The EU strikes again.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I'm in total agreement with him BT!

It's you who seem to be blaming the EU for their demise!

Lib Dems usual tactic, twist the tale and try and come out smiling!

[map]

I suggest that although I agree th "E<U<) is a sham, a complete mockery of diplomacy....have a look at what the "Royal Family" cost is to the British tax payer.

[1959_60]

There's a simple solution to this BT.




FIGHT!

[The Bedlington Terrier]

There's a simple solution to this BT.




FIGHT!

I'd have knocked you out before you had your dukes up kiddo. Anyway diplomacy beats fisticuffs any time of the week!

[1959_60]

I'd have knocked you out before you had your dukes up kiddo. Anyway diplomacy beats fisticuffs any time of the week!

Not as effective as a swift kick in the bollox BT!

[Deadlydave]

How about that wonderful fair trade country out East you know the one- CHINA. how much steel have they dumped on the global market they are providing subsidy for their companies. To day they dared to threat us over telephone Technology & 5G networks. Do business in China and it's a case of give us your technology and build your factories here!! When is someone going to face up to these industrial bullies and look after our people who are citizens first. My God, how we need a Trump style patriot running this country. I am sick of watching this country lose and decline to Globalists and apologists for our castrated Politicians.

[1959_60]

Good point Dave.

On our own we would have little influence over China.

But being part of the EU gives us a lot more leverage - safety in numbers.

same with many other countries too.

[map]

Well, I think one of my Chinese students summed it up perfectly "E.U."? does that mean "Europe Useless" ?.....she is 7 years old !

[sinkov]

There are two main reasons British steel have gone under...
1. Falling orders on European orders and the weak pound increasing raw materials - all linked to Brexit uncertainty
2. Trump increasing tariffs on steel imports - just under 10% of their business was to USA before Trump got in

The weak pound is an excuse, it may well increase the cost of importing raw materials but at the same time it lowers the price of our steel on the world markets, swings and roundabouts. But of course our steel industry, even with lower export prices, can't compete with the Chinese dumping their steel on the world market, which has caused a 20% drop in prices in the last three years.

And why can't we compete with the Chinese, or most anyone else for that matter, on price ? Go back ten years or more, it was all predicted then, as our lunatic Climate Change Act was introduced, the eco-loons told us we had to save the planet, coal and gas was to be phased out, energy prices quite deliberately ramped up, renewable energy was subsidised, pensioners had to be given an allowance so that they could afford to heat their homes in winter, and our energy dependent heavy industry made uncompetitive and devastated. Oh, and don't mention that other source of cheap energy, those huge reservoirs of gas we're sitting on, fracking is strictly verboten !! So we close down our coal-fired power stations, while in China they continue to build them in their hundreds, and their industry has a continuous supply of cheap energy.

So the poor bloody steel workers, assailed by eco-loons on side and EU fair competition rules on the other, lose their jobs, unlucky chaps, but someone has to save the planet.

[WBA123]

The weak pound is an excuse, it may well increase the cost of importing raw materials but at the same time it lowers the price of our steel on the world markets, swings and roundabouts. But of course our steel industry, even with lower export prices, can't compete with the Chinese dumping their steel on the world market, which has caused a 20% drop in prices in the last three years.

And why can't we compete with the Chinese, or most anyone else for that matter, on price ? Go back ten years or more, it was all predicted then, as our lunatic Climate Change Act was introduced, the eco-loons told us we had to save the planet, coal and gas was to be phased out, energy prices quite deliberately ramped up, renewable energy was subsidised, pensioners had to be given an allowance so that they could afford to heat their homes in winter, and our energy dependent heavy industry made uncompetitive and devastated. Oh, and don't mention that other source of cheap energy, those huge reservoirs of gas we're sitting on, fracking is strictly verboten !! So we close down our coal-fired power stations, while in China they continue to build them in their hundreds, and their industry has a continuous supply of cheap energy.

So the poor bloody steel workers, assailed by eco-loons on side and EU fair competition rules on the other, lose their jobs, unlucky chaps, but someone has to save the planet.

The weak pound absolutely is a factor in why they went bust. In fact, British Steel themselves cited Brexit as a contributory factor as to why they went under.

Another interesting fact is that the EU wanted to put tariffs on cheap Chinese imports, as they wanted to protect the EU members steel industry - the UK vetoed it.

We all have and are entitled to our own opinions. Mine is that I can't see one single benefit of Brexit - apart from to the rich, who will get even richer. Ironically that is people like Farage and Rees-Mogg.

Whereas the ordinary working man on the street, such as those in S****horpe will bear the brunt.