CHAPEL END CHARLIE

^ Standardised Remain Reply Tactic No 1 If reputable evidence emerges that is inconvient to the Bretix case then attack the source. It is of no importance if the attack is fair or even makes any sense.

Well you might be right I suppose. However, it would seem that the Govenor of the Bank of England for some reason does not fully share your 'everything will be all right' approach to the matter of currency stabilty in a post Bretix world. But what does he know eh?

Devaluation of the currency brings with it a range of both positive and negative effects - from making a nation's imports more expensive to increasing the competitiness of its exports. For ordinary people the biggest impact is that inflation will almost certainly increase over time. This would surely hit the poorest members of society the hardest as they are traditionally less able to cope with rising prices. We import 40% of our food. A devalued currency can result in “imported” inflation for countries (such as the UK) that are substantial importers. A sudden decline of 20% in the domestic currency - as HSBC predict post Brexit - may result in imported products costing 25% more since a 20% decline means a 25% increase to get back to the original starting point. Devaluation is a decline in a countries standard of living and is commonly seen as a reflection on poor national economic policy or outlook.

Yes I suppose I may have my Saints glasses on, but is Ryan Bertrand not a bit hard done by here? A better player than Rose methinks.

Albania are a hard working and surprisingly tidy looking side I think - if defensively suspect of course. Switzerland are a bit better perhaps, but nothing special.

I put it to you that if one (possibly rogue) poll can result in Sterling losing 1.57% of its value in a afternoon, then this is a sign of 'things to come' should we actualy vote to leave the EU. By the way, HSBC are predicting that Sterling may fall 20% on a pro Brexit vote. http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-brexit-hsbc-idUKKCN0VX0QJ But this is not just a matter of for currency exchanges of course, those reading this who have invested in stocks and shares might want to keep a very close eye on developments because this could become bloody before too long. This is not Project Fear - this is project 'Take Care of Yourself'.

As I'm writing this on Saturday afternoon how exactly you know what will happen to Sterling next Monday is something of a mystery! Are you 'Mystic Meg' in disguise?

Yes it does. Overall instabilty and a rapidly devaluing currency are seen as sure signs of a econmy's weakness rather than strength. Do you really want to see our nation become a weaker place?

Economics 101. If any currency becomes devalued then it follows that imports - including fruit and veg - will become more expensive then won't they? So please expand on why you feel that markets "won't be effected" by Bretix because you don't appear to be making any sense.

For your information, the pound fell 1.57% on Friday - just because of one polling result. The kind of hammering our currency, and economy, may be in for in two weeks time (should you get your way) really should be quite enough to worry everyone reading this I would have thought.

I'm thinking that "concentrates on the electorates' worries" is a rather novel piece of code for shamelessly playing on the most basic of all Human fears and latent predudices. Further, it was not me who first described the disgraceful tactics employed by the likes of Nigel Farage (and his assorted hangers-on) as "squalid" but rather former Conservative Prime Minister John Major who someone on here seems to have voted for. You remember John Major don't you - the Tory who once described three of his more treacherous eurosceptic cabinet members as "bastards"?

If you come on here and post some obscure link indicating that Europe is about to roll over and have its tummy tickled should we vote to leave the EU, then you are bound to invite a more realistic reply. It is not a case of "punishment", but rather a real world assessment by a leading German politician of what might well happen to our trading economy in the future. Dreams of the most amicable 'divorce' in all history are just that - dreams.

I find it quite remarkable that one person on here is still employing the 'Project Fear' line as some kind of critism of those he disagrees with, without any apparent comprehension that the Brexit case he so enthusiastically supports is almost entirly founded on the fear of immigration. Not for the first time the utter lack of self-awareness here is staggering. I saw a clip of Farage on TV this morning blaming immigrants for just about every problem that our society faces - from the cost of mortgages to waits to see your GP. He has also predicted that mass rape awaits our women if we fail to vote his way. If that is not a cynical attempt to play on the fears and prejudices of ordinary people then I don't know what is - indeed I never thought that I would see political debate in this nation sink quite this far into the gutter. The Brexit campaign has been described as a "squalid" one - that seems a accurate enough descriptIon I think. .

Well sometimes I think the influence of the German government in EU28 decision making process can be somewhat overstated - Europe afterall is a big place. But there again the German Chancellor and Finance Minister are not exactly powerless figuars in the 'corridors of power' either are they? If Wolfgang Schäuble tells you that our trading future with the EU is imperiled then he is probably worth listening to.

