Brexit - am I stupid or what?

Great news, progress at last!

I've been reading that both the UK's and EU's emergency contingency plans for a 'no deal' Brexit are almost identical.

Finally some form of agreement

 

I'm sure there will still be a rocky road, but some kind of agreement will be reached, on the last possible date.
What has prompted this new attitude from the EU?
Have we caved in, or have they just been being slightly awkward?

I know the Teresa May plan is not likely to be a full Bregzit but a while ago Barney said NON, now he's saying maybe.

 

Reminds me of when we were about to Celebrate New Year's 2000. Everybody acted as thought the world would stop at midnight!

 

Having no political interest. I expect that the world will go on trading, whatever and with whom. Perhaps we should look at the relative peace that the EU has brought about.

Lets be honest. Germany has played it's cards close to it's chest. France has been excitable at times. Italy, as always. Lots of arm waving. If anything, perhaps Australia and Nw Zealand might have some reactions, as we tended to drop them.
Looking outside the EU for market trading. OK foriegn companies set up here in the UK. Ideas of leaving Britain and going to the continent. Finacially perhaps not a good idea. The EU has a different taxation system to ours, they might end up paying more taxes etc. Then our imports. I have no idea of the revenue involved, but take a look at our roads, the cars. At one time transport here was dominated by Ford, BMC. Leyland and I believe, we were the worlds lagest exporters of motor vehicles, private and commercial. Now. Tell me. What car, van , lorry on our roads is British. It might be made here but, the maker isn't British. This could go on and on.
Exiting the EU. Well who knows. Trading with the world, probably little will change however. Watch China. The world, not just Britain, but the world. China is flooding the commercial scene. Their populace is beyond counting. Labour is dirt cheap. Sad to say. Most of what they export and we import, forgive me, is crap.

For instance. China is now one of the worlds largest steel producers. Say no more but. Hey guys, messing about with the car, DIY. You remove a nut and bolt. Chuck it away. The quality of the steel is zilch. Back in the good old days, the same nut and bolt made from Sheffield steel could be used time and time again. Regardless of the quality of the goods, the massive output and the desire to trade cheap. GB could very easily be brought to it's knees.

 

I must say - this is a sweeping and unfair statement - many of the well known and trusted electronic brands are manufactured in China - I believe that half of the Apple range is manufactured in China. My Packard Bell laptop was manufactured in China - it's still going after many years.

Made in China does not automatically translate to 'crap'.

The UK car industry has gone because we produced shoddy, unreliable cars and the workforce were constantly on strike - in the end consumers vote with their purchasing power - which is perhaps why China is the world's second largest economy.

Moving back onto topic - I think the plan all along was to go for a no deal Brexit.

 

Agree with most of that @clanless apart from that last line.
If there had been a plan, at the start, and it had been to go for no deal, maybe someone should have mentioned it to the EU.
If they had, maybe we would be where we are now about 18 months ago.
It has been the dilly dallying, and input from remainers in the cabinet, that has caused all the trouble IMO.
We should have gone for the jugular with the EU from day one, but far too many putting spanners in the works on this side of the channel.

And I dont doubt for one minute, they still aint finished yet.

 

Salzberg = no deal brexit. Tusky tells us October is the 'moment of truth'.

I say put all resources into a no deal and abandon negotiations - we can always strike a deal at a later stage

 

Not read any of it yet, but if they want no deal there aint much we can do about it.