Statistics can be fascinating. Our lives are governed by numbers however much we would like to escape the fact. Yes, passion and ethics have their part to play too. It’s a complex mix where we often make big decisions that might not be all that rational. Preferences are personal. That said, good choices maybe be shared with many other people as well as the reasons for those choices.
The Economist has just published figures on who likes tea and who likes coffee. This sounds trivial but the global businesses in this sector are huge.
I’m on a personal journey over drinking preferences at this moment. Having just returned from a decade in Germany to the UK, I’m going from a predominantly coffee culture to a tea culture. Not that the national drinking culture in each Country is static or simple or easily explained.
Across the wider Europe the tea drinkers tend to be; UK, Ireland, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Poland Turkey, Ukraine and Russia. Others Countries prefer to drink more coffee than they do tea. According to Euromonitor International, the research company that did this work, the UK drinks 3 times as much tea as coffee. Americans, on the other hand, are the other way around with 3 times more coffee than tea.
My instinct and experiences tell me that these numbers are on the move. The continuing invasion of coffee shops is changing the habits of people in the UK. The love of quality and speciality teas in Germany is having an impact there too. A real tea-coffee convergence is underway in Europe. Slowly but surely our historic drinking preferences are shifting and coming together.
Does this have any relevance to the up and coming UK referendum of EU membership? I’d say it does on a couple of levels. One is that our preferences are free to change and the single market makes that change easier. It gives UK consumers easy access to more choices of drinks and more variety at a reasonable price. On another level, UK tea exports by well know companies are popular on mainland Europe. UK brands have the opportunity to sell more because of the single market.
I’m not sure tea or coffee can be used to strengthen cross-border security or tackle climate change but I’ll bet in every one of the European meetings where those subjects are discussed one or other will be on the table.
Tag: EU
Plan for success
Do you try to manage or do you prefer to the laissez faire approach? I guess that’s one of the questions at the heart of the EU referendum debate. It’s clear that the European economy is at the centre of the referendum campaign. On both sides of the argument: REMAIN or LEAVE.
The detailed pros and cons of Britain’s EU membership can be debated until the cows come home but it doesn’t seem to move people’s voting intentions. Everyone agrees that the “pound in your pocket” is a big motivator but that’s set against lots of contradictory arguments. All but understating the fact that most economic big guns have come out firmly in support of REMAIN.
Let’s go back to the start; do you manage, that is plan, implement, check and make changes to meet your goals or do you kick-off your heals, throw caution to the wind and just see what turns up? That latter laissez faire approach would seem to be the one most favoured by the LEAVE camp.
Let’s be frank, I don’t think that will work at all. It certainly won’t work for the vast majority of people who are finding life financially hard going. What irritates me about much of the LEAVE campaign is the casual manner of saying that no matter what happens it will be “all right on the night”. That’s not reassuring if you’ve major bills to pay and a large mortgage.
I think, Britain needs to continue to take a managed approach. One of the most significant factors to consider is the governance of the EU and relations between euro and non-euro members. Outside the EU, Britain is more vulnerable than it is inside. Inside the EU, Britain can manage the relationship it has with the member states that use the euro. Outside the EU, there is the danger that economic conflict will emerge. Inside the EU, Britain can use its political power to ensure that there’s a level playing field.
It’s likely people’s voting intentions are moved by the balance between economic security and insecurity. My case is that we need to keep our seat at the table in the EU. Britain needs to REMAIN in the EU.
Fear Bro
What’s in the Fear Brothers shop? Its full name is Johnson, Gove, Fox and – I can’t remember the name of the others. That’s enough to put the frighteners on anyone. The shop has a heavy smell of mildew and moss. It hasn’t been given a lick of paint in years. Copies of the Mail and Express soak up the damp. Great picture framed windows have now been white washed so that only a dim light gets to the shop floor. Faded signs remind one of days long gone by.
You can still make out the names of the departments although the signs are getting shabby. One section is called “Worries” – it’s got stacks of tee shirts on immigration and you can still buy “red tape” socks and blue yarn. Another section is called “Dreamers” – full to the roof with glossy posters of the 1950s. Lots of pre-digital age memorabilia everywhere and not a mobile phone in sight. Down the hallway there’s a section called – “Grumbles” this is innovative since you can complain about anything at all and get to blame it on Europe. The walls are plastered with scribbled notes that range from; a complaint about an old kettle to a story about the size of bananas. In the basement there’s what remains of a privative caveman section. It got too dangerous to go down there but recently the owners have talked about opening it up again. Upstairs there’s a room people don’t normal go in. It’s called the “H” word room or Mr Johnson’s room. There’s only the remains of 1930s photographs pinned to the walls and a few sketches with odd looking symbols.
It’s not an attractive place but its surprising how many people still go there in the day light hours. Not a place to stray after dark. Around the end of June, a demolition crew are booked to come and knock down this old store. It’s about had its day.
Shameless
Normally I don’t do hyperbole. I don’t like adjectives all that much. I think it’s better to say something in plain English. Too much flash and gloss is great if you are a second-hand car salesman but that doesn’t work for someone who trained as I did. Today, I will make an exception. It’s because there are parts of what has been reported in the news that strike as personal criticism.
Ex-Mayor of London Boris Johnson has compared the European Union’s aims to that of Hitler. Unifying Europe under a single “authority” is portrayed as dangerous and evil.
