Brexit, for once some facts.

[Kudoscycles]

The man is an attention seeker. More importantly, the BBC reported that Liam Fox said today that the UK may stay in the EU Custom Union after brexit. That is a welcome news. At least the risk of a hard brexit is averted for now.

Except that would mean we will have to keep all the current import tariffs and anti-dumping duties....actually I had started to get my brain around hard Brexit and engage in some serious 'dumping' into the UK from China,hehe.
Whatever the outcome I can see a business model to work.
Cant see why Fox would want the custom union,surely that would make his department redundant...maybe he hadnt worked that out !!!!
KudosDave

 

[Andy88]

If it comes to a hard brexit and an end to free trade within the eu but mays government cut a trade deal with China, what impact do you think that would have on the ebike industry?

 

[Woosh]

I don't think duty at the current level (6%) has much effect on manufacturing here.
We already have zero duty importing from Taiwan and yet, we don't assemble much.
If we have zero duty from China, we'll buy a little more Chinese e-bikes and assemble even less.

 

[Andy88]

Interesting to hear that. One dealer moved manufacturing to the EU company and Country escapes me. I suppose they are currently on tenderhooks.

 

[oldgroaner]

From Reuters
"Rupert Murdoch said on Monday he had never asked a British prime minister for anything, seeking to play down his influence ahead of what is likely to be a politically charged approval process for his $14.6 billion (11.75 billion pounds) bid for pay-TV group Sky (SKYB.L).
In a short letter to the Guardian newspaper on Monday, Murdoch rejected the suggestion that he had once said: "When I go into Downing Street, they do what I say; when I go to Brussels, they take no notice,".

"There is much fake news published about me," he said. "Let me make clear that I have never uttered those words. I have made it a principle all my life never to ask for anything from any prime minister."
Murdoch's statement that he had never sought to influence prime ministers is in contrast to evidence one former British premier gave to a public inquiry into media standards sparked by the phone-hacking revelations in June 2012.

Former Prime Minister John Major recounted how he had had dinner with Murdoch before the 1997 national election and said the media mogul had tried to change his policy on Europe.

"It is not very often someone sits in front of a prime minister and says to a prime minister: 'I would like you to change your policy, and if you don't change your policy, my organisation cannot support you'," Major told the inquiry headed by judge Brian Leveson.
Andrew Neil, a former editor of the Murdoch-owned Sunday Times newspaper, told the same inquiry that Murdoch had used support for Tony Blair's Labour government as a means of securing changes to media ownership rules which made his current bid for Sky possible.

"When Mr Murdoch testified before this inquiry that he had never asked government for anything it gave me cause to wonder if he had forgotten this - or forgotten he was testifying under oath," Neil said.

Hands up anyone who believes Murdoch's version of the "Truth"
And remember this man is responsible for feeding lies to the British Public that influenced the outcome of the referendum over many years.

 

[Kudoscycles]

If it comes to a hard brexit and an end to free trade within the eu but mays government cut a trade deal with China, what impact do you think that would have on the ebike industry?

Good question,e-bikes only have a 6% tariff China-EU (incl UK),that is about 30 US dollars on average cost. If we have zero tariffs then the saving will be 6%,not much.
Compare this with the $ v £ ,fall in the value of the pound of about 20% post Brexit,costing about 100 US dollars more,the tariff also costing more because it's based upon the £ value.
So a free trade deal UK-China will not have much effect.
However,if there are tariffs between the EU and UK,say 10%,that will increase the prices of German manufactured KTM and Kalkhoff into the UK. It would probably increase the prices similarly of e-bikes from the UK into the EU ,but we hardly make any e-bikes in the UK so it would not really be a problem for us.
So,in conclusion,Chinese e-bikes should be a little cheaper in the UK,but German e-bikes will be a lot more expensive.
Effectively,such a deal would present Trump style protectionism in the UK.
KudosDave

 

[Kudoscycles]

The big effect would be on normal bikes,these have a 48.5% anti dumping duty China to Europe. The Germans and Italians would be very worried about the UK bringing bikes into the UK tariff free....we would cause havoc selling those bikes at European bike shows.
The EU are not fools,if we have a free trade deal with China,they will look at the UK as a satellite of China,putting those tariffs between the UK and EU.
This is why Theresa May and Liam Fox are so deceitful about 'we will be the free trade capital of the world',if we achieve a free trade deal with China then the EU will make it so difficult for us to sell into Europe. I think today Liam Fox finally woke up to this by saying we need to continue access to the customs union,even if that effectively kills off his free trade with the world department.

