'Whodathunkit'?

I hesitated before posting this because I just know it will provoke several tons of 'incoming SoD' but having had to grit my teeth and put up with the non-stop, lachrymose chorus of the heavenly 'Remoaners', I simply could not resist.  The news, just released, shows the growth - repeat 'growth' - of the British economy since the British people had the impertinence to do what they have done so many times before in our history and wave two fingers in the direction of Europe.  To put it more exactly, the British economy grew - repeat 'grew' - by 0.5% in the three months since the referendum!

Courtesy of Guido, I am happy to remind you of what some of our, er, 'glorious leaders' and 'economic experts' said prior to the vote:

David Cameron: “The job you do, the home you live in are at risk. The shock to our economy after leaving Europe would tip the country into recession.”

George Osborne: “A vote to leave would tip our economy into year-long recession with at least 500,000 UK jobs lost”

Treasury: “UK economy would fall into recession”, predicted 2016 Q3 growth between -0.1% and -1%

IMF: “Brexit would trigger recession”, predicted -0.3% GDP for Q3

Bank of England: Mark Carney said “It would be likely to have a negative impact in the short term… I certainly think that would increase the risk of recession.”

OECD: Short term impact of -1.25% GDP

And, as the equivalent of a large blob of cream on the top of a delicious pud, apparently Nissan is poised to announce that its huge Sunderland car factory will remain in the UK.  Mind you, I suspect more than a little governmental dosh will be involved but, hey, it was ever thus!

Also, to repeat a phrase I always quoted at my suckers customers when I was flogging my old bits of 'shrapnel' - "caveat emptor" - buyer beware!  I quoted this confident in the knowledge that none of them would ever understand it!  So my warning today is that economically speaking, there will be some rough weather approaching.  Why do I know this?  Because there is always rough weather approaching!  This time it might be the Italian banks going tits up and taking the EU even lower, or, the truth finally catching up with all those lying liars in the Chinese government, or, God help us, Trump/Clinton winning the American election and thus sinking the American economy.  Nor, I must emphasise, should we underestimate the stupidity, fanaticism and anti-British malignancy of much of the European apparat who will strive to make exit negotiations as hard as possible.  Cutting off noses to spite their own faces is something they're awfully good at!

'Still an' all' (as they say 'over there'), let us enjoy the moment which has proven all those so-called experts to be the utter prats we all suspected them to be!

 

Comments

[Whitewall]

Growth? How dare you!

[Cuffleyburgers]

Thank you for the warning Duffers, I've stockpiled whisky and ammunition in the cellar and both myself and my dear old labrador are wearing helmet and protective clothing so we're as ready as we can be for the incoming. Wife's Italian so she's probably safe!!

I might just not bother reading the comments for a couple of days...

[Up2L8]

It's not the explosion as much as it's the shock-wave.

[Mayfly]

Will the Nissans not be an export?......

I think it's too soon for cheering, simply because the banks are poised to leave. No, I don't mean that the banks are poised to leave because of Brexit. They are poised to leave, full stop, and will blame it on Brexit. Unless of course they discover that the English will, by this time, work for slave wages....sorry, the living wage.

[Backofanenvelope]

And where exactly will the banks go? I have trouble imaging anywhere that might be better than London.

[Loz]

Compared to these timeless whoppers ...

https://boingboing.net/2016/10/26/eu-lies-and-the-british-tabloi.html

... we can wait and see what happens when we actually start Brexit and finish Brexit, and then review the above predictions.

Btw, I reckon it was the "Jack Rabbit Directive" wot swung it: "Women have to hand back old sex toys" (see link). What a corker (no visual pun intended).

The Laydeez all muttered "Up yours Delors, out of my cold, dead hand", and the whole political future of the west swung off its axis - all because of "Dear Old JR" hiding like a stowaway immigrant at the bottom of the knicker drawer.

Well at least we know what our glorious new leader meant when she said, "Brrrrrrrrrr-exit means Brrrrrrrr-exit".

