- The bulk of our economic activity is home output for UK people. More than half our overseas trade is with non EU countries and over half our trade is in services, not goods. Yet many in government go on and on about how to get growth we need to boost exports of goods to Europe. Remain supporters cling to the long disproven idea that our goods trade with the EU would fall with Brexit and lead to lower GDP.
The main reason the UK is not growing today is the anti business budget last year which stopped a good growth in the first half of the year and threatens more damage to UK business when the jobs tax kicks in in April.indeed, growth in just the first quarter of 2024 was more than the Bank of England forecast for the whole of 2925 after the disaster budget.
Since 2016 when we decided to leave the EU exports are up from £575 bn to £837 bn or 45%. Since we left in 2020 they are up from £624 bn or a third. They are up by more with the rest of the world than the EU and services are up by more than goods, but that was also the trend in our later tears in the EU. The EU has been growing too slowly. The rest of the world has been growing faster and is keener on our exports.
Trump tariffs have not yet had any effect on the numbers. Their inflationary effects will be the US, not on us. The UK did scrap all EU tariffs on intermediates when we left the EU and all tariffs on goods we do not make, to stop taxing ourselves. The UK should drop the damaging carbon border tax or tariff which the EU proposed and which we have still not dropped. It will put up our inflation and anger the US, inviting retaliation.
Current Uk industrial and energy policies are designed to drive down our goods and oil exports by banning oil,gas, petrol and diesel cars and by giving us such dear energy our high energy using industries cannot compete. It is the net zero policy, not Brexit that will lose us national output and exports.
March 21, 2025
Good morning.
I am reading some very worrying news from the car industry in this country. None of it would come as a surprise to many here but the figures and the language from those in know are sobering nonetheless.
There are up to 1.5 million jobs that could be put at risk here in the UK. Many are describing RedEd as, “A dangerous lunatic who needs to be stopped.” Words that I have used myself here but would never believe would be said elsewhere.
The extent of our de-industrialisation is gathering pace with the aim of making it permanent and irreversible. We will soon be unable to manufacture basic materials having to import them from elsewhere raising our balance of trade deficit. This would facilitate more borrowing, greater debt repayments and higher inflation due to more money printing. This would, along with even greater taxes, further slow growth and increase our economic decline.
Much like much else, one can only conclude that this is deliberate, as no person with a care for this nation and its people could possibly act in such a malicious and unthinking way.
March 21, 2025
Milibrain was on the TV last night extolling the virtues of his wind and solar crusade
The man’s a complete nutter and the biggest danger to our well being ever.
He had the look of a madman and needs sectioning
When the damage is finally reversed I hope these people are charged with treason.
March 21, 2025
Correct.
So his GBpower is going to spend many £ millions on chinese solar cells on roofs of schools and hospitals. To give us more rather expensive electricity mainly in daytime summers when we do not really need it. Far more expensive to install,clean and maintain on roofs than in fields too. Then we have to storm damage like in Anglesey every few years and the disruption and risks to hospitals and schools what mad plan!
March 21, 2025
The working at heights directive pushes up the costs too, then we have the cleaning, hail stone damage plus the cost of the grid connections, back up costs and schools are closed for summer holidays so will not need the electricity at peak production times anyway.
Do the maths and they make very no sense in economic terms nor in CO2 terms.
March 21, 2025
I’ve just been reading an article by Ambrose Evans Pritchard. He extolling the net zero as the only way to reduce our fuel bills by as much as £2160 (very precise) annually. I have never known anyone who writes so much drivel as this man. He must be related to milibrains
March 21, 2025
@Mark B
This is the most incoherent post that you have submitted this year, full of ignorant inconsistencies and rife with un-attributed soundbites such as “I am reading very worrying news from the car industry” and “There are up to 1.5 million jobs that could be put at risk”
This country is not de-industrialising at all – manufacturing exports are at the highest level since Brexit. The sector contributed £217bn in output to the economy last year, supporting 2.6m jobs. Firms are investing more too than in 2023, with £38.8bn worth of investment taking place. Source;
https://www.makeuk.org/insights/publications/uk-manufacturing-the-facts-2024
I suggest that you check the facts before you post. Failure to do so on this prestigious blog demonstrates a lack of intellectual rigor
March 21, 2025
SG
We have all but lost primary steel making
We are having to import CO2 because the fertiliser factory has closed do to high energy costs
Aluminium, North Sea oil and gas as well as Refinery products are all declining at a rapid rate
Vauxhall at Luton is closing and Nissan has taken off the nightshift
Car manufacturing is its lowest in 2 decades
No doubt Milibrain will want to buy SMRS from abroad so as not to produce any CO2 in this country
I almost forgot Alstom closing train manufacturing at Derby. What we are mainly exporting is transitional LNG and buying it back as expensive electricity via interconnector.
