Read the end first

[Suff]

I've been reading a lot of articles about the current state of British relationship with the EU and what might happen post Brexit without a trade deal.

I'm finding, like with this DM article, that most of the interesting reading is at the end.

Especially where it states that Nissan CEO denies that they'll build the new Qashqai model in Britain.

Of course I don't believe they'll build ALL the new model in Britain. But I doubt very much that they will build the RHD models in Europe and then bring them over to the UK. Ditto BMW and their Mini Clubman's supposed to be made in Austria.

If they don't beef up manufacturing in the UK, I'm very sure Tata and Hyundai and others would like to fill the gap.

Can they afford NOT to move EU based production of cars, which are solely for sale in the UK, to the UK. My take would be NO, that would not make business sense.

Interestingly if the UK did reduce to 10% corporation tax, BMW could move it's taxation for it's UK operations to the UK and away from Germany.... Wouldn't that be a Hard Brexit own goal for the EU.

I say this often and repeatedly. Nobody in the world can afford to ignore the fifth largest economy in the world, for trade. Not even the EU.

Those 27 belligerents may want to treat the UK like Greece but the reality is this. Should the UK wish to it could pay off the entire Greek debt to the EU in one go and still carry on operating comfortably.

They might want to think about that when countries like Hungary, who couldn't even think about paying off 10% of it, say they're going to trash a trade deal with the UK.

Germany and France may forgive Wallonia, eventually, for their bare faced blackmail over the Canadian trade deal. They most certainly will not forgive €70bn in trade losses. Every Single Year.

So I'm starting to read from the bottom nowadays.

[Workingman]

Producing rhd v lhd vehicles is not even a minor issue. About 95% of the parts are common to both. It is probably no more than a shift shutdown to change tools and move parts forward. Plants have been doing it for years.

The bit a short way further up could be an issue. That is the news that banks are looking to move some things to the EU by 2017, with some smaller ones moving before Christmas. This is not a whisper into someone's shell-like, it is a statement from the head of the British Bankers' Association, Anthony Browne.

As for the 10% Corp tax, it is risible, and it is noticeable that it comes from an unidentified source. It would put us right up there with other European big-hitters Bosnia and Bulgaria. The EU average is 22%; Germany is near 30%, France on 33%,
Italy 32%, Spain 25%. We are already at 20% with it due to drop to 18% by 2019. If it is true it shows us the dire straits we are in, or are heading for.

[Suff]

The only places you can sell RHD vehicles in the EU is Britain and Ireland. Therefore you will NOT assemble RHD vehicles IN the EU then pay 10% tax to get them into the UK, when you can just expand your factories in the UK and assemble them there.

Anyone who says anything different has a political agenda.

Labour in former Eastern Europe is not so much cheaper than the UK that they can afford to take that 10% on the chin. And, of course, if they are savvy about it and smart they can get business development grants in the UK to expand those businesses.

The press is still in denial. They need to get a grip but, sadly, this is not going to happen till March. So we just need to grin and bear it till they, finally, are hit with the clue stick.

As for 10% corporation tax, that would be a sucker punch to the EU. They have been trying, for years, to get the tax rates higher in the former eastern states to make it more expensive to do business there and to stop flight from the original economies. Moving to 10% would completely negate the vehicle tax and would encourage significant chunks of other business to the UK. After all, how many CEO's can claim, in todays markets, that they grew real profit by 10% all in one go???

Granted it might take 5 years to get there in 2.5% increments. But it could very easily get there. It could even go in 3 years with an initial 5% drop followed by 2 x 2.5%. Which would put it firmly in the limelight for the 2020 elections.

So I shall continue to read from the bottom up. Because the first 3/4 of the articles are often not worth reading.