SoD

[David Duff]

Dear Miss Mayfly, I trust you read my post down below on the current production of "Travesties". It, too, featured a rabbit but I can assure you that it was not a match for the dear, departed 'Jemima' so beautifully trained - and over-fed! - by you!

(For the benefit of all you impoverished theatre-goers who missed my epic production of "Travesties", part of the business in the play is when James Joyce produces a rabbit from his hat - very symbolic! Dear Miss Mayfly found a suitably young, small rabbit but alas during the weeks of rehearsal it just grew and grew and grew until we could hardly stuff the damn thing inside his hat. Such is the stuff of live theatre!)

[Mayfly]

I did indeed, David, but I'm afraid "Travesties" was not my favourite of plays. I fear our treatment of Jemima would be frowned heavily upon by the RSPCA these days, and I did not over feed her! At least, I don't think I did. She was mis-sold as a dwarf lop and turned out to be a normal sized lop. "Arcadia" was rather more of a delight for me, the first line of which I will never forget.

The banks will go to....Singapore?...France? :-) The article just says "Continental Europe"

[David Duff]

Dammit, Miss Mayfly, that had me scrabbling for my copy of "Arcadia" to remind me of the opening line which was, of course, uttered by the very young and adorable 'Thomasina Coverly' to her tutor 'Septimus Hodge':

"Septimus, what is carnal embrace?"

To which the somewhat startled and flustered but witty tutor replies:

"Carnal embrace is the practice of throwing one's arms around a side of beef."

Shakespeare apart, that was the greatest play I ever directed and indeed I think it is one of the greatest plays of the 20th century. And of course you looked after Jemima beautifully.

[Loz]

So CETA has come off the rocks and sailed into port: -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37788882

And Old Big Ears is on his way to Berlin shortly for ein Gesprach with the Kaiserin.

What's the betting TTIP gets signed as well? So OBE takes all the protectionist heat from the US country bumpkins and Sanders mob? That'll leave Hilary in the clear to shrug her shoulders and say "Well, it wasn't on my watch, but given it's a done deal, let's move on, nothing to see here".

So that will be the largest single market, and, the largest Free Trade Area in the world we just walked away from. Getting on for 1 billion 1st world consumers and producers.

Imagine the NHS, Social Services, Education, and gawd knows what other industries the Brit bossy boots have got planned to operate and run through the state in Blighty, to drive us into the ground. With CETA and TTIP the Brit bossy boots would all be obliged to go with the most competitive product and service providers out of 800 million 1st world people, compelled into competitive tendering by not only the EU but the USA, and then held to account by independent courts rather than crooked unions and business funded HMG pols.

You just walked Blighty away from that control.

And finally, imagine the utter, complete, and total nonchalance any FTA or single market access deal Britain wants will be held in by the US and EU respectively.

Hilary will be able to assuage the US country bumpkins and the Sanders mob by saying "I inherited TTIP, and to placate y'all, I won't do an FTA with the Brits; now get off my case on this one".

The Kaiserin will be happy with that too, wishing, as she does, that Britain has as unpleasant a Brexit as possible. A combined front of the US and EU shunning us suits her just fine.

Merkel and Hilary prospering and running the show. While Blighty slides under the waves somewhere mid-Atlantic, despised by her ex-friends as the xenophobic, isolationist, country bumpkin who got her comeuppance.

And finally, finally. I wonder which bunch of Brit pols will be the first to reach out to that nice Mr Putin? Given BNP folded into Ukip, and Ukip - the Putin worshipping party - folded into the Tories, perhaps it will be May's Tories.

Western and Eastern xenophobic, isolationist, country bumpkins meet and join hands.

SoD

[JK]

Whodathunkit indeed. The gall!

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-lawsuit-idUSKCN12Q32L

[Loz]

So now we know the price of keeping Nissan et al in the country ...

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nissan-boosted-uk-investment-after-it-got-11th-hour-pledge-it-would-not-be-hurt-by-brexit-1588674

"However, The Times reported that the two sides had discussed whether tariffs imposed on EU cars entering Britain could be used to compensate manufacturers in the event of a hard Brexit."