March 21, 2025
Never mind last year when we had a bit of growth in spite of the Tories, we are discussing this year under this idiot Net Zero Government.
Try to catch up. I appreciate that you spend a lot of time in your hot-house tending orchids, so you will not have noticed that the rest of us have our heating off and make do with luke warm soup. Energy costs are the highest in the world and the U.K. pension is the lowest in the developed world.
Oh – and many of us live at latitudes north of Moscow.
March 21, 2025
“Failing to boost demand for electric vehicles (EVs) will put UK automotive jobs at risk, according to an industry body….Stellantis will close its van-making factory in Luton, Bedfordshire, next month, impacting around 1,100 jobs.” Standard
26 Nov 2024 — The closure of Vauxhall’s Luton van plant is a car crash for the 1,100 workers who could lose their jobs .. Sky News
20 Nov 2024 — Ford has announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs across Europe – including 800 in the UK – as the car industry frets over weak electric vehicle …Sky
“Car industry urges UK government to create new EV incentives. Automotive body says current policy is leading to job losses and has become a ‘driver of de-industrialisation’ Guardian “The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said its research showed growth in consumer demand for EVs was lower than expected, with only one in eight new buyers planning to switch in the next three years, putting jobs at risk.”
March 21, 2025
We, and others blame RedEd for the coming economic catastrophe; but surely his boss is the one to blame? If Starmer and Reeves cannot see the problems Milibrain is causing then they are complicit and we are completely lost!
March 21, 2025
Yes the Conservatives in government were bad enough but under Labour its deliberate scorched earth. ‘Made in England’ – now a quaint old fashioned phrase soon to be forgotten forever.
March 21, 2025
It absolutely IS deliberate. UN Agenda 21 / Agenda 2030 and the WEF’s website and various reports on YouTube are all the evidence you need.
March 21, 2025
So indeed not just the last budget but many budgets since around 2008. Not just budgets but the crazy employment directives and newer anti-employer rules, anti use of energy by crazy peicing, all the tangled regulations on business rates, giving more money to people not to work than to work, during and after COVID. Traffic gridlocks so people can’t connect face to face. Anti building planning regulations. Complicated bank account opening and operation for businesses.
March 21, 2025
@Mark B – we can blame Red Ed as a dangerous lunatic, and he is. But it is still impossible to dismiss the originators of the UK’s ‘de-industrialisation’ the faux Conservatives, it is their laws and direction that Red Ed is following just with more zeal. The so-called opposition team cant complain at any level they were part of the collective responsibility club & cabinet that could have changed things, but refused. Their refusal in light of the damage it was doing the UK then and now when it was there in their gift – shows we have a majority Parliament that is anti UK
Reply Labour started the quest for net zero in 2008.
March 21, 2025
@Reply, agreed. The Point being as you suggested recently each subsequent Government was not compelled to stick to the choices of their predecessors. Each Government has seen the damage the previous policies have done, each Government has seen how the World has marched on and created more wealth for their people by having a different approach. However, each Government has chosen to persist with what can only be described as malicious damage to the Country and its People.
Mrs May and her Government choosing to make Law’s that don’t exist in our competing Nations, could have been abandoned(amended, repealed – the point of having our own legislators) by the next crowd in power – they refused. Instead the next team, the collective responsible team now in opposition the ones responsible for moving things further and faster has in the first instance got to own their mistakes – petty snipping of those that a running with their ideas is not a good look. Its for that reason they will never be the team that can take on the challenges in front of us.
Parliament has chosen this madness when all logic says it will end in tears, as all other Countries advance at our expense
March 21, 2025
There is an enigma. Those involved in trads are largely the private sector, who know what they are doing. Those organising the playing field, do so for political reasons, and are mostly ignorant and incompetent, if not insane in some cases. I despair that the future of the UK and its people, who are in the hands of the dishonest and useless. Well done last night on GBNews when you applied logic to the trade question. But for responsibilities I would be on the next plane out.
