tyneside:
It’s maybe worth mentioning that a lot of Mercedes cars imported into the UK are not produced in Germany. Both my wife and I have a C class which are built in South Africa and never been near Germany.
Last time I looked SA was not in the EU so would Brexit make any difference.
Tyneside
South Africa and the EU already have the TDCA trade agreement in existence.
EDIT to add: They are already a “preferred EU partner”.
And of course, after a no deal Brexit, that won’t include the UK. So to answer Tyneside’s question, yes it would.
So does that mean we can’t have our own trade agreements with SA ■■ Which could possibly be on an least similar, if not better terms than they have with the EU??
Tyneside
tyneside:
So does that mean we can’t have our own trade agreements with SA ■■ Which could possibly be on an least similar, if not better terms than they have with the EU??
Tyneside
Given time we can agree a deal with S.A. Of course we can. But well probably be trying to arrange deals with bigger countries and groups. And yes, it might be a better deal for us, or it might be a worse one. Given we havent got a big staff of experienced negotiators, and they will be running around all over, I wouldn`t be holding my breath.
cav551:
Appendix 1 page 47 UK/EU imports/exports of agricultural products. I’m not seeing it ‘hobbling’ UK agriculture. The percentages seem pretty neutral with the value showing a greater impact on the EU countries than upon the UK. Individual sectors show different impacts but nothing will ever be completely one sided.
Appendix 1 page 47? A table from 2014?
It`s a report from 2016 and deals with many differing scenarios, including with/without a deal.
Here is the NFU from Jan of this year,
:No-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for UK farmers, warns NFU | Farming | The Guardian
“Union boss Minette Batters says tariffs would price British farms out of export market”
"Batters pointed out that UK farmers would have third-party status and would face high tariffs to sell their goods into Europe. “We’d be priced out of the market,” she said, claiming that the result for UK farmers would be catastrophic. “Forty per cent of our lamb goes to Europe, for just one example. We’re not going to suddenly start eating more lamb here. If we don’t have that export market, what happens to it?”
Welsh farmers can`t plant wheat on their hills!
2018 Businss insider businessinsider.com/quarter … ?r=UK&IR=T
“Academics say government plans to replace farm subsidies after Brexit could mean that up to 25% of England’s least profitable farms could go bankrupt.”
Should unprofitable businesses go down?
They are not unprofitable today, but might be in a few months. We wont be eating less will we? So the food they produce will have to imported…
We import more food, and because of tariffs export less…don`t look like anything but hobbling to me.
Interesting this agricultural thing, for a start I don’t like farmers being subsidised at all its a joke, a lot have millions of pounds worth of property and if they cannot cut it in the open market place with out these handouts so what they should go out of business, Mr Smith the haulage man does not receive handouts if he is having a hard time so why the farmers. A lot of agricultural property has been bought by outside of the industry investors and a lot keep millions in subsidies meant for food producers then they just contract out the farming to a third party.
A lot of the pricing in the food retail sector is controlled by the big supermarkets supressing the rewards to the producers and they are the ones making the big money, every thing today is convenience to the shoppers one stop shops as no one has a spare time in there busy lives, gone are the traditional butchers and bakers etc sad but true.
What I think should happen is to put an import levy on say imported beef then the British producers would fare better, the beef industry at the moment is at a very low ebb but burgers are not any cheaper are they. Our population do not eat as they used to 50 years ago, they want ready meals or processed crap and the new generation are losing skills to live on wholesome fresh produce which is a shame.
Well Franglais rip into this post and tell me what you think of my thoughts on the farming world, Buzzer.
cav551:
Appendix 1 page 47 UK/EU imports/exports of agricultural products. I’m not seeing it ‘hobbling’ UK agriculture. The percentages seem pretty neutral with the value showing a greater impact on the EU countries than upon the UK. Individual sectors show different impacts but nothing will ever be completely one sided.
Appendix 1 page 47? A table from 2014?
It`s a report from 2016 and deals with many differing scenarios, including with/without a deal.
