Former Siemens chief Juergen Maier says disruption will last at least six months even if trade deal is reached
Brexit will hit the British economy like a “slow puncture”, a leading industrialist has warned, with disruption to business to last at least six months even if a trade deal is reached.
Juergen Maier, the former chief executive of German electronics giant Siemens, warned that businesses were starting to shift parts of their operations to other countries in the EU while at the same time decrying the “nationalist” headlines over the weekend claiming Angela Merkel wanted the UK to “walk on broken glass” to secure a Brexit deal.
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“It’s a slow puncture of the economy is how I describe it, because people will have made their contingency plans to lose bits of their production; to move parts of their research and development over to other places where it’s easier to do it from.
“They will just start acting on it slowly,” he said in relation to the flight of business caused by Brexit.
“You don’t suddenly just take all of your operations and shift them to the Netherlands or France, you move bits of it or you might also plan that the next generation of products you’ve developed might be for a European factory as opposed to a UK factory. So this will be a slow burn,” he said.
Born in Germany, but an Austrian-British national, Maier has spent years at the helm of pan-European companies and knows how sensitive they are to the Brexit rhetoric of the past four and a half years.
People who defend brexit and try to present it as an opportunity are really and truly deluded. Why would a sane person want out of the biggest single market. Market that is just around the corner from the UK making trading less expensive and a lot faster. Why would you sacrifice access to security data base of Europe and organizations fighting crime and terrorism and potentially expose the country to more threats.
What is the real benefit of leaving the EU? I personally can't see a single one. Especially not in the short term and even mid term. Long term benefits likely but before we would get to the stage where we are actually better off many years will have passed. During these years uncertainty and economical hardship many many average families will have to face is just not worth the possible benefit. I could have worked a little bit better if the government put a lot effort in planning our future but instead we are less than 2 weeks from falling off a cliff.
Incompetent government in charge of this process is a recipe for a disaster. I think they should have extended the transition period at least until covid is properly under control. I am seriously worried about the future of UK under this government. I am baffled that people still don't quite grasp what is about to happen. I wonder what they are going to say when average holiday for family of four in Europe will go up 20-30% because of compulsory health insurance and very weak pound sterling? What they are going to say when goods can't reach our grocery stores on time? Leading to stock shortages because they will not clear the customs in time and as a result of that your family weekly shopping bill will go up 10%.
Those voting for brexit helped to make millions of household poorer in the next years. All of that in the name of making Britain great again and instead they divided the UK and potential break up is closer than it's ever been.
People who defend brexit and try to present it as an opportunity are really and truly deluded. Why would a sane person want out of the biggest single market. Market that is just around the corner from the UK making trading less expensive and a lot faster. Why would you sacrifice access to security data base of Europe and organizations fighting crime and terrorism and potentially expose the country to more threats.
What is the real benefit of leaving the EU? I personally can't see a single one. Especially not in the short term and even mid term. Long term benefits likely but before we would get to the stage where we are actually better off many years will have passed. During these years uncertainty and economical hardship many many average families will have to face is just not worth the possible benefit. I could have worked a little bit better if the government put a lot effort in planning our future but instead we are less than 2 weeks from falling off a cliff.
Incompetent government in charge of this process is a recipe for a disaster. I think they should have extended the transition period at least until covid is properly under control. I am seriously worried about the future of UK under this government. I am baffled that people still don't quite grasp what is about to happen. I wonder what they are going to say when average holiday for family of four in Europe will go up 20-30% because of compulsory health insurance and very weak pound sterling? What they are going to say when goods can't reach our grocery stores on time? Leading to stock shortages because they will not clear the customs in time and as a result of that your family weekly shopping bill will go up 10%.
Those voting for brexit helped to make millions of household poorer in the next years. All of that in the name of making Britain great again and instead they divided the UK and potential break up is closer than it's ever been.
Still playing that stuck record ?
Do you even know if it will come to pass ?
My reson for leaving is political, the hierarchy doesn't have our best interests at heart and is incapable of reform, progression toward a federal union with the UK being subsumed and reduced to a super council with no sovereignty at all, they may well hand over Gibraltar to Spain and we can do nothing about it.
Brexit is not just about the money !
Six of Nine loves Seven of Nine, together in Electric Dreams.
Brexit was never about money just sovereignty of human rights, workers rights, territorial rights, state aid, foreign policy, Military unification. But we did have a vote people voted to leave but we will all pay for this so called freedom. By the people who are representing us all who have a motive to repeal all things EU and before the EU and when they said the Singapore of the west that is what they mean ie deregulation no workers rights and shoddy work practices and limited freedom, I guess this propaganda stunt with the media is easing us into our fate and who knows what the rest of the world see's of the UK but I am sure some will profit mightily from the fruits of our labours with ZERO regulation!
