... in 1955, Britain took 65.3 percent of New Zealand's exports, and only during the following decades did this dominant position begin to decline when the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union) in 1973, with the share of exports going to Britain having fallen to only 6.2 percent in 2000...

Martin A
Not sure what the point about New Zealand is, apart from the world has changed considerably since 1955. Despite what many people in the UK think we and New Zealand are never going back to the situation that existed in 1955

SandyS, no of course not. But I thought that that snippet indicated that the EEC/EU had resulted in significant changes in trading patterns and one can expect corresponding changes post Brexit.

I voted 'remain' (essentially on a coin toss as it seemed six of one half a dozen of tother to me. But now I'm finding that I vew Brexit more and more positively. Possibly as a result of EM's postings - on the basis that whatever EM posts, the contrary is most likely correct.

Martin A & SandyS

Climate Science maths and Remainer maths both share some confusion about up and down. This is why some figures and graphs are turned so the upsides are down, and downsides are up, and expert peer reviewers don't notice the errors.

When you get involved with taking away negative numbers, and balancing equations, the maths reaches levels Unprecedented since 'O' Level maths was dumbed down. Or was it dumbed up?

Martin A New Zealand foreign trade etc

I have no specific knowledge about New Zealand, but in terms of trade and shipping etc , I just offer the following..

Sending a half empty ship halfway round the world and back, is not as efficient as sending a full one, and coming back with a full one.

It is much easier for shipping companies to have regular routes of A to B and back to A and repeat. Regular trading routes allow for greater reliability for suppliers and customers, and bigger ships.

Shipping of refrigerated and frozen goods started between the wars. Post WW2, it changed food production, and it became practical, for example, to market New Zealand Lamb in the UK as though it was a premium product.

The standardisation of shipping containers changed world trading methods and technology. A modern shipping container can have its own chiller units. Fires from diesel gensets and batteries for chilled containers do account for a few fires on ships at sea, fires on trucks, and fires on trucks in tunnels.

golf charlie
I spent the last five years of my working life employed by a logistics company, the one with yellow and red wagons with three letters. The spent a lot of effort making sure as few trailers as possible moved empty. The most difficult to fill were return trips from Scotland, as Scottish firms used local companies who could find loads to bring back more easily than we could in the reverse direction.

Martin A
My vote on Brexit was Remain. I still am planning for the worst and hoping for the best. Humans have a remarkable talent for recovering from setbacks or change so I am sure that given time Brexit will make little difference to the majority. I am planning that I may be in the minority. Basically seeing what sort of deal is made for immigrants in both the EU and UK.

Perhaps we should hot for a cold wet summer and autumn, that will keep young people off the streets and reduce the chances of heat and alcohol causing a mior local issue becoming something more serious.

EM says "The World Trade Organisation rules specify that, in the absence of any other trade agreement, a country receiving imports charges the importer a 10% import tariff."

As usual, he is talking through his hat and can be safely ignored.

From the WTO site

"Developed countries’ tariff cuts were for the most part phased in over five years from 1 January 1995. The result is a 40% cut in their tariffs on industrial products, from an average of 6.3% to 3.8%"

A further quote from the WTO site, to refute the rubbish spouted so earnestly by EM:

"These agreements are often called the WTO’s trade rules, and the WTO is often described as “rules-based”, a system based on rules. But it’s important to remember that the rules are actually agreements that governments negotiated."

Meanwhile, from the BBC, apparently the Bank of England Governor is coming under pressure about gloomy forecasts about BREXIT:

"The Bank of England governor has said it is "important" that he and Chancellor George Osborne are allowed to have private meetings.

However, Mark Carney has agreed minutes of their private talks on Brexit may be examined "discreetly" by MPs.

It was his first time giving evidence to MPs since the vote.

He denied again that the Bank of England had tried to "frighten" the public about the negative effect a Brexit vote could have on the economy.

Supporters of Leave - including two former Conservative Chancellors - accused him last month of "peddling phoney forecasts".

But Mr Carney said: "It is our responsibility to give these assessments... we have an obligation to make these assessments."

Will our new PM be seeking a more reliable Bank of England Governor, as his forecasts and predictions seem as Unreliable as those of Climate Scientists. One of those former Chancellors was Nigel Lawson. His views on Climate Science have been ignored by financial experts aswell.

Apart from austerity busting payrises, what have climate scientists and their groupies got right?

I think that with every day that Corbyn uses his rights to claim support of the Momentum activists to Remain as Labour Leader, a successful BREXIT is looking more likely.

Perhaps Len McCluskey had this all worked out from the start, to smash Labour, and the Socialist tendencies of the EU, so that a proper Red Flag may fly over the UK and EU, and subvert modern Russia to restore it to good old fashioned Stalinist principles.

After the Falkirk Scandal 2013 about Union vote rigging,, involving Len McCluskey and Karie Murphy, the Guardian reports from March 2015 about the Halifax by-election that :
"Karie Murphy, a friend of the Unite union leader Len McCluskey, was widely expected to contest the key marginal, where Labour has just a 2,000 majority. Her failure to make the shortlist risks a rift between Labour and Unite, its biggest backer."

It may never happen.

There are now two legal challenges to the Brexit process.

Mishcon de reya argue that Article 50 cannot be invoked without Parliamentary approval.

The other is from a private citizen , arguing on similar grounds.

EM, so is Team Corbyn/McCluskey/ Momentum right to use the Law to ensure Corbyn's right not to have to seek approval to be on the Leadership Nomination?

Are Mishcons fees being paid by private interests?

golfCharlie. I suggest Labour used its Party Apparatus (not the Law) to rectify what were poorly drafted regulations. Having done so, they have self-inflicted wounds from which they may never recover. Meanwhile the Tories have shoehorned a Remainer into top position as fast as they could decently do, who many in the country will heartily disapprove. Will the Tories recover from this? Probably faster than Labour will.

Dung
Whether you are right or wrong once the lawyers get involved these things can drag on for years. Chilcott is only the end of the beginning for one legal/illegal argument. Whether this actually delays to final break, like all things Brexit no-one knows

Testing

EM. Yes you sometimes are.

Martin A, supertroll

BH is not accepting comments from me at present if they contain links or HTML.

EM, this is your chance to demonstrate or illustrate a point in your own words.

Golf Charlie

Perhaps later, when I get home.