Re:Scotland to seek second independence referendum
by zigzigzag on Monday March 13, 2017 @11:56AM
(#13858906)
The UK isn't "threatening to expel financial services from London". That is some quite astonishing reality reversal.
The EU is threatening to legally force people to move to Europe from the UK if they want to continue selling services there. Neither the UK nor the financial services industry wants that, for obvious reasons. If it happens, it'll be the EU doing it, not a British government.
Re:Scotland to seek second independence referendum
by pjc50 on Monday March 13, 2017 @12:17PM
(#13859134)
.. but the British government is the one triggering Brexit. It's a one-player game of chicken. The UK government has had plenty of options to say they want to try to retain financial passporting.
"Starting a chain of events which will likely lead to financial services having to move out of London", then.
That argument played a lot better before the Brexit vote. The choice is now between "definitely out of Europe, possibly on bad terms" versus "hopefully rejoining Europe, possibly with interim deal".
Personally I expect Spain to accept an independent Scotland as leverage against Brexit Britain - note that this way Spain would retain the right to fish in Scottish waters. But all of these are "forward-looking statements".
Also the BBC asked a Spanish EPP representative directly if they would veto and he said no: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-3923...
> UK faring economically well since Brexit
If a Labour government had lost 20% of the value of the £ along with threatening to expel financial services from London the news coverage would be rather different. I don't think it has all been priced in yet, because we don't know exactly how bad it's going to be.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/02/14/ftse-100-falt...
(Also, note that polls are from before campaigning starts! I'd expect campaigning to move the needle somewhat, otherwise what's the point?)