Brexit was never about money just sovereignty of human rights, workers rights, territorial rights, state aid, foreign policy, Military unification. But we did have a vote people voted to leave but we will all pay for this so called freedom. By the people who are representing us all who have a motive to repeal all things EU and before the EU and when they said the Singapore of the west that is what they mean ie deregulation no workers rights and shoddy work practices and limited freedom, I guess this propaganda stunt with the media is easing us into our fate and who knows what the rest of the world see's of the UK but I am sure some will profit mightily from the fruits of our labours with ZERO regulation!
Just because we are leaving doesn't mean our rights is going to evaporate overnight, also many of these rights were placed on the statute books before we even joined the EFTA, EEA, EEC eventually transforming into the EU, the next political transformation will be a unitary federal state with a strong central power that is based on an European system contrary to British Anglo Saxon representive democracy, the Magna Carter 1215, Bill of Rights 1689 will be set aside in favour of an European Federal Constitution, it's in the treaty.
Six of Nine loves Seven of Nine, together in Electric Dreams.
Brexit was never about money just sovereignty of human rights, workers rights, territorial rights, state aid, foreign policy, Military unification. But we did have a vote people voted to leave but we will all pay for this so called freedom. By the people who are representing us all who have a motive to repeal all things EU and before the EU and when they said the Singapore of the west that is what they mean ie deregulation no workers rights and shoddy work practices and limited freedom, I guess this propaganda stunt with the media is easing us into our fate and who knows what the rest of the world see's of the UK but I am sure some will profit mightily from the fruits of our labours with ZERO regulation!
Just because we are leaving doesn't mean our rights is going to evaporate overnight, also many of these rights were placed on the statute books before we even joined the EFTA, EEA, EEC eventually transforming into the EU, the next political transformation will be a unitary federal state with a strong central power that is based on an European system contrary to British Anglo Saxon representive democracy, the Magna Carter 1215, Bill of Rights 1689 will be set aside in favour of an European Federal Constitution, it's in the treaty.
Boris and his government does not want any rights for workers or consumers or human rights they are in it for themselves and themselves only and what they can get out of it for themselves!
People who defend brexit and try to present it as an opportunity are really and truly deluded. Why would a sane person want out of the biggest single market. Market that is just around the corner from the UK making trading less expensive and a lot faster. Why would you sacrifice access to security data base of Europe and organizations fighting crime and terrorism and potentially expose the country to more threats.
What is the real benefit of leaving the EU? I personally can't see a single one. Especially not in the short term and even mid term. Long term benefits likely but before we would get to the stage where we are actually better off many years will have passed. During these years uncertainty and economical hardship many many average families will have to face is just not worth the possible benefit. I could have worked a little bit better if the government put a lot effort in planning our future but instead we are less than 2 weeks from falling off a cliff.
Incompetent government in charge of this process is a recipe for a disaster. I think they should have extended the transition period at least until covid is properly under control. I am seriously worried about the future of UK under this government. I am baffled that people still don't quite grasp what is about to happen. I wonder what they are going to say when average holiday for family of four in Europe will go up 20-30% because of compulsory health insurance and very weak pound sterling? What they are going to say when goods can't reach our grocery stores on time? Leading to stock shortages because they will not clear the customs in time and as a result of that your family weekly shopping bill will go up 10%.
Those voting for brexit helped to make millions of household poorer in the next years. All of that in the name of making Britain great again and instead they divided the UK and potential break up is closer than it's ever been.
Still playing that stuck record ?
Do you even know if it will come to pass ?
My reson for leaving is political, the hierarchy doesn't have our best interests at heart and is incapable of reform, progression toward a federal union with the UK being subsumed and reduced to a super council with no sovereignty at all, they may well hand over Gibraltar to Spain and we can do nothing about it.
Brexit is not just about the money !
I understand that people who voted for brexit are tired of hearing this over and over again. However this is the reality there is not a single one, tangible benefit of brexit for an ordinary people like we all are. I mean people working in mail centres and on the frontline delivering earning around the average wage. I get the point it's not about the money but what I can't understand that knowing this will put economy in a freefall why people were so dead set on pushing with this ideology. You sound like money is no issue for you or maybe you believe that there is no significant financial hardship around the corner.
I am afraid that all the beloved sovereignty in fact will help the cronies from government squeeze people even tighter as they will no longer be regulated by any other institutions, for example Strasbourg tribunal that used to act as an arbiter should the case reach that far. People thinking that empowered UK will be able to serve its people better than if we stayed in the EU are truly deluded. Look at achievements of this Tory government so far since last years election. There is none. No-deal brexit they will most likely get is certainly not a victory but a true disaster that even most deluded people will realise very soon.
It is worrying that all the head figures representing various business across the UK have been warning about real threats to its operations and what damage it is going to cause. Yet there are millions of people like yourself who still firmly deny the alarming news.