Here is the NFU from Jan of this year,
:No-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for UK farmers, warns NFU | Farming | The Guardian
“Union boss Minette Batters says tariffs would price British farms out of export market”
"Batters pointed out that UK farmers would have third-party status and would face high tariffs to sell their goods into Europe. “We’d be priced out of the market,” she said, claiming that the result for UK farmers would be catastrophic. “Forty per cent of our lamb goes to Europe, for just one example. We’re not going to suddenly start eating more lamb here. If we don’t have that export market, what happens to it?”
Welsh farmers can`t plant wheat on their hills!
2018 Businss insider businessinsider.com/quarter … ?r=UK&IR=T
“Academics say government plans to replace farm subsidies after Brexit could mean that up to 25% of England’s least profitable farms could go bankrupt.”
Should unprofitable businesses go down?
They are not unprofitable today, but might be in a few months. We wont be eating less will we? So the food they produce will have to imported…
We import more food, and because of tariffs export less…don`t look like anything but hobbling to me.
Interesting this agricultural thing, for a start I don’t like farmers being subsidised at all its a joke, a lot have millions of pounds worth of property and if they cannot cut it in the open market place with out these handouts so what they should go out of business, Mr Smith the haulage man does not receive handouts if he is having a hard time so why the farmers. A lot of agricultural property has been bought by outside of the industry investors and a lot keep millions in subsidies meant for food producers then they just contract out the farming to a third party.
A lot of the pricing in the food retail sector is controlled by the big supermarkets supressing the rewards to the producers and they are the ones making the big money, every thing today is convenience to the shoppers one stop shops as no one has a spare time in there busy lives, gone are the traditional butchers and bakers etc sad but true.
What I think should happen is to put an import levy on say imported beef then the British producers would fare better, the beef industry at the moment is at a very low ebb but burgers are not any cheaper are they. Our population do not eat as they used to 50 years ago, they want ready meals or processed crap and the new generation are losing skills to live on wholesome fresh produce which is a shame.
Well Franglais rip into this post and tell me what you think of my thoughts on the farming world, Buzzer.
I agree with you !!
At least a bit.
Subsidies are a huge issue, agreed. Knocking them off overnight would cause problems, but weaning farmers off `em gradually, could be good.
But heres a question or two for you, if subsidies were stopped what would happen to food prices? Would Joe Bloggs be happy to see the grocery bill rise? Would there be a call for more industialized factory farming with lower welfare standards for animals? What if we dropped trade barriers and imported more food from outside the EU? Cheaper to keep Mr Bloggs happy. Wouldnt our own farmers go down the tubes?
Not good for balance of payments or “food security”.
Instant/convenience foods? Useful, but I agree, not “Real Food” is it?
Last year I bought half a lamb and half a mutton from a UK farmer. Freezers have their uses! I have grown veg, but lack time to do it properly. I agree we as a nation could, and should, eat better.
Good Grief ! I`m agreeing with you too much here. Better stop now.
arrived on a farm I visit regularly. IIRC the ‘old one’ which still looks almost like new, is only about 3 or 4 years old at most, I think it appeared the year before the latest monster Claas combine. It doesn’t seem to matter which of the big farms you look at, so much of the machinery is almost new. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for these agribusinesses.
Franglais I have four freezers here, one just for my sausages I have made about280 kilos every time one for fruit, another for general meat products and one indoors for convenience which has milk bread pizza’s and the like plus grand children’s nick nack foods. When Tesco has an offer on legs of lamb which they seem to do every year at a £10 note each I get about 16 and freeze them, I buy oyster ham joints from a butcher which only cost £3 a go but a bit of effort as you need to soak them first, then simmer till done then leave in the water for 12 hours this keeps it moist, the fat is cut off and diced and the chicken love that. Also found that if I do buy big in the butchers he does give a fair discount.
Also I grow veg in a fair size plot so all in all I am not going to starve and I can cook as well !
