tax – and how much we get back - Telegraph

 

[Andy_T]

And now for something completely different ...

We spoke to the meninist tampon tax guy who told menstruating women to 'just hold their bladder'

(fitting here as this expert was one of UKIP's youth spokespersons and "educating" the British public on Brexit)

First UK 'White Lives Matter' Margate March Sees Tiny Turnout #WLM | Huffington Post