Brexit

[Adrian]

The days are flying by, and the situation changes by the week, however in my opinion the good ship Britannia is starting to alter course. Team Johnson now realise they have less options than Hitler did in April 1945!!

I see the Chinese have told the U.K. that there is to be no Naval exercises (operation freedom) in the St China sea, that's if the UK wants a trade deal with China post Brexit. Just as well they got rid of Gavin Williamson then!!

WRT to Ireland being heavily orientated to the U.K. that is to be expected as we are neighbours, same language and a lot in common with migration etc. In addition I would be sorry to see the U.K. go, they have a lot of good Hi Fi gear makers etc.

I think historians will be writing up tomes of volumes about Brexit for hundreds of years.... one suggestion I read recently was the major rot set in during the "Jade Goody" generation. Jade Goody representing a particular character!

David Cameron will be releasing his memoirs shortly. That's gonna be an interesting read. I just hope he does not hold back, let it all out man... let it all out!!!

LET THE MADNESS OUT MAN.... LET IT ALL OUT!!

[tony]

Don't know Adrian I think team BJ are making it up as they go along. No impact for these geezers whatever transpires. I find it tragic that an advanced economy in the 21st century can end up with these crass individuals governing in effect without a mandate. There doesn't appear to be even one 'normal' type politician among them. Sincerely hope the EU sticks to its guns and sends them down the toilet. Not sure the sewers deserve such rubbish but they have to be dispatched somewhere.

[Fran]

Its well worth watching "the greatest hack" re this and trump. Its easy then to see how it works.....

I don't know if they do or don't have any kind of credible plan.... but if they do then they are worthy for an Oscar. The only thing that makes me think they don't is that they are suffering the ridicule of so many at the moment - and that wouldn't sit easily with them. Whatever happens makes a huge difference to Ireland - you can already see the shite is making its way back up North, nevermind the agri-economy. However, I think they are wrecked either way, and divides have opened up in their country in a similar way to the US.

[Adrian]

The saga has more twists and turns than the Mississippi River. It has thrown up so many surprises, I could be wrong but indications are that the UK Supreme Court will call Team Johnson's proroguing of Parliament as unlawful. Will it change anything? Who knows?

It has been interesting to see Ms Arlene Foster down south last week hob nobbing with Leo and various business leaders. There was a suspicion in the air that the DUP were about to be jettisoned by Team Johnson. Who knows?

I don't think there is a plan still intact yet. All plans which the British have tried have failed and not having learnt their lesson they are still head butting the wall hoping at some point it will crack.

We sure are living in strange times... coz "the times are a changing"

[Satrus]

The saga has more twists and turns than the Mississippi River. It has thrown up so many surprises, I could be wrong but indications are that the UK Supreme Court will call Team Johnson's proroguing of Parliament as unlawful. Will it change anything? Who knows?

It has been interesting to see Ms Arlene Foster down south last week hob nobbing with Leo and various business leaders. There was a suspicion in the air that the DUP were about to be jettisoned by Team Johnson. Who knows?

I don't think there is a plan still intact yet. All plans which the British have tried have failed and not having learnt their lesson they are still head butting the wall hoping at some point it will crack.

We sure are living in strange times... coz "the times are a changing"

I hope the U.K.'s Supreme Court calls Johnson and Dominic Cummings out on this proroguing charade. Cummings, of course, is the organ grinder in all of this and appears to be a cunning and ruthless individual. I thought the likes of Mark Francois, Steve Baker and their ilk were bad but this guy Cummings is a real piece of work. I feel so sorry for the 48% of U.K. citizens (the Remain Voters) who must be seething over all of this. Every time I tune in to 'Brexit (which is waaay too often!) I am struck by the large number of ordinary people in Vox Pops who are fully behind the Leave campaign. They really do seem to outnumber the Remain side by quite a margin?

I was talking with a U.K. Hi-Fi dealer in Munich in 2018 who told me that he had voted to remain in the European Union. He carries a number of German audio lines and is quite friendly with Thomas Schick of turntable and tonearm fame. I don't know how that will work out in the future but a 'no deal' outcome will almost certainly push prices on these items to a 'not worth it' level for his customers. I imagine also from speaking to a number of U.K. audio people, including distributors of some rather pricey Scandanavian equipment, that they are dreading the possibility of a 'no deal' and what it could mean for their businesses. Speaking personally, SME turntables are already unaffordable and if we have to pay a tariff and import duties on top of the currency surcharge then that brand is way beyond the financial reach of most audiophiles. I am glad I bought my SME 20/2 in 2004. I thought about upgrading to the SME20/3 in 2017 but got a shot of commonsense and thought better of it!

The bright side of this is that hopefully the distribution rights that U.K. distributors have for non U.K.manufactured audio, which cover the Republic of Ireland, can be set aside as the U.K. will be a third country at that point. Our own indigenous audio people can hopefully benefit from this and pass it on to their customers.

[tony]

I think it is either going to be no deal brexit or else you remain and if that happens it will be all out street war. If you leave with no deal or hard brexit it will blow a cold wind across the Irish sea and certainly bring us down to earth fairly quickly. Only hope is the EU make a big effort to support Ireland and divert the products produced here to EU markets. Then it is two fingers to the UK and let the Brexiteers stew in their quick sand.
Only winners with hard brexit are hedge funds, the extreme wealthy and unscrupulous employers looking to exploit labour. Like yourself I am watching this too much and will be shocked if 'normal' folk allow this to happen.

[james]

The latest news is that ParcelMotel is suspending their UK address ..

".....


Important notification about Brexit impact

Here is everything you need to know about the Brexit impact on your shipments.

Customs charges

At the end of the year, the UK will leave the single market and customs union. While much remains undecided about the future trading relationship, it is clear that when the transition period ends, the cost, effort and time of moving goods between the EU and the UK will likely increase. All parcels crossing the new border between Britain and Ireland must clear customs and will be subject to customs duty and VAT, which are not included in the initial purchase price of your goods.

Virtual address in the UK temporarily suspended

Following the Brexit impact, we would like to share with you that as of December 28th, our virtual address services in the UK will be temporarily suspended. This means that from this date, we will no longer accept deliveries at the UK virtual address: 1a McKinney Road, Newtownabbey, UK. We are working diligently to update our product offering in order to adapt to the latest trade requirements as they come to conclusion and better serve your shopping needs. You will receive further updates in the coming weeks.

UK returns accepted until December 30th

Return shipments to the UK will only be accepted until December 30th. Please ensure that you send your return prior to this date in order to avoid additional charges.

..."

[Fran]

Addresspal will have to follow suit I reckon. Time to develop those continental links!!

[hudo]

What are good EU (online) stores for hifi equipment?

[hudo]

With Brexit deal reached, what does that mean for buying hifi from UK?
Lets say I found a speaker in UK, its 1000£ there, how much do import fees/taxes/VAT increase the price?
What about buy second hand from ebay.co.uk, for cheaper (below 100-200€) stuff, or more expensive (I know there are some tax bands)?