CAV551 more and more farmers are group farming nowadays and share the huge equipment available plus they have far less staff or they contract out the work so only have minimal machinery of there own, like say a combine for instance they are mega expensive so by sharing the thing is working hard for say 10 weeks but the rest of the year it is in a shed as it only has one purpose, suppose this is the way forward in modern farming nowadays spreading cost between several operations, cheers Buzzer.
Carryfast:
Really so why did the Japs bother with setting up EU assembly operations here to circumvent non EU import taxes ?
To avoid those taxes they set up factories in the UK and other EU countries. If those taxes are reintroduced by Brexit why would they stay here?
It has nothing to do with trade wars or owt else.
In a hard Brexit we would be on WTO rules. That means we would be treating the EU, and they would be treating us, the same way we treat other non-treaty countries. No question of “punishment” or “war” or anything else, just following the rules. theloadstar.com/car-makers-say- … kes-trade/
10% tariff on finished cars 4.5% on car parts.
Not worried yet? It rises to 35% for some UK agri produce going into the EU!
WTO rules are not just a tick box exercise! They cost money and time.
Carryfast:
If not how do you explain the EU single market applying to UK car and truck exports using US made components such as Jensen Interceptor using Chrysler V8 and Torqueflite box,and Jag XJ using GM 400 for two examples
You really are living in the past aren`t you? Jenson ceased trading in 1976, a quarter century before the WTO even existed!
Carryfast:
So we replace German imports with domestic production putting us back in the position that we were in 1972.
Brexit is NOT a time machine… we cant all join you in the 70s.
Carryfast:
Now awaits remainer maths which says that we sell more cars to the Germans than they sell to us.Also bearing in mind that we’re talking about the combined EU car market here which involves a lot more than just German imports.
Hhhmm, “remainer maths” ■■
I showed the figures, and the sources, and those figures you havent disputed. (Except to wrongly say car components arent taxed)
The maths is neutral. A fact is a fact.
The implication of the maths is that Brexit is gonna be costly to the UK.
I think thats a bad thing. Its BECAUSE of the maths and the logic, I think Brexit is a bad idea. I haven`t decided Brexit is bad and then gone off looking for ways to justify that opinion.
If you think that trashing our remaining manufacturing base, and hobbling agriculture is a price worth paying, say so. That is your opinion.
Forgive me if I choose not join your Quixotic attempt to tilt at imaginary EU villians, and ride off back to the 1970`s.
First you say that components are taxed then you say that the Japs assemble cars here,obviously using Jap components,to avoid EU import duty on cars.At least until the EU decided to remove them from Jap imports just like its selective imposition of EU type approval.
As for the Jensen example then as now and just like a Brit assembled Nissan etc it proved that EU import duty only applies to the finished product,not imported components used to build it.While if WTO is supposedly so bad then why is the EU a signatory member of it ?.
Remind us what is so good about EU jobs for Jap workers in that regard.As for trashing the UK manufacturing base that’s obviously fine so long as the Germans and French get most of the benefit.Remind us what happened to Ford and GM UK in that regard.Good to see that the old German Jap axis is still alive and kicking now added to by Macmoron.
Carryfast:
Really so why did the Japs bother with setting up EU assembly operations here to circumvent non EU import taxes ?
To avoid those taxes they set up factories in the UK and other EU countries. If those taxes are reintroduced by Brexit why would they stay here?
It has nothing to do with trade wars or owt else.
In a hard Brexit we would be on WTO rules. That means we would be treating the EU, and they would be treating us, the same way we treat other non-treaty countries. No question of “punishment” or “war” or anything else, just following the rules. theloadstar.com/car-makers-say- … kes-trade/
10% tariff on finished cars 4.5% on car parts.
Not worried yet? It rises to 35% for some UK agri produce going into the EU!
WTO rules are not just a tick box exercise! They cost money and time.
Carryfast:
If not how do you explain the EU single market applying to UK car and truck exports using US made components such as Jensen Interceptor using Chrysler V8 and Torqueflite box,and Jag XJ using GM 400 for two examples
You really are living in the past aren`t you? Jenson ceased trading in 1976, a quarter century before the WTO even existed!
