JD Weatherspoons comes out swinging.

[Suff]

So far the politicians have been the only one’s talking. One side talking punishment and intransigence to any deal. The other insisting that what was voted for (immigration controls and release from EU laws), is lived up to by the government.

Ping Pong in other words.

Now we have the boss of JD Weatherspoons wading in. He’s had enough. If the EU wants to lean on EU businesses to play hardball with UK businesses, then we can play hardball too. He mentions Sweden specifically. He says that Britain makes Cider and the UK does not have to import it from Sweden if the Swede’s are going to be intransigent.

Swedish GDP Is just under $500bn and has dropped significantly since 2014, by some $80bn. The reality is that the UK is $2,600bn and still growing. Something no EU economy can afford to ignore.

The implications of the Weatherspoon statement is something I’ve been saying for a while now. We don’t need to source a lot of our stuff from the EU, we only do that because of the EU tariff barriers we are obliged to implement when non EU countries want to trade with us. The UK, on the world market, is free to source from wherever they want.

That is going to hurt the EU, a lot. Because most of what the UK buys from the EU, it could make itself or could source from elsewhere in the world. Much of what the EU buy from the UK, they cannot.

The statement form Weatherspoons is quite clear. Start this war and there won’t be two losers, there will be 27 losers and EU institutions who don’t care. The UK is unlikely to lose out of EU intransigence but the 27 EU states will.

What Weatherspoons is saying to the businesses of the EU is “get to your politicians and tell them to get their act together before we all get hurt.

Of course mentioning Sweden is an interesting tactic. They have an election in a few years and the Sweden Democrats are likely to become the second largest party. So far business has been totally against SD. Crazy actions by the EU which damage Swedish trade might just change that position and then; let the games begin.

[Workingman]

I am not clear about what Tim Martin wants, just as I am not clear about what most Brexit voters now want.

Is it tariff-free transactions, of which free movement of people is part of the deal, or is it to "Leave" the EU, which is what people voted for?

It is looking ever more likely that we will be getting a fudge that nobody voted for. A choice not on the ballot paper. Mine said "Remain" or "Leave", there was not a "Keep some bits and get out of others" box.

Martin is also talking hokum. There is no EU rule forcing him to sell French wine, champagne and spirits, German beer or Swedish cider. Wetherspoons sells them because a) they are in demand, and b) Wetherspoons makes a handy profit on them. He is free to sell what he wants within the terms of his licence. He could go for lots of UK produced craft ale, perry and cider if he wanted, but there probably is not the mark-up on them he needs. Go figure.

[Suff]

All Martin wants is a fair and open agreement to trade when the UK leaves the EU, just as any other country the EU would like to trade with would get.

He wants an end to the childish talk of causing pain and putting up barriers to trade if we don't take free flow of people. CETA does not allow full and free flow of people and neither does any other "trade agreement" that the EU sets out to agree.

After all the UK is absolutely the easiest country they could have a trade agreement with, we already share all the laws and restrictions they share. The only constraint is on movement of people.

What he is saying is that if they want to be petulant children hell bent on damaging the UK because we DARED to reject their EU country they are making, then they are going to feel the pain in the pockets of the businesses of the countries of the EU. Sweden is vulnerable as it's GDP has already dropped in the last two years. Others are vulnerable too and Germany would not be pain free either.

It's a simple message. Buck your ideas up and do what you are supposed to do and stop talking drivel. We don't need to buy from you; We choose to buy from you. That can change!

[Suff]

Just to add to that are the words of the Irish PM Enda Kenny.

On the subject of hostility towards the UK, he said: “The other side of this argument may well get quite vicious after a while, because there are those around the European table who take a very poor view of the fact that Britain decided to leave.”

That has no place in negotiations of a trade deal with the UK and, as Martin says, if they want to play that game then they're going to have to foot the bill in lost trade!

I agree totally.

[Workingman]

All Martin wants is a fair and open agreement to trade when the UK leaves the EU, just as any other country the EU would like to trade with would get.

He wants an end to the childish talk of causing pain and putting up barriers to trade if we don't take free flow of people.

Rubbish!

He wants what is best for Wetherspoons. All businesses want is what is best for them. They could not give a toss about what is best for the UK population, or the country, or the environment. He could not give a stuff about what is best for the UK. In or out of the EU he will still make money. A lot of his 'profits' might be from Brexiters drowning their sorrows once Brexitopia happens, but hey, that's what they voted for.

[Suff]

Brexiters drowning their sorrows once Brexitopia happens, but hey, that's what they voted for.

let's hope they have a touch more grace than the remainers. And a lot more restraint.

[Suff]

I'm not sure about Martin being all about money and profit.

He has very little to gain from Brexit and, potentially, a lot to lose. Being aligned with Brexit and supporting Brexit and taking this stance is a political act, backed by business clout. If it were simple business he would never have said a word.

I know that what he's saying aligns with what I feel about it, but, even if I were not aligned, I would not assume this were a pure business/profit thing. Simply it would not and does not add up that way.