Brexit discussion thread XIV (Please read OP before posting)

My primary point of reference is the Patricks St. store which at 50k sq feet is a decent size for Marks. The other is Douglas, while a lot smaller is also grocery/drapery. It’s be a shame to lose them, not only for the jobs lost, but it’s be another vacancy on already diminished Main Street. They were fantastic employers too, my sister worked there part time while I was in Dunnes. To say there was a difference in benefits (even to part timers like ourselves) would be an understatement, it was night and day.

Convolved is right in a way, they’re a terrible bellwether for Irish stores, but they do highlight an awful lot of the issues surrounding Brexit to an inwardly focused British outfit. To centralise distribution in Scotland three or four years back is just a head scratcher. But then again Marks do seem to have a talent for less than stellar executive appointments.

I always wondered why they didn’t source more here but i never thought that they looked at the market here as just an extension of the wider UK one. Makes more sense now

They're not wrong.

What's the problem?

There's dealers switched to importing used European cars from Japan as it's cheaper than from Britain.

On 3rd Sept 1967 Sweden switched from RHD to LHD, it more accurately, from driving on the left side of roads to driving on the right. It took much planning, expense initially, and preparation but it was achieved. It made sense as at the time Sweden was alone among its neighbours as driving on the left.

For different reasons, post Brexit, perhaps we should at least evaluate the possibility of changing. It would mean our cars would be sourced from the larger market for LHD models of the EU, and perhaps be cheaper ( Govt willing) and have better specifications.

Main spanner in the works would be having a border with N.I. which would then be different.

The cost of switching would be staggering, astronomical. The simplest back of a napkin calculation would tell you it’s a complete non runner. Maybe pre motorway network you might have had a chance.

Exactly. You'd need to change the entire road network nearly all at the same time.

Also manage the swap from LHD to RHD cars.

Also manage the transition between RoI and NI.

Also roll out training to drivers who are unfamiliar with driving RHD cars and trucks.

Are insurers still loading the insurance on Japanese imports?

Seems the British petrol supply situation has rapidly become dire as a result of panic buying. Apparently, by late tonight around half of UK forecourts had already run out of petrol and there are fears the real number is much higher than this - talk of Johnson having to call the Army in.

Thats all a bit irrelevant. The market disparity is narrowing as we accelerate the phasing in of EVs, which negates emissions standards as a sticking point and as we speak the Worlds top 60 car brands are actually only 12 different companies, so the sharing of tech and the 'world car' approach by the makers will unify the regulations anyway.

Could we shift to LHD to save market specific costs? Yes we could but.....

With the rapid advancement of autonomy and the increase in wired rather than mechanical car controls, will we need to? No.

Same in the US.

Half the shops seem to have "Help Wanted" signs in the windows. Some are offering decent signing bonuses too.

We have no way of 'onshoring' cheaper EU gas. There's no LNG port in Ireland and I expect no LNG storage either.

The government's plan is to have a study, which means, well, nothing. The government should be moving forward on an LNG port, if for nothing else emergency use should the country move forward on renewables as a replacement for LNG.

Really the UK could put us in a difficult position should the pipeline to Scotland be shut down.