Wishful thinking aside, if people seek to understand what leading opinion in Germany REALLY thinks about the subject of a possible Brexit then why not take the trouble to read what their Finance Minister - Wolfgang Schäuble - has to say on the subject: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-referendum-brexit-would-see-uk-excluded-from-single-market-german-finance-minister-warns-a7074341.html I see that great play has been made about the importance of some overheated discussion programme on ITV and which side is percieved to have 'won' it. This is fine, but perhaps some on here might want to reflect on the fact that the BARB organisation reports that only 3 million people were viewing (more people were watching DIY SOS on the BBC) and methinks that most of those are the type who have already made up their minds anyway. So much ado about nothing then? I can't be the only person on here to find all these complaints about the unfairness of the government deciding to extend the deadline for voter registration entertaining because - if the situation were reversed - and 'Vote Leave' considered that their supporters made up the majority of these late comers then they would be the first to complain about how scandalous it is that people were being denied a opportunity to vote! This type of rank hypocrisy both amuses and annoys in equal measure. It seems to me that anyone who even pretends to care about the democratic process really should welcome the fact that more of their fellow citizens are deing offered a chance to have their say - however negligent they were in not registering earlier.

Top Gear. I'm wondering what other people make of this new series with its virtualy unchanged format, but entirly new team of presenters? Despite the big build-up I though that the first episode was a bit of a let down, messing around in old Reliant 3 wheelers has been done before (and better) by Clarkson afterall. But the second instalment showed a marked improvement I think. Chris Evan's genuine love of fast cars shined through, indeed he became remarkably emotional about those wonderful McLarens, and the South African piece worked well enough. More of Sabine Schmitz please - a TV star in the making. I'm not the least embassed to admit that I loved the old series with a passon and that almost unique sense of real 'mateship' we saw develop over time between Clarkson, May and Hammond is very hard to replicate I think. You don't just turn that type of thing on and off like a tap. But Matt LeBlanc is funny and effortlessly cool with it in a way the old team never were and (with a little hindsight) Chris Evans is perhaps the ONLY person who could fill Clarkson's huge shoes - because love him or loathe him JC is surely the greatest motoring journalist of his generation. Your stereotypical tough act to follow. So I reckon the BBC have done all right and that while new Top Gear is still very much a work-in-progress - less celebrity chat please - with a bit of luck the series will survive the upheaval and drive off into the future. I hope so anyway.

Let's face it, the economic case to stay in the EU (and its vast Single Market) is quite overwhelming and in reality was established some weeks ago. So all that remains now is a short wait to find out what matters most to the British people - their economic welfare or their dislike of immigration.

Yes that is indeed one of the standard 'Leave' campaign tactics. When nearly all economists warn of the dangers here, they will invarably point out that 7 or 8 members of the so-called 'Economists for Brexit' group who disagree. Much the same response is offered in reply to the broad consenus of UK business opinion on this subject. When this type of argument doesn't really work they tend to resort to their secondary default posistion by making accusations of corruption or bias etc rather than attempting to address the issue meaningfully.

Anybody still interested in the economic impact of our EU departure might want to read this considered analysis of all those controversial HM Treasury, OECD and LSE forecasts warning of the negative impact on our economy. In short, these reports are based on a conservative set of assumptions and may well UNDERESTIMATE just how bad things may become for all of us post Brexit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/06/08/uk-economy-would-be-seriously-weakened-by-brexit/ And before SWF's version of 'Colonel Blimp' cherps in with the inevitable attempt to play the man rather than the ball, or perhaps imply that the scource is somehow biased yet again, I will point out to him that the Daily Telegraph is hardly a EU funded 'Remain' campaign mouthpiece - far from it - and that Nicolas Stern is a distinguished economist of unimpeachable reputation and experience.

Ted Mk I is now serving as a central tunnel support on the Jublilee Line extension.

You feel that a concern for the truth is naive?

You are quite right - I've seldom seen a player who was better with the ball at his feet. However, methinks that he cannot be (as yet anyway) classified as truely 'top class' because so often that superb control is not translated into goals. £30m is a lot of money to turn down for this player given his limitations.

Dr Sarah Wollaston MP - Chairman of the Common's Health Select Committee - has decided to adandon the 'Vote Leave' campaign because she can no longer stomach their (oh so prominent) claim that the EU costs us '£350m a week' - money that we can otherwise spend on the NHS quiters say - when clearly that is untrue: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/09/dr-sarah-wollaston-defects-vote-leave-remain-campaign Apparently she asked herself how could she possibly climb aboard a 'battle bus' that was plastered with such a huge lie? Obviously mysterfied by this unprecedented display of honesty 'Vote Leave' are depicting her decision as "bizarre". I think that if only more of our politicians (from both sides) would show a similar level of respect for the truth and their own integrity then we might have had a better quality debate.

You think that the PM you voted for in the last general election lost that debate against that little twerp Farage? Quelle surprise!

I don't agree. If, for example, I was to claim that you added little of any real value or interest on here then that might be classed as 'fair comment' and therefore quite in order. Not that I would say such a thing of course.