Carryfast:
So we replace German imports with domestic production putting us back in the position that we were in 1972.
Brexit is NOT a time machine… we cant all join you in the 70s.
Carryfast:
Now awaits remainer maths which says that we sell more cars to the Germans than they sell to us.Also bearing in mind that we’re talking about the combined EU car market here which involves a lot more than just German imports.
Hhhmm, “remainer maths” ■■
I showed the figures, and the sources, and those figures you havent disputed. (Except to wrongly say car components arent taxed)
The maths is neutral. A fact is a fact.
The implication of the maths is that Brexit is gonna be costly to the UK.
I think thats a bad thing. Its BECAUSE of the maths and the logic, I think Brexit is a bad idea. I haven`t decided Brexit is bad and then gone off looking for ways to justify that opinion.
If you think that trashing our remaining manufacturing base, and hobbling agriculture is a price worth paying, say so. That is your opinion.
Forgive me if I choose not join your Quixotic attempt to tilt at imaginary EU villians, and ride off back to the 1970`s.
First you say that components are taxed then you say that the Japs assemble cars here,obviously using Jap components,to avoid EU import duty on cars.At least until the EU decided to remove them from Jap imports just like its selective imposition of EU type approval.
As for the Jensen example then as now and just like a Brit assembled Nissan etc it proved that EU import duty only applies to the finished product,not imported components used to build it.While if WTO is supposedly so bad then why is the EU a signatory member of it ?.
Remind us what is so good about EU jobs for Jap workers in that regard.As for trashing the UK manufacturing base that’s obviously fine so long as the Germans and French get most of the benefit.Remind us what happened to Ford and GM UK in that regard.Good to see that the old German Jap axis is still alive and kicking now added to by Macmoron.
It really is difficult to find a single accurate thing in this post…But I did find one!
The WTO rules are bad. Agreed. They will be bad for the UK if we have to trade on them.
They are however better than the wild-west free-fir-all alternative.
Life isn’t just black/white choices.
.
Edit. Nissan Sunderland produce on site: body, chassis, bumpers, axles, trim, petrol engines including castings. It’s NOT just assembly of imported Japanese parts. Diesel engines I believe are Renault produced.
Carryfast:
First you say that components are taxed then you say that the Japs assemble cars here,obviously using Jap components,to avoid EU import duty on cars.At least until the EU decided to remove them from Jap imports just like its selective imposition of EU type approval.
As for the Jensen example then as now and just like a Brit assembled Nissan etc it proved that EU import duty only applies to the finished product,not imported components used to build it.While if WTO is supposedly so bad then why is the EU a signatory member of it ?.
Remind us what is so good about EU jobs for Jap workers in that regard.As for trashing the UK manufacturing base that’s obviously fine so long as the Germans and French get most of the benefit.Remind us what happened to Ford and GM UK in that regard.Good to see that the old German Jap axis is still alive and kicking now added to by Macmoron.
It really is difficult to find a single accurate thing in this post…But I did find one!
The WTO rules are bad. Agreed. They will be bad for the UK if we have to trade on them.
They are however better than the wild-west free-fir-all alternative.
Life isn’t just black/white choices.
.
Edit. Nissan Sunderland produce on site: body, chassis, bumpers, axles, trim, petrol engines including castings. It’s NOT just assembly of imported Japanese parts. Diesel engines I believe are Renault produced.
Firstly notwithstanding Nissan being an exception to the rule regarding local manufacturing content.Nothing is as bad as a trading relationship which means handing over our government and democratic accountability of same to a foreign power and mandate and having to pay for the privilege of a massive trade deficit.Compare that with the trading relationship we have with the US.
As for the EU being good for the workers yeah right.You really think that the Jap work ethic and resulting weak union representation of its workforce,including being paid one wage for doing 3 different job roles,is better than what we had in 1972 UK or for that matter US.