March 21, 2025
So you really think introducing barriers to trade has increased trade? Perhaps you could share with us your thoughts on why 350 years of economics scholarship failed to grasp this?
Reply The UK negotiated tariff free trade with the EU and reduced barriers with the Pacific Partnership by agreeing a Free Trade Agreement with them.
March 21, 2025
And leaving the ‘Tariff barrier to the world’ – the EU – helped enormously.
So the barriers to trade were reduced, not increased, by Brexit.
March 21, 2025
@Lynn Atkinson +1 The EU stopped the UK being part of the World
March 21, 2025
Agreed Lynne.
The EU was the most complicated market to sell into even when we were members.
Their use of non tariff barriers was legendary. Adam obviously has no practical experience of this.
Compared to the EU, selling into USA or Australia or many other independent nations was far easier.
March 21, 2025
Many thanks for your reply. I now understand your “analysis” is based on a complete ignorance of the role of non tariff barriers (technical standards, safety checks, certification, qualifications etc) in a modern economy
Reply Non tariff barriers have been reduced through the TPP. The UK did not impose new non tariff barriers on EU exports under the Conservatives and took tariffs off all intermediates on our WTO schedule
March 21, 2025
Thanks again for confirming your total misunderstanding of the economics of international trade. Brexit means huge new barriers to trade with our largest export market (by far), the EU. With no compensating benefits
Reply Try looking at the figures. Our exports have shot ahead since 2016 based on a big surge in exporting services to nonEU. Non EU is the majority of our trade. Services are the majority of our trade. These are the fast growing bits.
March 21, 2025
Adam you are totally outclassed on this blog. You are making a fool of yourself.
March 21, 2025
“No compensating benefits”. John, please correct this misapprehension in another post. Detailing all the big financial savings. ie The relief of not being on the hook for the extra EU debt taken on via the NextGenerationEU 800 billion – now they want coincidentally another 800 billion euros for defence spending, well I hope we’re not paying into that to spend in France! If you don’t start to address these daily accusations, Starmer will just drag us back aligned and pay in for all the EU students through costly Erasmus scheme, the imbalance of numbers was horrendous and we are left with big outstanding loans – Turing was a much fairer replacement.
“Speaking at a press conference from inside Downing Street on Thursday, Johnson said breaking away from Erasmus+ was a “tough decision. The issue really was that the U.K. is a massive net contributor to the continent’s higher-education economy because over the last decades we had so many EU nationals, which has been a wonderful thing, but our arrangements mean the U.K. exchequer more or less loses out on the deal,” Johnson said. “Erasmus was also extremely expensive. The lack of a deal to participate in Erasmus+ is particularly irritating for British students because five non-EU countries participate in the scheme, including Turkey, North Macedonia and Switzerland. However, in previous years, the U.K. received almost twice as many students as it sent away”
Could you also tell SME’s where they can go to sell into the EU i.e. Amazon
“We’ve spent years creating systems and tools to help SMEs across the EU grow their sales far beyond traditional local face-to-face transactions,” https://www.aboutamazon.eu/impact/empowerment/small-businesses
And also other sales routes for small business manufacturers, not re-exporters from ROW imports, actual UK manufacturers and producers.
The guff shares makes them think there are no avenues open for SME sales because people like Adam share it is impossible all the time.
March 21, 2025
Adam you are living in a real life vacuum. Economics has a large political component, your 350 years of it is still a miserable failure. It took circa 46 years of experience in the EU for the untutored in economics UK population to realise it was economically illiterate to continue membership. Economics is a very inexact discipline.
None tariff barriers are the favoured tool of the EU, which is why they are in the Trump crosshairs. All deficiencies in the implementation of Brexit are down to politicicians of all colours failing to accept a democratic decision.
March 21, 2025
Political Economy is a VErRRrY exact discipline. Few master it – very few.
I have not done so but my husband is pretty good and I can follow when he explains much of the counter-intuitive reasoning.
The Master of Political Economy is John Redwood. That is my husband’s opinion.
March 22, 2025
‘Few master it’: Thomas Piketty?
March 21, 2025
I agree Brexit has been a tailwind for UK trade as it facilitated global markets for us hence why our exports are up.
I believe the main issue for UK trade though is China. Like the US, since 1997 we have allowed a colossal trade deficit to grow. This is because we have relied upon importing cheap and often low quality Chinese products at the expense of higher quality but often more expensive American, European and Japanese equivalents. As we went along with this new global regime there has been no hope of a UK trade surplus since.
