Brexit Deal - one of the easiest in human history?

[slinger]

We are the only country that allows the sale of fishing quotas. We took advantage of that with gusto, and now almost 50% are owned by Spain, Holland, and Iceland.

Over a quarter (29%) of the UK’s fishing quota is owned or controlled by just five families on the Sunday Times Rich List.

This group also has minority investments in companies and fishing vessel partnerships that hold a further 8% of the country’s fishing quota. This means companies holding over a third (37%) of the UK’s fishing quota are wholly or partly owned by this tiny handful of wealthy families.

Over half (13) of the UK’s 25 largest quota-holders are linked to one of the biggest criminal overfishing scams ever to reach the British courts. These 13 businesses have shareholders, directors, or vessel partners who were convicted (in cases heard between 2011–2012) following the “Operation Trawler” police investigation into industrial-scale landings of illegally over-quota fish (or “black fish”) in Scotland.

Those with the biggest hoards of quota can make millions leasing their fishing quota without casting a net. One company — which holds over half (55%) of Northern Ireland’s quota — recently disposed of its boat and earned £7m in a year from its quota while waiting for a new one.

The source for that data - linked below- is really worth a look. It's quite eye-opening.

SOURCE

Don't be fooled by all those pictures of quaint little fishing boats

[NSNO2021]

I will raise a glass tonight to the small group of hedge fund (speculators) who bet billions on there being no deal. I hope the Crispin Odley's and the Rees Mogg of this world all have a less than happy Christmas

[TroutFisher]

The whole thing summed up for me tonight viewing the blustering jingoism of Boris vs the dignity of Ursula von der Leyen.

[slinger]

The whole thing summed up for me tonight viewing the blustering jingoism of Boris vs the dignity of Ursula von der Leyen.

Do you mean this sort of comparison..?

[NSNO2021]

privileged, vain, oaf

[CN211276]

Spoke with my accountant, this morning.

The official government advice on how VAT should now be handled for sales to the EU is expected by...the end of February.

Me: So, if I continue to charge my EU customers UK VAT at time of sale, could they also be charged again when the item lands in their own country?

Accountant: Possibly.

Me: So, if I don't charge them UK VAT at time of sale, could the UK government demand VAT for those sales, later on?

Accountant: Possibly.

Me: Is it possible to run a business without knowing the rules?

Accountant: Possibly not.

Me: What can I do, in the meantime?

Accountant: Replenish your whisky supplies before Scotland becomes independent?

True story...

[CN211276]

I saw something on Sky News last night about a small business which exports eels to the EU. The owner voted leave and is VERY MUCH regretting it now. He was taken in by the and had no idea what effect the increased beaurocracy and red tape would have on his business. He fears his customers will now turn to suppliers within the EU.

In hind sight a stronger and more vigerous remain campaign could have saved us from the insanity which is now hitting home. The result was on a knife edge and breaches of the regulations tipped the balance. I can see pressure building up for us to rejoin, all the more so with the momentum for Scottish independence and the damage caused by Covid.

[slinger]

[NSNO2021]

Boo hoo for Lord Lawson

[slinger]

Regarding the businessmen and women who voted leave and are now looking a bit dazed as they finally realise the consequences of their actions -- you surely have to wonder about their actual level of business acumen, or maybe their lack of it.

I'm pretty sure that, if asked, they'd all agree that one doesn't enter into a business contract without doing some research into "the other chap" and letting the lawyers have a damn good look at the thing from top to bottom, especially the fine print.

So why, when entering into the most important business deal of their lives, did they allow themselves to be taken in by idiotic three-word phrases, easily refutable bollocks, and unsustainable promises given by an accomplished and well-documented liar? They didn't even have to sign anything, just put an "X" on a piece of paper. And that, I think, probably represents their level of intelligence used.

They were told that they would be transported to a world where Britain controlled her own destiny and her own purse strings. The land of plenty, millions of pounds saved that would go towards making our sovereign nation a shining beacon of success once again. Trade deals, bettering those we already had, were as good as signed, and there were multitudes of them, waiting to be plucked from the ether. A magic money tree for everyone, and possibly a Unicorn too. Huzzah!

I am not a businessman, but I could see enough that it made me want to look a lot deeper into this mystical, mythical, ambrosia and nectar that the Brexiteers were promising. So I did, and it was, as I suspected, 99% absolute, unmitigated, complete and utter, bollocks.

That's me and a PC, or a Chromebook - sometimes just a tablet - not some small to medium-sized business. Me, without lawyers to task with finding the dodgy bits. Me, without an accountant to prove that the sums didn't add up. So why couldn't they? Greed, that's why.

If the bastards hadn't dragged the rest us down with them I'd be happy enough to laugh in their faces and move on, but they have dragged us down, and now we're all just collateral damage to their financial suicide attempts.

Being right doesn't make me feel good, it makes me feel bloody angry. Angry at those who theoretically should know better than me, and who had the resources to aid them on the path to discovering the truth about Brexit, and the motives behind it, but didn't.

Thanks a lot, guys.
Happy fucking New Year.