As I said we shouldn’t get confused by the issue of globalisation in that regard which has actually destroyed the much stronger position of all ‘Anglo Saxon’ working class in that regard.Whether US,Brit or Australian.While EU membership certainly isn’t the solution to that let alone the panacea that you’re pretending it is.
So yes setting the clock back to 1972 is the answer and in fact the only answer here for us and yes I know that the Tory Party ain’t in it for that nor is the so called ‘Labour’ Party.But leaving the EU is obviously an essential start.
Carryfast:
First you say that components are taxed then you say that the Japs assemble cars here,obviously using Jap components,to avoid EU import duty on cars.At least until the EU decided to remove them from Jap imports just like its selective imposition of EU type approval.
As for the Jensen example then as now and just like a Brit assembled Nissan etc it proved that EU import duty only applies to the finished product,not imported components used to build it.While if WTO is supposedly so bad then why is the EU a signatory member of it ?.
Remind us what is so good about EU jobs for Jap workers in that regard.As for trashing the UK manufacturing base that’s obviously fine so long as the Germans and French get most of the benefit.Remind us what happened to Ford and GM UK in that regard.Good to see that the old German Jap axis is still alive and kicking now added to by Macmoron.
It really is difficult to find a single accurate thing in this post…But I did find one!
The WTO rules are bad. Agreed. They will be bad for the UK if we have to trade on them.
They are however better than the wild-west free-fir-all alternative.
Life isn’t just black/white choices.
.
Edit. Nissan Sunderland produce on site: body, chassis, bumpers, axles, trim, petrol engines including castings. It’s NOT just assembly of imported Japanese parts. Diesel engines I believe are Renault produced.
Firstly notwithstanding Nissan being an exception to the rule regarding local manufacturing content.Nothing is as bad as a trading relationship which means handing over our government and democratic accountability of same to a foreign power and mandate and having to pay for the privilege of a massive trade deficit.Compare that with the trading relationship we have with the US.
As for the EU being good for the workers yeah right.You really think that the Jap work ethic and resulting weak union representation of its workforce,including being paid one wage for doing 3 different job roles,is better than what we had in 1972 UK or for that matter US.
As I said we shouldn’t get confused by the issue of globalisation in that regard which has actually destroyed the much stronger position of all ‘Anglo Saxon’ working class in that regard.Whether US,Brit or Australian.While EU membership certainly isn’t the solution to that let alone the panacea that you’re pretending it is.
So yes setting the clock back to 1972 is the answer and in fact the only answer here for us and yes I know that the Tory Party ain’t in it for that nor is the so called ‘Labour’ Party.But leaving the EU is obviously an essential start.[/quote
All i remember in the '70s were endless strikes if it wasnt the Miners it was Ford or BL or a pick of many more.I dont think any sane person would want that. This played into the Europeans hands where they either bought out our companies or sold far superior products competitively
ramone:
All i remember in the '70s were endless strikes if it wasnt the Miners it was Ford or BL or a pick of many more.I dont think any sane person would want that. This played into the Europeans hands where they either bought out our companies or sold far superior products competitively
As I remember it working in direct competition with German workers at Faun for example we made a better product for a lower price and utilising less investment to do it.The workers at Jaguar/Rover/Triumph and Ford/Vauxhall UK did the same v their German rivals.Everything which happened after that was deliberately meant to happen in making Germany top dog in Europe for geopolitical reasons.
So here we are with weakened unions,under employment of the workforce with too few workers doing too many hours and too much work and wages gone through the floor relative to prices and workers also being exploited by being expected to do more than one trade for one wage.
IE those strikes weren’t ever just for the the fun of it.As I said first we’re allied in Brexit.Then we can have the real anti free markets Labour v race to the bottom Tory fight the country needs after we’ve got it with no muddying of the waters by the German banker elites rushing to the Tories aid.