We are now reliant on mostly inferior components from an aggressive country which is now an integral part of our supply chains. This outcome also cost us British manufacturing jobs and it was a wage compressor too.
Trump is trying to rectify the US / China trade imbalance by forcing foreign firms to locate, produce and export from the USA. I hope he succeeds but it is likely inflation will go back to its long-term trend in USA as a result. That would be the only disadvantage in an array of advantages.
March 21, 2025
If only your clear expose of this issue (and others) could reach the BBC/Times/Guardian etc MSM-misled masses. The lazy, unscrupulous, mendacious MSM blames Climate Change, Brexit, Putin and Trump for ills caused by our own political establishment and many, many people are never exposed to the truth.
Reply I did set this out on GB News last night
March 21, 2025
Reply to reply: watched it and you demolished the left wing numpty who was attempting to providing the alternative point of view. It’s interesting that rabid Remainer Jeremy Hunt has now admitted that Project Fear was overblown and Brexit has not negatively affected the economy.
March 21, 2025
Reply to reply. Brilliant you were on GB News, I’ll view it.
I don’t count GB News as MSM, more as non-legacy media. But it does have reach, even if dwarfed by the (main culprit) BBC.
March 21, 2025
It is the stupidity of a clueless political class that is responsible for the UK’s decline. That stupidity is reflected in nonsensical energy policies, failure to take full advantage of the Brexit vote, sclerotic regulations many overseen by unaccountable quangocracies. We also see it in the large number of new graduates from universities who are unable to find meaningful employment often even those with STEM degrees.
I know of a very good, technology rich business, relatively small but with global reach and operations that has doubled revenues and profits over the past five year, whose AIM valuation is lower today than it was five years ago. This reflects the negative sentiment afflicting most businesses today. It prompts the thought “why bother?”. I see no escape from the UK’s economic decline.
March 21, 2025
How curious that the day after Ukraine undertook a massive, long range drone attack against Engels Airbase in Russia’s Saratov Oblast (about 435 miles from the front lines) Heathrow airport is put out of action by an electrical substation fire.
Engels is a key base for Russian strategic aviation, housing nuclear capable long range Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3, Tu-160 strategic bombers, ammunition bunkers and aviation fuel storage silos
Geolocated images, satellite imagery and video footage show that the attack caused huge fires, the destruction of aircraft hangars, the loss of several aircraft and clearly show secondary ammunition explosions (known in the parlance as “cook-offs”) damaging more infrastructure. This morning, Reuters is reporting that the base is still burning
This is a military exploit worthy of the SAS. By successfully destroying an active Russian nuclear bomber base, Ukraine is protecting us from the war criminal Putin’s nuclear threats – and demonstrating that Russia is most definitely not invincible.
March 21, 2025
Nice to know that the Ukraine is desperate for a ceasefire and is complying while pointing out how aggressive Russia is
.
They are using the last of the ammunition, the targets are provided by European NATO members desperate to keep the USA in Europe.
They will fail.
March 21, 2025
The government are moving closer to the eu on several fronts.
When they get to the final push, much of the media (especially the BBC/Guardian) will be ready with the narrative that Brexit has wrecked the economy despite this being a lie.
My only hope is that there won’t be much eu left to join soon.
March 21, 2025
Rachel from Accounts’ Budget was so obviously going to lead to Stagflation I decided it had to be deliberate.
The April tax hammer is yet to fall (including the Council Tax hammer) and already economic growth has been destroyed. They appear to be deliberately causing a recession and at the same time talking up the prospect of war.
They want us to be scared and vulnerable, just as they did with the Covid Tyranny.
Why? Because that’s how they can push through their real Agenda with minimal resistance.
March 21, 2025
An agenda is going to be pushed through with no resistance but it is not the WEF Globalist agenda. It’s a globalist agenda to Submit. I see Farage is positioning himself so he will be on the winning side again.
Let’s hope he is wrong again.
March 21, 2025
Sir John
Some don’t seem to have learnt that trade with the EU, is the EU selling their goods to you/the UK. The classic illustration and it goes for many other industries is the UK Fishing Industry, all the restrictions on UK Fishermen all their hard work in preserving stocks is undone by the EU. EU trade from them to the UK is predicated on them having unrestricted access to UK maintained fishing grounds, something even UK Fishermen don’t have. UK ability to trade with the EU even as a member of the block was restricted.
