OT. The futures Bright, the Futures Brexit!!!

[ramAnag]

Why should a covid test being consistently globally the same?

Because it’s the same bloody thing and meant to be in the interests of public health.
Who mentioned ‘globally’...I’m talking about a test in one’s own country costing more than twice as much as one in Southern Europe.

[ramAnag]

Contrary to how he put it. We will see no immediate improvement for the first few years. I notice how RA twisted what I said, to say 40 years for the benefit? I said to make a true argument comparison, we would have to be out as long as we have been in.
The next five years will for me will show what is possible. COVID has tits upped the time table, I accept.
Truss, to her credit has been wheeling and dealing. We aren't stopping trading with the EU, but aren't tied to just one market either.

We are an island, and as such the shipping opportunities are there. The EU's worst nightmare? A Singapore on the doorstep perhaps?
Coming out of COVID, doesn't seem to be slowing us down at all.

https://www.starspost.com/german-economy-nightmare-as-uk-growth-outstrips-eus-biggest-powerhouse-by-three-times/

My point is, can we just stop crying about it for 5 mins. Its done/finished/over/finito
Yes there are areas to revisit and redo. But out we are.
It's time to make it work. There are problems occuring that are not unsolvable. We all knew that, but the EU has tried its best to exasberate the problems. ( even Irish peace doesn't stop them)

I'm not going to change your mind Ra, no more than you can change mine. But until we've tried lets stop turning petty inconveniences into disasters. As for holidays, I can give you an alternative. Fly to Thailand ( once COVID is sortedfor £500, stay in a 4 star hotel for £500 for 2 weeks, spend next to F- ALL in comparison to Spain/Italy/Greece. The cheapness of Euro holidays has gone, unless Albania/Kosovo is on your list.

Anyway welcome back,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxIHd4GvxiU

‘Come back in 40 YEARS FOR A COMPARISON’ were your exact words Tricky...and that is nonsense.

What I can and cannot afford is completely irrelevant and something neither you or GP have a clue about. My finances are fine thank you very much but I’m not so self obsessed as to only consider myself.
At the moment appropriate Covid testing for a hypothetical family of four would cost €100 or about £90 before leaving Spain and an additional £196 two days after re-entering the UK.
What’s wrong with asking why that should be?

P.S. Who mentioned cheap Euro holidays? But as you’ve brought it up...Villa...same price, Car hire...up about 10%, Flight...up about 50% on last year when they were desperate for folk to go, but only about 20% on pre-pandemic costs.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Because it’s the same bloody thing and meant to be in the interests of public health.
Who mentioned ‘globally’...I’m talking about a test in one’s own country costing more than twice as much as one in Southern Europe.

Jesus H Christ......

[Andy_Faber]

Some observations from an overcast, therefore more chatty, Greece. If you think there’s animosity about EU in U.K., talk for a while to the average Greek punter, they hate EU and by extension they hate Germans, whose project they see it as being. The local restaurant owner (who I’ve mentioned before, his son voted in the Scottish referendum) referred to me, as he seems to all Brits, as ‘brave Leonadis’ for our personal Brexit performance - ignoring of course that a) I voted Remain and b) Leonadis lost. You gotta love the Greeks!

[ramAnag]

GP...if you’ve got a sensible point to make, then make it.
We’ve heard from MA how his Dutch test to travel here was free but how he felt ripped off by the charges in the UK in order to enable his journey home.
You’ve heard from me how a test in a Spanish airport costs €25pp but a diy test over here two days later costs at least twice that.
Your ‘I’m alright Jack’ attitude as regards your own forthcoming trip to Greece is noted, but what is your problem with identifying the fact that the British public, and visitors to the UK, appear to be being ripped off via Covid safety precautions?

[Andy_Faber]

On a serious note, our perpetual bitching might ignore the fact that ‘we’ on this forum may not be the ones most impacted by Brexit - there must be one or more ‘tipping points’ (which I honestly either am not subject to or aren’t aware of) by which a group of people of a particular type will already have been noticeably impacted for good or Ill by Brexit. My ‘positives’ appear not to pass the ‘beyond reasonable doubt test’ (in relation to ACTUAL impacts, not news items) so does anyone have any they can share?

[Trickytreesreds]

‘Come back in 40 YEARS FOR A COMPARISON’ were your exact words Tricky...and that is nonsense.

What I can and cannot afford is completely irrelevant and something neither you or GP have a clue about. My finances are fine thank you very much but I’m not so self obsessed as to only consider myself.
At the moment appropriate Covid testing for a hypothetical family of four would cost €100 or about £90 before leaving Spain and an additional £196 two days after re-entering the UK.
What’s wrong with asking why that should be?

P.S. Who mentioned cheap Euro holidays? But as you’ve brought it up...Villa...same price, Car hire...up about 10%, Flight...up about 50% on last year when they were desperate for folk to go, but only about 20% on pre-pandemic costs.