The real naive fools are those who think that more German rule is the answer to the working class struggle.Or for that matter the Tory Federalists,wanting to maintain their insurance policy, of Brit jobs for European workers,so as to corrupt the Brit labour market.Thereby wrecking the country’s prosperity.The fact that we’ve lost people like Hoey and Batten to be replaced by yet more Blairite Starmer policy and Tory BoJo,on either side,doesn’t look good in that regard.Prepare for more of the same.
Point of fact C.F., Toyota also produce engines on Deeside and bodies, bumpers etc etc and assembly at Burnaston. Nissan aren’t an exception. 3,800 employed by Toyota, full time plus agency.
One possible issue that worries all UK makers is just in time parts deliveries. Paperwork at frontiers etc.
For instance: we have been involved with moving heat shields from France to the UK. Silly little things but apparently only a couple of factories produce them for many companies. If they’re held up the line stops. Don’t matter if 99% of the car is there, if you can’t fit that shield onto the bulkhead the engine can’t be fitted. Silly things cause major headaches.
Now, someone will start telling us how a mechaic can retro fit there etc. True but these factories aren’t set up like that. Where do they store cars waiting for these bits? No empty airfields around anymore. The costs involved are ridiculous when production engineers are trying to shave ten pence off a light cluster. And why are there only 1 or 2 places producing these widgets? Because such a small thing is a surprisingly specialist bit of kit.
Car making is very competitive and we know there is over capacity. Any problems and we’re way down the list of desirable places. Ask PSG about Ellesmere Port.
.
Regarding imports of German cars. It is the UK public that do that. The EU don’t force Joe or Josephine Bloggs to buy a Merc. They choose to.
The Germans etc dispite your assertions work to the same rules as us. If they didn’t wouldn’t we be complaining?
.
Worth looking at investment figures? Look at how much Germany and Japan invest compared with how much the UK invests.
Figures are out there, adjusted for GDP.
Should we surprised those industially successful countries invest much more than us?
Maybe that is why Josephine and Joe bought BMWs and Hondas rather than Rovers? Not some dastardly international scheme to do down the plucky Brits.
Point of fact C.F., Toyota also produce engines on Deeside and bodies, bumpers etc etc and assembly at Burnaston. Nissan aren’t an exception. 3,800 employed by Toyota, full time plus agency.
One possible issue that worries all UK makers is just in time parts deliveries. Paperwork at frontiers etc.
For instance: we have been involved with moving heat shields from France to the UK. Silly little things but apparently only a couple of factories produce them for many companies. If they’re held up the line stops. Don’t matter if 99% of the car is there, if you can’t fit that shield onto the bulkhead the engine can’t be fitted. Silly things cause major headaches.
Now, someone will start telling us how a mechaic can retro fit there etc. True but these factories aren’t set up like that. Where do they store cars waiting for these bits? No empty airfields around anymore. The costs involved are ridiculous when production engineers are trying to shave ten pence off a light cluster. And why are there only 1 or 2 places producing these widgets? Because such a small thing is a surprisingly specialist bit of kit.
Car making is very competitive and we know there is over capacity. Any problems and we’re way down the list of desirable places. Ask PSG about Ellesmere Port.
.
Regarding imports of German cars. It is the UK public that do that. The EU don’t force Joe or Josephine Bloggs to buy a Merc. They choose to.
The Germans etc dispite your assertions work to the same rules as us. If they didn’t wouldn’t we be complaining?
.
Worth looking at investment figures? Look at how much Germany and Japan invest compared with how much the UK invests.
Figures are out there, adjusted for GDP.
Should we surprised those industially successful countries invest much more than us?
Maybe that is why Josephine and Joe bought BMWs and Hondas rather than Rovers? Not some dastardly international scheme to do down the plucky Brits.
ramone:
All i remember in the '70s were endless strikes if it wasnt the Miners it was Ford or BL or a pick of many more.I dont think any sane person would want that. This played into the Europeans hands where they either bought out our companies or sold far superior products competitively
As I remember it working in direct competition with German workers at Faun for example we made a better product for a lower price and utilising less investment to do it.The workers at Jaguar/Rover/Triumph and Ford/Vauxhall UK did the same v their German rivals.Everything which happened after that was deliberately meant to happen in making Germany top dog in Europe for geopolitical reasons.