March 21, 2025
It’s weird when we have Parliament and the Media fighting logic. The MsM has picked up on the idea that the EU Defense Fund/Subsidies created from taking money from the EU Taxpayer is required by the EU to be spent on and in the EU’s own defense Industry. Some are claiming that is unfair. Unfair to whom? It was the same with Bidens IRA Subsidies, US Tax dollars being for growing US Business.
That’s the UK disease, UK Tax money it’s Taxpayer funded Subsidies are taken and spent in foreign domains boosting foreign tax revenues at the expense of our own. The Subsidy money doesn’t get to go around in our own economy it is used to fund the economies of others. The reason and part of the mechanism to destroy the UK’s international earning industrial base. All the while these other nations get to flourish and send us the goods, we could have supplied for ourselves, at less damage to the UK and the environment only if Parliament wasn’t so anti-UK
UK Subsidies created from taxes and levies on energy consumption are currently used to fund foreign States (State owned Industries) and support foreign tax regimes – this is UK tax money that does get to circulate in the UK, it just goes abroad. It is the same with Subsidies on Steel, car battery production, all money taken from the Taxpayer, then as subsidies used to finance foreign economies before our own. The UK Taxpayer is funding the French Defense Industry, Polish & Spanish Ship Builder – while the Government refuses to support and nature home grown alternative.
We need a Government a Parliament able to support the UK and its People is that so wrong?
March 21, 2025
Most certainly the wrong approach when you consider that the EU is closing down, just as we are.
You have to ask if there will be any factories left to build our export trade?
The only statistics this government is interested in is how many businesses failed, and how much did that reduce our Co2 usage?
Unless some miracle occurs exports will be the least of what we have to worry about. Just how do we force this rogue government out of business?
March 21, 2025
I read that Britain (along with the US and Turkey) has been shut out of Europe’s €150bn rearmament fund. No trade deals for UK arms manufacturers there, then. So much for 2TK’s love affair with the EU.
March 21, 2025
W, It is a EU rearmament fund. As far as I know the USA, US and Turkey are not parts of the EU.
Up to a few years ago two-thirds of EU procurement orders were going to US defence companies. In the last few weeks the PotUS has insisted that continental Europe should take care of its defence. Is the Readiness 2030 Program (the name of this European programme) not what DJT has been asking for?
March 21, 2025
You seem to be misunderstanding the difference between general defence spending and purchasing of defence equipment hefner.
Why refuse to allow the UK (or Turkey or USA) to even be on a list of approved suppliers?
March 21, 2025
S, thank you for pointing my ‘misunderstanding’.
DJT has recently said he would like US companies making products outside the US territory to repatriate their activities within the USA. Why should the EU not been allowed to have the same restrictions on their own defence products?
After all, Dassault, Airbus, RheinMetall, Thales, Safran, Leonardo, Fincantieri, Naval Group, Diel Defence, Navantia, Kongsberg, … are defence companies within the EU who could benefit from those contracts.
They would do what the PotUS want, keep their workers busy, and get the financial incentives ‘at home’.
Explain to me why something that would be good for the USA could not be good for the EU.
Or more simply, can’t you see the fallacy in your argument?
March 22, 2025
h
Explain why the EU wants the UK involved in a defence agreement with them whilst refusing to buy any equipment from us.
Your example of the USA is a poor red herring.
March 22, 2025
Does the EU want the UK part of their €150 bn? Check your info.
reuters.com 04/03/2025 ‘EU proposes borrowing €150 bn in big rearmament push’.
euronews.com 05/03/2025 ‘How can the EU unlock up to €800 bn for its rearmament plan?’
That’s a EU27 plan.
The PM wants to be part of it (telegraph.co.uk 18/03/2025 ‘Starmer wants Britain treated like EU member in €800 bn defence plan’). Please note the UK is the ‘supplicant’ here.
March 22, 2025
I didn’t say the EU wants the UK to be part of its 150 bn.
Read what I said.
March 21, 2025
Having half a gun is of little use – as we discovered in the Faulklands when France took the other side.
March 21, 2025
Clearly the Net Zero negatives are impacting our capacity to generate wealth and growth.
That is not the whole story obviously.
The other issue is government policies that are destroying entrepreneurial drive.