Institutionalized protectionism. An import tariff on EU automobiles coming to the UK, the revenue from which will go direct to Nissan, Honda, et al, for every automobile they sell to the EU to offset the 10% import tariff the EU will apply to Britain's automobile exports to the EU.

That way May can claim no cheques were involved - merely a netting off at the border.

But for those who forgotten why protectionism is bad: -

(1) Your choice in automobiles will become limited to a cartel. Higher prices, monopoly abuse, the new British Leyland. Another hello to the 1970's.

(2) The protection of Nissan jobs will come at the price of jobs in BMW, VW, Peugeot, etc. dealerships, UK HQ's all across Britain. So there's no net gain in jobs.

No doubt this retaliation model will be replicated across manufacturing, farming, and all industries to which EU tariffs are attached.

So much for the concept of Free Trade and the Tories. So much for Free Trade proven in theory and practice to make us more prosperous than protectionism. All thrown to the wind for the country bumpkins and their xenophobia.

SoD

[JK]

AussieD?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaEJzoaYZk

[JK]

Go fuck yourself Lawrence.

Yeah its the way on Planet Zog.

You're enjoying yourself ain't you Loz? An' that's all that matters?

Way'll fuck ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08e9k-c91E8

Brexit you too SoD

[JK]

Aw fuggit!

http://observer.com/2016/10/chuck-berry-turns-90-the-father-of-rocks-top-5-best-albums/

[backofanenvelope]

"Go fuck yourself Lawrence."

Don't get upset JK, opinions are just opinions.

[Loz]

Here's my favourite - Baaawwwwws Haawwgg! Fondly remembered from my youf.

He hates red ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V0YmVzrFNU

... Something the metros and the country bumpkins do have in common.

SoD

[Loz]

Hey JK,

You got an old cache o' Springfields tucked away up in them thar hills - maybe under the still at Barney McGrew and crew's place?

You might wanna be gettin' ready 'n' all ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/28/us/politics/donald-trump-voters.html?_r=0

Glad I'm refreshin' on ma history with Rich 'n' Tracey ...

http://civilwarpodcast.org/

Minieballs, eh? - oooh, ouch! Nasty cheese-eaters' invention! The only miniballs I want near me are ma own! 'fraid I'm done with all that soldierin' lark.

Funny how the country boys and gals are all for votin' in Blighty, but o'er there y'all think it sucks! Nuthin' to do with winnin' or losin', 'course.

As the good 'ol boys are fond o' sayin' over here, "There's nowt so queer as folks".

SoD

[Whitewall]

Well I see HRH just toured a grocery store in Poundbury, Dorset? From the photos She was enthralled by it all. Must be a hell of a store? Any like it in your town, David?

[David Duff]

Well done, Whiters, at last, a small, still voice of sanity amongst the loonies! And yes, Poundbury is just down the road from here and I just remarked to the 'Memsahib' that I was a little surprised and hurt that 'Her Maj' failed to call in for a cup of tea!

SoD, can I take your words, "And finally, finally", as gospel truth? Such a relief!

[David Duff]

HURRAH! The clincher! Now Brexit is absolutely assured because the most detested and despised politician in the land has just called for a re-run of the referendum - I give you - Mr. Tony Blair!

That should ensure triple the majority!

[Whitewall]

David you should be miffed...nay, somewhat peeved by the Royal snub. A stern note from you to Her is warranted.

Last night appears to have been a major set to with suggestions of certain bodily contortions that I know full well most are incapable of performing.

[backofanenvelope]

Grocery store Whitewall!!!! It was a Waitrose; the store that sells The Prince of Wales bikkies. We have a new one about ten minutes away. Free coffee and newspaper with your shopping.

[Whitewall]

BOE, so I see! I just went to their page and am quite impressed. Not only a grocery store but a "shopping destination" it seems. Very impressive. I think you are lucky here.