So here we are with weakened unions,under employment of the workforce with too few workers doing too many hours and too much work and wages gone through the floor relative to prices and workers also being exploited by being expected to do more than one trade for one wage.
IE those strikes weren’t ever just for the the fun of it.As I said first we’re allied in Brexit.Then we can have the real anti free markets Labour v race to the bottom Tory fight the country needs after we’ve got it with no muddying of the waters by the German banker elites rushing to the Tories aid.
The real naive fools are those who think that more German rule is the answer to the working class struggle.Or for that matter the Tory Federalists,wanting to maintain their insurance policy, of Brit jobs for European workers,so as to corrupt the Brit labour market.Thereby wrecking the country’s prosperity.The fact that we’ve lost people like Hoey and Batten to be replaced by yet more Blairite Starmer policy and Tory BoJo,on either side,doesn’t look good in that regard.Prepare for more of the same.
Well, the mid 70s brought us utter crap from BL ,with the work force on strike on a daily basis . The quality was dire Rover SD1 Austin Allegros ,Austin Princess , Triumph Toledo ,Morris Marina , rust buckets that were poorly put together and the unions werent helping . Clarkson did a documentary on BL and one contributor said that a brand new car arrived at their dealership with different coloured door cards ie no two were the same . Now you cant blame that on management , just a workforce ( not all) that didnt give a toss . The Ford and Vauxhall plants werent any better strike wise , and you cant honestly say that BLs offerings were in the same league as any of the Germans quality wise
ramone:
All i remember in the '70s were endless strikes if it wasnt the Miners it was Ford or BL or a pick of many more.I dont think any sane person would want that. This played into the Europeans hands where they either bought out our companies or sold far superior products competitively
As I remember it working in direct competition with German workers at Faun for example we made a better product for a lower price and utilising less investment to do it.The workers at Jaguar/Rover/Triumph and Ford/Vauxhall UK did the same v their German rivals.Everything which happened after that was deliberately meant to happen in making Germany top dog in Europe for geopolitical reasons.
So here we are with weakened unions,under employment of the workforce with too few workers doing too many hours and too much work and wages gone through the floor relative to prices and workers also being exploited by being expected to do more than one trade for one wage.
IE those strikes weren’t ever just for the the fun of it.As I said first we’re allied in Brexit.Then we can have the real anti free markets Labour v race to the bottom Tory fight the country needs after we’ve got it with no muddying of the waters by the German banker elites rushing to the Tories aid.
The real naive fools are those who think that more German rule is the answer to the working class struggle.Or for that matter the Tory Federalists,wanting to maintain their insurance policy, of Brit jobs for European workers,so as to corrupt the Brit labour market.Thereby wrecking the country’s prosperity.The fact that we’ve lost people like Hoey and Batten to be replaced by yet more Blairite Starmer policy and Tory BoJo,on either side,doesn’t look good in that regard.Prepare for more of the same.
Well, **the mid 70s brought us utter crap from BL** ,with the work force on strike on a daily basis . The quality was dire Rover SD1 Austin Allegros ,Austin Princess , Triumph Toledo ,Morris Marina , rust buckets that were poorly put together and the unions werent helping . Clarkson did a documentary on BL and one contributor said that a brand new car arrived at their dealership with different coloured door cards ie no two were the same . Now you cant blame that on management , just a workforce ( not all) that didnt give a toss . The Ford and Vauxhall plants werent any better strike wise , and you cant honestly say that BLs offerings were in the same league as any of the Germans quality wise
Yes a lot of it was very poor but let’s not get blinkered by our perception of modern German cars; other than Mercedes, VW and Porsche the rest of the German offerings from the '60s and '70s were pretty dire as well. NSU, Wartburg, DKW, Auto Union, Borgward, Opel and not forgetting the especially evil Opel diesel engine. The rest of Europe’s smaller family cars were little better either.