Add to that the government social policies that are driving the working age population to favour life on benefits, rather than a life earning their own incomes and potential. We can also add the governments willingness to employ ever more public sector workers(sic) which now stands at 6.14 millions officially and many more millions dependent entirely on government contracts listed as private sector workers.
All of those issues are reducing our efficiency as a nation. Then add too much taxation needed to fund public services, too much regulation destroying profitability of businesses, too many imposed employment conditions laid on employers and too many people working in the grey/black economy driven to do so by all of the above.
Did I mention pot holes?
March 21, 2025
It is reported that the chaos at Heathrow, initially due to the substation fire, has been exacerbated by a management decision to end diesel engine backup and replace it with inadequate biomass backup. The biomass no doubt being fed by nett zero bullshit. Political zealotry replacing logic.
The chaos in the area, due to the fire, begs the question of the National Grid, why are you unable to re-route supplies. Inadequate reliable generation supported by an inability to re-route it. The chaos of amateurism is unending.
March 21, 2025
Agree with your second para.
The key question is why did the second, separate backup not work and did they have separated feeds from the grid to avoid single substation failure.
Need an early explanation from Heathrow management and the National Grid as to why backup power provision failed.
March 21, 2025
…
March 21, 2025
Todays Media
A new €150bn rearmament fund was being set up, EU officials announced. But Britain would be excluded – along with the US.
The price for admission? An agreement on fishing rights for French vessels in British waters, along with a “youth mobility scheme”, EU officials have unsubtly suggested.
Trash the UK’s resources first has alway been the EU way.
March 21, 2025
They might as well have set up a 150 Trillion fund. There is no money. Even if they print the money (digitally) there is nothing that they can buy.
That’s what happens when you crush enterprise and snatch all the power and money. It turns to ashes in their hands.
March 21, 2025
Those that seek comparisons between countries and how they are destroying themselves need only look at the political situation in the UK and Germany.
The tories became unpopular because of their awful policies, so voters threw them out, and even though few people actually voted for labour, labour managed to get the keys of #10.
Likewise, the ruling SPD failed the German people and became very unpopular, such that the lesser party, the CDU got into power.
That’s not where the similarities end. The CDU, just like labour, promised all sorts of things, like cutting migration and balancing the books. Exactly as labour did, the CDU didn’t just fail to live up to their promises, they did the total opposite, as labour did. The deceit and misdirection is tangible.
Two ruling parties deliberately fell on their swords to let in hardcore socialist ones, when the original parties could have carried on and done the same as the new governments. Was this all about theatre, or was it a feeble act to give the voters a little hope that democracy would prevail, only to have their hopes dashed to pieces!
March 21, 2025
The difference is that the Germans could have voted for the AFD which is a viable alternative. They chose not to. We have no viable alternative.
March 21, 2025
I suspect that Germans did vote for AFD but voter fraud got in the way.
March 21, 2025
Certainly not impossible, we need to remember that those who count are in a strong position. That’s why I prefer the traditional way votes are taken in Parliament by our representatives. You walk through the lobby personally!
March 22, 2025
And how are our representatives elected???
March 21, 2025
“It is the net zero policy, not Brexit that will lose us national output and exports.”
Yes, our enemies do not need to use overt force to overcome us. They have captured our Civil Service, NGOs, quangos, regulators, “charities”, think tanks etc and the judiciary. Net Zero and mass immigration (legal and illegal) will eventually destroy our economy, social cohesion and national security. Parliament is no longer in control and even those who would not wish to pursue a path to energy and national insecurity do not have the knowledge necessary to understand what is happening. The Minister for Climate who is responsible for international climate and energy policy, international climate finance, carbon budgets, Net Zero strategy, trade, Net Zero investment and supply chains, science and innovation for climate and energy, fusion energy, citizen engagement studied Russian Studies at Liverpool University followed by Law at the City of London Polytechnic.
March 21, 2025
Big Brother exposes that facial recognition is a real threat.
In Cardiff, blockquote>Over 160,000 faces were scanned across the entire city-centre and masses of police resources were pulled in… the result? 0 arrests.
The evidence is clear – this trial was a huge failure costing us our privacy and freedom. We cannot let them expand this further and continue to waste taxpayers’ money. No doubt they will will be perfecting their techniques a little more, before they roll it out across the country.
March 21, 2025
Facial recognition only identifies Caucasian faces. Therefore no arrests in Cardiff a reasonable result – the criminals not identified?