 

[oldgroaner]

A classic case of Lies, Damn lies and the Murdoch Press
From the Daly Mail
"
Brexit could help us make the NHS safer, say leading surgeons because of tighter rules on language tests and medical devices

• Watchdogs will be able to tighten control, the Royal College of Surgeons say
• Junior doctors' training may improve as they won't be limited to 48-hour weeks
• But this can only happen if the NHS is allowed to continue hiring European staff

So by making the Junior Doctors work all hours God sends their training will improve?
That's the future for this country in a single line

"Junior doctors’ training may also improve as they will no longer be bound by EU rules limiting them to 48-hour working weeks."

Who's next to have their employment conditions worsened ?

 

[oldgroaner]

Why hasn't Brexit been ditched?
From Reuters
"
Theresa May dropped the clearest hint yet that Britain will still pay into the EU budget after Brexit – despite being told it would be “betraying” voters.

Delivering a statement on last week’s EU summit, the Prime Minister still gave little away about her Brexit strategy, refusing to tell MPs when it would be published.

And she batted away questions about single market membership as inquiries about “means” when what mattered was her end game of securing “the best possible deal”.

However, Ms May did appear to confirm that she is willing to continue paying into the EU budget, possibly as part of a transitional deal to cushion the exit.

The move will be controversial both with hardline Brexit supporters – and with voters who were told that £350m a week more will be given to the NHS instead.

This whole Brexit thing has descended into Farce, and Black Farce at that.

 

[oldgroaner]

This is the sort of Apology a right wing Journalist tried to "pull" during the night
"
Katie Hopkins forced to apologise to Muslim family after suggesting they were Al Qaeda extremists - but buries it in 2am tweet
The apology referred to an article from December last year, but may have gone unnoticed by a lot of people, as the controversial star chose to tweet it out to her 667,000 followers at 2am, when most of them were probably fast asleep.

Full story here
http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/katie-hopkins-forced-apologise-muslim-9483806
Ah well she boasted that she never apologises, and at least 667,000 supporters will be stupid enough to agree with anything she says, and pretend they never saw the apology.
One fool even tweeted that it shows how hard working she is to be up at that time!

 

[oldgroaner]

A new low even for the Express
"
EU regulations could have contributed to 5,000 DEATHS after 'slump in tests of new drugs'
EU regulations on research into new healthcare treatments may have contributed to up to 5,000 deaths, new figures revealed."

"Many patients had benefitted from free drugs provided in academic clinical trials in the past, he said.

But the number of trials had dropped drastically as a result of the EU directive. "
Change Britain estimated that £246.8million of that total was spent on administrative costs, with the estimate based on the European Commission's own methodology for assessing the amount spent on admin. "
It estimated that the difference between the actual number of deaths and the projected number based on the trend before the directive was introduced was 5,000.
In other words it made the figure up

Evil lies, remember Thalidomide? that's what these fools would bring back, untested and dangerous drugs released early for profit.

 

[flecc]

Evil lies, remember Thalidomide? that's what these fools would bring back, untested and dangerous drugs released early for profit.

An aside. Thalidomide has never been withdrawn and is still a valuable aid in combating a variety of cancers, some with no other successful treatment, plus a variety of other illnesses.

The major difference is that women requiring it have to agree to two forms of simultaneous birth control to eliminate any chance of a malformed foetus.

The original problem arose from lab rat tests at up to 11 times the indicated maximum safe dose failing to produce any birth deformities. Since the drug was never specifically intended for pregnant women the test program results lulled companies into a false sense of security.

All pre-production tests have been greatly extended in scope since then, but the restrictions on possible human testing mean such an accidental outcome can still happen. For example, after all these years and such close examination of the effects of thalidomide, it's again under question for possibly causing secondary cancers after use to treat the primary events.
.

 

[oldgroaner]

An aside. Thalidomide has never been withdrawn and is still a vaulable aid in combatting a variety of cancers, some with no other successful treatment.

The major difference is that women requiring it have to agree to two form of simultaneous birth control to eliminate any chance of a malformed foetus.