It was all about immigration really some call it racism others call it take back control. We can go back to the 2015 election David Cameron vs Edd Miliband to stop UKIP he promised a referendum on the EU then we had a vote opted out of the EU. Thing is we cannot stop these boats coming across anymore than we can stop a virus running amok around the nation mark my words though their will be a lot more boats after the 31/12/2020.
My reson for leaving is political, the hierarchy doesn't have our best interests at heart and is incapable of reform, progression toward a federal union with the UK being subsumed and reduced to a super council with no sovereignty at all, they may well hand over Gibraltar to Spain and we can do nothing about it.
You've described the UK government and political infrastructure there: they don't have the countries interests at heart, are doing their damndest to regress, and trying to consolidate all control to London. They're also ready and willing to throw NI over to the republic to walk back on rights some of the population seem to have forgotten they have and why they have them.
The UK Will Now Count the Cost of Brexit Sovereignty
Boris Johnson’s government is about to exchange real power for a chimera.
Finally. In two short weeks the UK will reclaim its liberty. Brexit has so far been a story of rancorous division, shaking political fists and fractured ties with old allies. The union of Britain and Northern Ireland has been put in peril. But the glittering prize that will make it all worthwhile is now in sight.
We know what it is called. Boris Johnson and his fellow Brexiters speak of little else. The country, the prime minister promises, is to recover its “sovereignty.” Forget the last minute wrangling with Brussels. The difference between a trade deal and no deal before January 1 is trivial against the loftier purpose. What was it Mr. Johnson once said? “f**k business.” Brexit is about taking back control, returning the UK to self-government, regaining full command of its borders, money and laws.
In one narrow sense, Brexit’s true believers are right. The gap between a thin trade deal and the absence of any accord is one between severe and more severe disruption. Either way, the UK will need 50,000 or more new customs agents to cope with the bureaucracy being injected into once-frictionless trading arrangements. The bargain under discussion is the first trade agreement in history consciously to raise protectionist barriers.
UK citizens will forfeit the right to travel and work without hindrance across the EU. Service industry workers will lose automatic recognition of their skills and qualifications. The independent experts belittled by ministers such as Michael Gove are near unanimous in predicting slower economic growth and lower living standards.
In return, British citizens will be able to indulge their nostalgia with a new, blue-hued passport to distinguish them from fellow Europeans — a reward that seems unlikely to compensate travelers for being henceforth consigned to the slow lanes at EU airports. Sovereignty, we are told by the Brexiters, also precludes membership of the Erasmus student exchange scheme, a role in the Galileo satellite project, and full access to the EU’s intelligence gathering on terrorist and criminal networks.
So what, it now seems fair to ask, does this precious sovereignty look and taste like? Does it come in the form of a sculpted Britannia, disinterred from the cellars of the Berlaymont headquarters of the European Commission to be placed on a pedestal at Westminster? Will the scales of justice be transferred by carriage from the European Court in Luxembourg to the UK Supreme Court? And how, some British voters might be inclined to ask, will any of this improve prosperity and security?
You might have thought a prime minister so attached to the idea of sovereignty would have planned a spectacular demonstration of what it means for the UK to regain control of its borders, money and laws. After all, a post-Brexit pile-up of freight trucks waiting to cross the English Channel will not much look like an act of liberation.
Instead, the Brexiters’ fatal confusion between sovereignty and power is about to be exposed. Untrammeled sovereignty sounds alluring, but in a world in which each nation’s security and economic wellbeing is inextricably connected to those of others, it turns out that it does not confer real power.
Mr. Johnson wants to stop migrants crossing the Channel in small boats to claim asylum in the UK. So what’s to prevent him after January 1, when the government will be free of all EU restrictions? It is called reality. Halting the boats will depend, as it always has, on the active co-operation of the French authorities. So much for sovereignty.
During the debate before the 2016 referendum, Leavers were often asked when had the EU taken big decisions against the expressed will of Westminster. Where was the proof the EU had been trampling on the nation’s liberties? Beyond muttering about over-enthusiastic business regulation (much of it sought by British industry), I don’t recall them giving an answer.
These same Brexiters have nothing to offer now. Trade deals promised with third countries will largely replicate those the UK now enjoys within the EU. Mr. Johnson’s insistence on a right to diverge from EU norms in areas such as the environment, safety and employment is empty of serious meaning. Businesses that want to trade will continue to shadow the rules set in Brussels. UK boats may catch more fish in “sovereign” UK waters, but they will have to find willing buyers on the other side of the Channel.
There you have it. Brexit is a national tragedy built on a chimera. The UK is about to discover that it has traded the real power to shape its destiny for an illusion drenched in nostalgia.
Perhaps they are sold false hopes in their own lands just as we are in our land not so hard to promise something but delivering it is another thing try it some time!
Oh dear....
