RayC

A goalkeeper scored in the 96th minute for Coventry last night. It may have happened before although I can't be bothered to find out if it has. Overcast here and a tad chilly.

A report in 2020 estimated that Brexit had added 2.9% to UK consumer prices. A previous report put the figure at 1.7%. Given that the UK government's target inflation rate is 2%pa, Brexit appears to have added a significant obstacle to achieving this goal. https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/brexit-vote-and-inflation-updated-evidence

Nothing wrong with taking photos per sec but it depends on the context. It's one thing to take a photo of a picturesque setting e.g. the photo you posted or as a poignant reminder of what happened at a location, quite another to strike a pose and post the photo on social media in order to get personal reward ('likes' or financial reward). This woman's photo falls into the latter category.

Unfortunately, I doubt that she is the first - or will be the last - person to behave in this manner. How anyone can see this location as a social media photo opportunity is beyond me. Someone needs to give her head a shake.

Nothing

The main reason they make their hazardous journeys is to take advantage of the UK's generous welfare system. Thought everyone knew that!???? (sarcasm alert)

Yes. If someone is working abroad then, most likely, they will be able to pay Class 2 rather than Class 1 contributions.

You forgot to mention the in-laws and all the great cousins. Plus "the new French people" like to change their fleet of cars every year, and they need to pay overseas workers to maintain the swimming pools and the vast gardens attached to their state supplied accommodation.

As I have mentioned countless times previously, contrary to what Brexiters would have us believe, it was never a case of the evil, monolithic Brussels machine forcing the plucky UK to implement draconian rules against its' will: The UK was forced to enact 3% of laws up to 2016 which it voted against. Perhaps you can explain what tangible benefits the UK has reaped since it left the EU?

Sequel to 'The Crown' in the offering.

It used to be the case (+/-10 years ago) that if you are resident and tax-resident abroad AND working (AND are part of the local social security system if such an entity exists), then you would be able to make voluntary contributions - which counted towards your pension - at the lower rate. I did this when I was living and working in Belgium and also 25 years ago when I was working in Thailand. I don't know if the rules have changed in the meantime.

If you recognise that you have made a mistake, then surely it is better to correct it sooner rather than later? If you don't consider that an action has been a mistake then you should be able to point to its' benefits. Something that Brexiters continually fail to provide.

As I pointed out previously, the US were instrumental in brokering the Good Friday deal and it's arguable that it would have been signed without their involvement. There are tensions on the island of Ireland again. If the US can help stabilise matters why shouldn't it be involved. Would you prefer it if the Agreement was allowed to collapse? The US days as the only superpower are at an end but that does not mean that the West does not still need the US. Would you prefer that we left it to China, India or Russia to act as the world's policeman? I agree that US foreign policy in Asia has been a disaster but you can hardly lay the blame for that at Biden's feet.

You're right: This loss of 4% of GDP has absolutely nothing to do with Covid or the war in Ukraine. It is the OBR's (a UK government department) estimate of the cost of Brexit ONLY. This report has been referenced numerous times with links provided. However, it doesn't fit the Brexiter narrative, so you continue to refuse to accept it. What would be laughable, if it wasn't sad, is the inability of Brexiters to take accountability and responsibility for the mess that they have created. Ah, the Johnson '<deleted> Business' school of thought. A sure way to make the country poorer. Your justification for Brexit is becoming increasingly desperate. See comments below. And how exactly is this "taking back control" benefitting the British public? Absolutely. One only needs to look at the moral fortitude shown by PMs, ministers and government MPs over the last few years to realise how lucky we are in comparison with the EU. (To avoid doubt, I'll spell it out: I am being sarcastic).

As a 'rule of thumb' if you are living abroad and NOT working, you have to pay Class 1 contributions at the higher rate. This happened to me. However, the rules governing contributions are complicated so it's worth confirming things with DWP. Good luck.

Yes luckily Brexit has cost us 'only' 4% of GDP and that the City hasn't totally closed down: There's simply been the continuous loss of financial business to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris. Ah, those sunny uplands' of Brexit.

Although no doubt if we were talking about Donald Trump in this context, you'd be humming a different tune. The US (mainly through George Mitchell) was instrumental in brokering the Good Friday Agreement. As POTUS, Biden has every right to take an interest in the continued success of the Agreement.

That may be the theory but the real world is a bit different. Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, etc. have been unstable for decades and show no signs of returning to normal any time soon. To all extents and purposes, refugees from these countries are immigrants and imo should be aided to integrate into their 'new' societies, so that they contribute towards it. What would you have done with Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany? Sent them all back to Germany in 1945? And what about the effects on the countries where they land? Should the rest of Europe effectively say to Greece, Italy and Turkey, 'Not our problem'? And I would guess that, in practice, very few do "shop around". As I said previously, imo Italy is a wonderful country but I doubt that many refugees are as enamoured with it as I am, and would be perfectly happy to be relocated to another European state (as would those arriving in Greece and Turkey). In the case of those arriving in the UK, they probably have a family member/ friend in the UK. Hopefully, this would make it easier for the individual to integrate into British society. Isn't that in everyone's best interests?

I agree That's my point. My football analogy makes as little sense as saying that the IMF's current forecast should be disregarded simply because they have got things wrong in the past. The reasons why the forecasts were incorrect are important (as are the current assumptions).

We've trodden this path many times before, Trans. If you believe having the ability to change the 3% of EU law, which the UK voted against, has been worth the past 6.5 years (and counting) of chaos and economic decline then fair enough. Far too big a price for me.

Liverpool drew their last match therefore they will draw their next match. No need to consider who they are playing, what players are injured, etc.

As Keynes is often misquoted as saying: "In the long term we are all dead"

Go ahead then

The methodology and assumptions behind the IMF's predictions should be in the full report(s) which can be downloaded from their website.

And yet (behind a paywall but the gist of the message is clear) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-22/london-stock-market-is-now-250-billion-smaller-than-paris#xj4y7vzkg?leadSource=uverify wall