The original problem arose from lab rat tests at up to 11 times the indicated maximum safe dose failing to produce any birth deformities. Since the drug was never specifically intended for pregnant women the test program results lulled companies into a false sense of security.

All pre-production tests have been greatly extended in scope since then, but the restrictions on possible human testing mean such an accidental outcome can still happen. For example, after all these years and such close examination of the effects of thalidomide, it's again under question for possibly causing secondary cancers after use to treat the primary events.
.

Thank you for that information Flecc, it underlines the continuing need for monitoring all Drugs never mind the initial trials .
I fear for what will happen to regulation and research when we leave the EU.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Despite EU regulations a man died during human trials of a drug in France. There are confirmed reports of continued testing in Africa outside of any regulations at all.

With shoestring research budgets you will go back to boffins in white coats inventing stuff in garden sheds. Perhaps that is a good thing.

 

[Zlatan]

Despite EU regulations a man died during human trials of a drug in France. There are confirmed reports of continued testing in Africa outside of any regulations at all.

With shoestring research budgets you will go back to boffins in white coats inventing stuff in garden sheds. Perhaps that is a good thing.

Was is hear failure ? If it was the drug didn't do it..!

 

[oldgroaner]

Was is hear failure ? If it was the drug didn't do it..!

"
Experts investigating the death of a man in a drug trial in France have concluded that the compound being tested had caused an “astonishing and unprecedented” reaction in the brain.

Six people were hospitalised and one died in January after taking part in a Phase I trial for a new pain and mood disorder medication at the Biotrial research institute, in western France, on behalf of Portuguese pharmaceutical company Bial.

In a report published on Monday, a group of experts put together by the National Agency for Drug Safety said the problem clearly lay with the substance being tested – BIA 10-2474.

They underlined “the astonishing and unprecedented nature” of the accident, which caused a reaction in the brain “unlike anything seen before”.

The team ruled out any manufacturing problem, and said there was no shared genetic weakness among the victims, who suffered similar damage to the same part of the brain."

No doubt some fool will say he just had bad luck

 

[Croxden]

[QUOTE="oldgroaner, post: caused an “astonishing and unprecedented” reaction in the brain.who suffered similar damage to the same part of the brain."

No doubt some fool will say he just had bad luck[/QUOTE]

No doubt the military will be interested.

 

[flecc]

Despite EU regulations a man died during human trials of a drug in France. There are confirmed reports of continued testing in Africa outside of any regulations at all.

An American drug trial at Northwick Park Hospital in Britain led to six otherwise healthy young men suffering horrifically from ballooning misshapen heads and ending up with fingers and toes lost in some cases. All six were left much more likely to suffer cancers.

Since it's impossible to predict every possibility, I suppose it's an inevitable cost of developing cures. A read of the long list of possible side effects of even the most common medicines shows that.
.

 

[oldgroaner]

An American drug trial at Northwick Park Hospital in Britain led to six otherwise healthy young men suffering horrifically from ballooning misshapen heads and ending up with fingers and toes lost in some cases. All six were left much more likely to suffer cancers.

Since it's impossible to predict every possibility, I suppose it's an inevitable cost of developing cures. A read of the long list of possible side effects of even the most common medicines shows that.
.

Hence the situation of testing and evaluation cannot be left to the Drug companies to control, it is far too dangerous for it to be exposed to nothing more than the Amoral or should that really be immoral profit imperative.

 

[oldgroaner]

Lord Nigel is really hitting the bottom of the Barrel
"
Outrage as Farage links Jo Cox widower to 'extremists'
Hours after the Twitter exchange between the two, Mr Farage went on LBC radio and said: "Well, of course, he would know more about extremists than me, Mr Cox, he backs organisations like Hope Not Hate, who masquerade as being lovely and peaceful but actually pursue violent and very undemocratic means."
What had sparked the disagreement in the first place?
"Mr Farage had taken to social media on Tuesday morning in the wake of the Berlin attack, which left at least 12 dead at a Christmas market, saying: "Terrible news from Berlin but no surprise. Events like these will be the Merkel legacy."

I wonder if this Cretin has a functional brain at all? what is to stop a terrorist coming in on a perfectly normal passport?
Or even as was seen in Ankara be a public official?

In other words Farage brands all Refugees as terrorists and regards anyone who tries to help them as insane.
Sorry, but this is simply proof that this "man" Farage is a dangerous Racist nutter.