March 21, 2025
When the CCC/Civil Service et al say that evs will be cheaper than ices by 2030 they do not mean cheaper than ices today. They mean evs will eventually become cheaper to buy because of the £15K fines (or more) added to ices. When the CCC/Civil Service say electricity/running electrical devices will be cheaper than gas this is because they are planning to increase the price of gas. When a state has complete control of markets and prices they can make whatever claim they want. Hence the CCC can claim in their 7th Carbon Budget via price fixing that their Net Zero electricity costs and running an ev will be £700/year cheaper in 25 years from now. By then we’ll be living in a dictatorship controlling prices as well as the rationing of food, energy and transport using smart meters.
March 21, 2025
Rejoiners talk as if the whole UK economy revolved around exporting goods to the EU, not just 7% of GDP.
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2024/12/14/no-to-another-eu-power-grab/#comment-1489058
Far more important than changes to our trading arrangements with the EU, and far more important than other changes associated with Brexit or the short term effects of the global financial crisis or the pandemic or the Ukraine war, or changes in the governing parties, is the change of government mission from improving our national economy to saving the planet from overheating.
To quote from the “Background” section of the Explanatory Notes to the 2008 Climate Change Act:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/27/notes/division/3
“It is widely accepted that urgent action is required to address the causes and consequences of climate change. The 2006 Stern Review set out the economic case for action on climate change, and concluded that the cost of inaction will be far higher than tackling climate change now.”
Here are the average annual percentage growth rates of UK GDP over time periods before and after 2008:
1948 – 1984 2.80
1984 – 1992 2.44
1992 – 2000 3.30
2000 – 2008 2.18
2008 – 2016 1.15
2016 – 2024 1.13
Average growth rate from 1948 to 2008 = 2.73% a year over 60 years
Average growth rate from 2008 to 2024 = 1.14% a year over 16 years
Reply Helpful if you did 1948-72. out of EEC
1972-92. in EEC pre single market
1992-2016 in single market
I did that for the referendum but have mislaid the numbers. each of the 3 phases brought slower growth.
March 21, 2025
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/timeseries/abmi/ukea
1948 – 1972 Average 3.32% a year for 24 years
1972 – 1992 Average 2.03% a year for 20 years
1992 – 2016 Average 2.20% a year for 24 years
Reply
Thanks
March 21, 2025
Brexit was never a problem for our trade in goods or services. Both had grown at a good rate since the referendum and when we finally left. Except we have not because of the timidity of the previous Conservative Government and the determination of this Labour PM and his Remainer Government to get us back in!
Having spent 42 years in the Car Industry, I can confirm an earlier comment that car production in the UK is at risk. With energy costs so high, the new N.I. rates and the general contempt for business in this government,
some car manufacturers are seriously considering their future in the UK. When they are gone, they will be almost impossible to bring back. Net Zero and excessive taxation are killing the benefits of running a business in the UK.
Electric Mini production has already been relocated to China.
March 21, 2025
@Keith from Leeds – electric mini’s now from China, BMW Group has paused a £600m investment into a Mini car assembly plant in the UK. Taking it abroad instead, at least they allowed the UK Taxpayer to keep the £60 million that Government was quick to ‘give them’
UK money, from car purchases, will now leave the UK and head to China and the EU. So joining the never ending stream of the UK’s industrial base being exported by Government. Then for the follow up money from the purchases of imports of goods we used to make ourselves also getting sent abroad by Government decree. A double whammy of stupidity.
March 21, 2025
I don’t want a Mini the size of a Range Rover even if it had a proper engine. Let’s China lose the money on them.
March 21, 2025
From the MsM
“Europe is gripped by a defence crisis. And Brussels wants to talk about fish”
Send us your assets, send us your cash and we (the EU) will dictate and order. TTK says which knee should I go down on? How much money and our industrial capability do you want?
Then no one questioned why TTK, His Government and Parliament have still retained the EU Courts as masters of our own courts and legislators.
We are held back, stopped from prospering in the World because we have a Parliament that sees fighting the people and the country as their one and only job – they are still fighting democracy.