Only prices, really?

RA I think you know that the UK has always over charged on everything. **** all to do with the EU. Compare a european car price here, with say what they charge for it in the USA and it's outrageous. However that same car in Greece makes us look the lucky ones.
If you believe that still being in the EU would make your testing prices the same, then you really are deluded.
As for your flights, I'm perplexed.
I quoted £500 earlier, found one a few hours ago for £440 to Thailand. That's nearly 10,000 KM away. Who's ripping off who?

All I can say is, "tonight, we dine in hell"

[ramAnag]

Hang on...where have I said anything about this being anything to do with the EU?
As ever you and your mate have half read things and jumped to conclusions.
1) I didn’t even introduce travel into the discussion...Andy did with his Corfu anecdote.
2) I haven’t said that the charges for testing have anything to do with Brexit...although the apparent difference in attitude between the Netherlands, Spain and ourselves is interesting.
3) You can’t compare car hire with Covid testing. The first is a licence to fleece people...we all know that. The second is an essential requirement in the interests of public health and overcoming a pandemic. I would hope not to compare those responsible for public health alongside those selling flights and renting out cars...though that might be naive these days.
4) Read the thread back...my mention of the comparative cost of Covid testing was an aside to AF. An addendum to the rest of the post if you prefer. It was a comment about how the authorities in the UK appear to be ripping folk off. Apart from the initial comparison with Spain - and the subsequent one with the Netherlands - it was unrelated to Brexit and the EU.

[Geoff Parkstone]

GP...if you’ve got a sensible point to make, then make it.
We’ve heard from MA how his Dutch test to travel here was free but how he felt ripped off by the charges in the UK in order to enable his journey home.
You’ve heard from me how a test in a Spanish airport costs €25pp but a diy test over here two days later costs at least twice that.
Your ‘I’m alright Jack’ attitude as regards your own forthcoming trip to Greece is noted, but what is your problem with identifying the fact that the British public, and visitors to the UK, appear to be being ripped off via Covid safety precautions?

Just because something is cheaper in another country doesn't mean to say we should reduce our price (or even they increase theirs). It doesn't matter if MA's was free or the Spanish is cheaper, or the Greek will be what it will be.... it is what it is: don't like it, go find it cheaper. The British public is no more being ripped off than they are when, lets keep it medical, having tooth implants that cost 3 or 4 times the price in Hungary. Our economy, and its pricing and earning models operate at a different level to that in another country - be it higher or lower.

PS much as you have not associated this with Brexit, not have I: its just a matter of simple economic theory. I also don't think its anything to do with "authorities" ripping people off as I believe the returning mandatory covid testing here is carried out by "independent contractors", but I may be wrong in terms of the control of the prices they can levy

If you think my saying this is not sensible, so be it. I'm not going to waste an more breath (or is it typeface) on trying to deal with someone who clearly doesn't understand the basics of the way goods and services are priced in an economy - be it national, pan-national or global.

[ramAnag]

You know what GP? I can think of no one for whom the saying ‘he knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing’ is more applicable.

[Trickytreesreds]

Who'd have thought, Christopher Biggens jumps up my estimation chart. Just when I'd got sick of hearing all the luvvies crying.

https://foxhole.news/2021/09/04/watch-biggins-tells-farage-we-had-to-get-out-of-europe/?fbclid=IwAR1MWzFM-TJY5f6P-DhTHfPEyspzhrFQjRgpSFudeDf2YiQltF0r5983ULE

[swaledale]

Only prices, really?

RA I think you know that the UK has always over charged on everything. **** all to do with the EU. Compare a european car price here, with say what they charge for it in the USA and it's outrageous. However that same car in Greece makes us look the lucky ones.
If you believe that still being in the EU would make your testing prices the same, then you really are deluded.
As for your flights, I'm perplexed.
I quoted £500 earlier, found one a few hours ago for £440 to Thailand. That's nearly 10,000 KM away. Who's ripping off who?

All I can say is, "tonight, we dine in hell"

Anyway Thailand is now red so your recreational activities will have to wait a bit longer!

[Trickytreesreds]

Anyway Thailand is now red so your recreational activities will have to wait a bit longer!

We are still waiting for you to elaborate on that comment jellyfish .

Cluck cluck cluck

[ramAnag]

We are still waiting for you to elaborate on that comment jellyfish .

Cluck cluck cluck

Hmmm...might he mean that, despite you repeatedly extolling the affordability of holidays in Thailand, your planned holiday activities are sadly going to have to wait because Thailand was put on the government’s ‘red list’ five days ago?

[Trickytreesreds]

Hmmm...might he mean that, despite you repeatedly extolling the affordability of holidays in Thailand, your planned holiday activities are sadly going to have to wait because Thailand was put on the government’s ‘red list’ five days ago?

No he doesn't, I already said to you "when COVID improves",

I want him to say what he really means. If he has the balls