With a no deal Brexit looking likely - there are expectations of added duty on imported goods from the EU....

And secondly there is a serious congestion situation developing at our ports on the S and SE coasts - these are driving mounting costs being incurred by shipping firms at the ports with costs inevitably being passed on to the consumer...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55237791

Does this mean that we are likely to see prices of Swiss watches increasing considerably?

 

I believe so. I've had my eye on a couple of used modern Omega for next year and knowing that it'll cost hundreds in import taxes/VAT is really killing me. There are always a bunch of good models from good sellers in Europe. Won't have that option in a few weeks...

 

Shipping problems aside, the UK has a new trade agreement with Switzerland (who aren’t in the EU)

“The agreement builds on the existing UK-Switzerland trade deal and will enter into force from 1 January 2021.Together, these deals will support over £37 billion worth of trade, ensuring low or zero tariffs access for thousands of products including cars, medicines and watches. “

edit: of course any watches (e.g. used) coming out of EU countries will attract ‘import duties’ if the UK leaves without a deal.

 

I pray daily that you folks in the UK will wake up from this madness and overturn this stupid decision. As you can see, we in the US have managed to throw off the mistake made in 2016 (although we are far too divided). Call for another referendum!!!!!!

 

Me too, I'm proud to say I voted to remain or am a 'Remoaner' according to the gutter press.

 

Boy, you aren’t half poking two bears there with one stick.....

 

Not going to happen, very sadly. There was some hope the whole folly would get abandoned when there was no majority government under Theresa May, but then Boris Johnson won a landslide election, which means he can now get anything he wants through Parliament. Maybe once we leave with no trade deal, Airbus follow in Ineos' footsteps and pack up their UK operations, which will mean tens of thousands of job losses, people might wake up and realise just how badly they've fucked up, and that those blue passports might not have been worth it after all.

 

As being a fan & collector of Scottish products (bottles of whiskies), i suppose we will face the same problems by importing goods from your location...

 

Probably. But the bottom line is, the EU can afford to lose us. We need them more than they need us, whether we like it or not.

 

Like after an oil-spill, nothing can be as it was before ... ...

 

You are right...

 

They somehow had a second chance... They elected Bo instead
It will be up to the new generation of voters, and mainly politicians to get back in... And this time, adhering to all the rules of the club, not cherry picking.

Unless, they go independent, and join the EU

 

Absolutely.

 

Agree completely, the fallout of Brexit is yet to happen - like you say about Ineos and Airbus, I work at a multi-national currently with HQ in the UK but with Brexit based plans to move HQ into the EU, pull our Data Operations out of the UK and with it go thousands of jobs, and my sister works at a huge Financial Services company and their Brexit contingency plans are to withdraw all but traders out of the UK - simply jobs in the EU are cheaper, Taxes are lower, Real Estate is cheaper, less Regulatory concerns, a larger Labour market, Wages are lower for both White and Blue Collar jobs, Fuel is cheaper, there will be no duty on movements of goods amongst the remaining EU countries such as Germany, Spain, Italy, France etc...and for the workforce the weather is better, the food has more variety, holidays are cheaper, and there are less alcohol related absences etc...

 

The week after the vote, I arrived in Paddington and grabbed a black cab. “What do you think of our vote?” the driver asked. I told him I thought it short sighted and tragic. He responded with a diatribe about immigrants and then listed, by nationality, those who he hoped to see forcibly removed. “Given all you have invested in your business and considering that London is a world financial capitol, are you not concerned about your livelihood?” I asked. “I don’t care, I’m retiring.” he said. My colleagues that week were in a state of stunned incredulity, especially those who had placed wagers.

 

So who determines how far back you go to class people as immigrants and 'locals' - I mean 80% of those who believe they are domestic nationals (or whatever the right term is) you can trace back to being immigrants - the same would apply to many countries not just the UK - so 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000 years - who determines?

My grand mother was of Indian descent and married a British citizen during the British Empire rule of India, my father hence was also therefore British, my mother lived in a British colony in East Africa, her father moved to Africa from Europe for his business, so when I was born in a British colony, I was British, but on 3 different counts actually - yet came to the UK when I was 2 (obviously with parental help) and am British as they come but do not have white skin...given my grandfather was an overseas citizen of the British Empire, my grandmother married British, my father was hence British, my mother was descended from British subjects, and I was born in a British colony but overseas, no other country including the African nation that I was born in or my Grandmothers native India would allow me naturalisation (if I even wanted it), and am British but with colour, but not in everyone's eyes - to some I am an immigrant...am I?

 

I imagine that to a great many of those who voted Leave, you absolutely are an immigrant.

I noticed that the National Front was trending on Twitter yesterday. On investigating further, the reason was that someone had dug up some of their fascist campaign material from the 1970s and noted the striking similarity between it and the pro-Brexit drivel that's been spouted by the likes of Farage, Johnson, Gove and Cummings today. Needless to say, it had gone viral.

 

I imagine that to a great many of those who voted Leave, you absolutely are an immigrant. - Agree, and I know you are right from my daily experiences over several decades.

I wonder what my white grandfather born into aristocracy in southern England would say, as he was part of the empire, educated at Eton, became a high ranking officer in her majesty's army, was stationed overseas..., if he was to learn after his own sacrifices to serve, that his grandchild would be classed as an alien in his own country...?

 

Said another way, it is very difficult to separate the chocolate from the milk after you make chocolate milk.

It's ironic that England and America both are trying to reject the primary principles that made them great. What would England be if it had not expanded throughout the world? What would America be if the world had not expanded into it?


How quickly we forgot, (except for Snoopy III fans).

 

Scotland will join the EU as an independent country before the rest of the UK rejoins, which will be at least a generation away. Thankfully my mum is Scottish so I'll be claiming citizenship at the first opportunity.