March 21, 2025
From Guido…
“Starmer’s Big EU Reset Collapses as Brussels Bans British Defence Companies In Row Over Fish”
“A distraught Labour source told the newspapers: “Europe needs Britain’s defence industry a bit more than the French need a few extra fish. It is astonishing how puerile the French are behaving. They have not grasped the enormity of the moment.” Welcome to the real world…”
As proven time and time again anything EU is a protectionist racket, and they play that card well. Starmer on the other hand is so anti UK who will soon give away the whole shebang, just to be able to sit at the back of the room in awe of his masters in the EU. A star stuck buffoon that refuses to work for the UK
March 21, 2025
The closure of Heathrow Airport and the ensuing chaos as a result of an electricity substation fire demonstrates the resulting national insecurity if the CCC, the Civil Service, Ofgem, Mission Control and NESO get their way and manage to electrify the whole country by 2050. A major outage either through hacking or a physical attack and nothing will work. In addition, evs are mobile toxic self-sustaining bombs and would never have been allowed on our roads if it were not for Net Zero. A major accident on a ferry or in a tunnel is waiting to happen
March 21, 2025
The point of a National Grid, is that power can be diverted, re-routed to where it is most needed from the sources that have it. A full back in all situations
Try telling those whose fights have had to be abandoned today.
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero the man in charge, the manager of our energy supplies, who does he blame?
A Survation poll for LabourList puts Ed Miliband on +68% support from the party members, Kier Starmer +13.83%, Racheal Reeves on -9.8%. We should all be afraid now
March 21, 2025
I see current Conservative leader Kemi has announced that Net Zero by 2050 is impossible and former leader Mrs May has announced it is not impossible. Why would anyone vote for a party which can cover such a range of views on the issue ? Vote for one leader and the next leader might believe the exact opposite. At least the Labour and Reform positions are consistent and supported by their members.
March 21, 2025
Nobody care what the lease ‘believes’, they have to prove empirically that there is an alternative to our current and working systems.
March 21, 2025
Off topic, I view this as a hostile act:
https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-urges-britain-to-strike-eu-customs-union-deal/
“Germany urges Britain to rejoin EU customs union”
“Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce on Thursday morning, ambassador Miguel Berger pointed to Turkey’s long-standing customs union with the EU as a potential model.”
But a model that no friend would recommend to us:
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2025/01/26/going-for-growth-5/#comment-1495869
March 21, 2025
“The bulk of our economic activity is home output for UK people” – spot on so why is Parliament intent on punishing those that cause our economy before addressing the real problems,
March 21, 2025
A new report from Policy Exchange:
https://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/less-than-meets-the-eye/
“Less than Meets the Eye”
“The Real Impact of Brexit on UK Trade”
“This new report by Policy Exchange sets out how the models of the impact of Brexit on UK exports used by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) are greatly exaggerated – and that the real impact is only a small fraction of what has been assumed.”
March 21, 2025
Another record set.
More than 5,000 migrants have come to Britain after crossing the English Channel in small boats so far this year, the latest figures reveal.
Data, released on Friday, shows 341 people made the perilous journey from France in six boats on Thursday, bringing the provisional total for the year so far to 5,025.
This is the earliest point in the year that crossings have reached the 5,000 mark since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018.
March 21, 2025
Ed Miliband has said he is “very confident” the Government will create “hundreds of thousands” of jobs with its green plans, but did not put a figure on how close it is to Labour’s manifesto target of 650,000.
The Energy Secretary said net zero represents “the growth opportunity of the 21st century”, and that the sector grew at a faster rate than the economy as a whole last year.
It comes as Mr Miliband announced the first major project for the publicly-owned Great British Energy.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday morning, he was asked about 650,000 new jobs pledged in the manifesto. He told the programme: “We’re confident we’re going to provide hundreds of thousands of jobs as a result of our drive to net zero.
“This is the growth opportunity of the 21st century. Turn your back on net zero and you turn your back on business investment, good jobs, innovation for the future, and Britain leading in the key industrial areas of the future.”
March 21, 2025
a growth opportunity ? what about the millions laid off from net-zero killing our few industries left?
March 21, 2025
“Unprecedented international investment and global interest in Madrid” says the conservative leader .
How? — Low taxation and removing barriers to enterprise.
DT 17 March .
March 22, 2025
Sensible and practical economics for growth are not on the agenda for today’s politicians. Their decisions are based entirely on dogmatic political beliefs.
March 22, 2025
´Based entirely on dogmatic political beliefs’ … like ´cutting taxes always bringing growth’ or ´growth being the alpha and omega of all things politic’?