When earnestly campaigning for a cause there are many cards that can be played. Some have high values others you don’t want to see in a life-time of Sundays. In this case, I think monstrous mad ego man Johnson just wants to get our attention but by playing the “Hitler” card but he’s gone too far. It’s an abomination. It’s deeply offensive. The EU has prevented despotism and works for human rights which is a million billion miles from Hitler’s aims.
Essentially the LEAVE campaign are insulting people. People like me who worked for an EU Agency. In my time, we did work that was vital to keeping European citizens safe, making it easy and more environmentally sustainable to travel.
Now, Johnson is implying we worked for an evil empire hell bent on world domination. I can almost hear the Star Wars theme in the background. Befuddled, bonkers, buffoon Boris knows he has lost all other arguments so he’s hit the press with this utterly shameless nonsense. He has learned nothing from the recent London mayoral election or the mistakes of Ken Livingstone. The leader of the LEAVE campaign likes to play the comic jester but he shouldn’t be trusted for one single second.
The referendum is on 23 June, when voters in the UK will be asked if they want the country to REMAIN in the EU. The patriotic, sane and rational vote is to REMAIN.
Public conversation
Chancing my arm writing on this subject. I’ll narrow it down to the suburban British Character. I’ll leave the country set to another time. There’s about 25 million of us packed into the South East of England and lots more scattered across this fair island.
It used to be possible to draw a picture of a British policeman or woman and compare that picture with an American or a Continental European equivalent and the differences were immediately obvious. Not anymore but with one visible exception – a gun. The idea that the police were just citizens in uniform is different from viewing them as an arm of the State employed to enforce the law. Some of this British picture is mythology but that still matters because it impacts public behaviour. Undeniably there is a convergence going on where in years to come it will be impossible to tell police officers apart. Perhaps this is inevitable given that the threats we face are likely to be common ones.
Moving on. There are a lot of images locked in our collective memories, usually based on black and white movies that stereotype the British character or should I say characters? Now, I will get into trouble. Except for the gifted few, there’s reason to say that the British are not good at the art of conversation. It’s true the British weather in its infinite variety always gives us a place to start. Moaning about the trains, busses and planes provides a good kicking off point too. However, these paths are so well trodden than no blade of grass can grow. Our humour is full of stereotypes verbally tripping over themselves to the amusement of others. Pedants will pick you up on grammatical errors with a smug smile knowing how much irritation they cause. Freely expressed opinions can be trumpeted without any consideration for the consequences.
I recently came across a Punch cartoon by Pont. It’s beautifully concise. A middle aged man, presumably a neighbour, is leaning on a garden wall with his arms folded look straight at you and saying: “I suppose you know you’re doing that all wrong.”
That one small drawing from the 1940s communicates a whole doctorate of study on the British character. I can see elements of this in the way the debate is going in the run-up to the referendum on UK membership of the EU. It’s coming more from the Leave camp than the Remain camp but it’s there nevertheless. Maybe in our public conversations we need to find a better way to persuade people rather than saying to them bluntly: “I suppose you know you’re completely wrong.”
Simple Unity
Fundamentals remain the same. Arguments rage, careers rise and fall and it’s easy to get lost in the tidal wave of media. There’s noise everywhere trying to obscure the essential facts. The basic question is a simple one. Regardless of the flurry of questions that get asked there will only be one on the voting paper on 23 June 2016 – remain in or leave the European Union. All the huge complexity of Europe then boils down to heads or tails, on or off, in or out. Most critically, that basic question is only going to get asked once in a typical lifetime. The long-term consequences for Britain, right or wrong are massive. It’s a trip without a return ticket.
I think long-term. It’s the EU in a world where China, India and South America are powerful. Keep that in mind. It’s a more interconnected world where goods and services move ever faster. It’s a world where disasters natural and human caused will need commitment, coordination and resources used for the best interests of everyone.
My position is that Europe, working together can meet the challenges coming our way. There’s a strength in diversity and unity. These two are complementary but there is real effort required to succeed. Britain has what it needs to take the lead in the EU. A vote to remain is a confident vote. It’s a vote with a plan. It’s the choice that makes sense for future generations.
On another subject, perhaps its time to look for positive spin-offs from this UK referendum. For the moment, let’s assume that Britain remains in the EU. There are a couple of good outcomes that will help address problems highlighted during the debates on the big question.
For a start, after the vote there will be many more British people acquainted with how the EU works. Consequently, that should encourage more engagement with elected representatives and officials. This is not just for the general public but there’s a clear need for Councillor, MPs, MSPs and MEPs to talk to each other more often. To bring down barriers and work constructively together more often.
Additionally, the EU reports already published for the sake of accountability, openness and transparency should get a greater readership as interest in knowing what goes on, how and why grows. In time, greater feedback from the public will help improve the information provided.
Rule of law
I see those in Britain who want to leave the European Union say they want to; restore the Country’s power over its laws. They expect a dramatic improvement in accountability if we leave. Then there’s a claim about how many of Britain’s laws are influenced by the EU. In my mind these are a weak set of arguments wrapped in naked nationalism. Here’s some reasons why I think that these slogans are extremely misleading and out of touch with reality.
The EU is based on Treaties. I guarantee that if we left the EU, Britain would continue to sign Treaties. Every Treaty creates rights and responsibilities. These are worthless unless they are enforceable in law. Britain would exchange one set of Treaties for another set and spend decades doing so for little or no gain. In fact, being in a poor negotiating position post Brexit would mean less control over the Country’s destiny.
It’s not a restraint from the EU that stops us changing to ensure a “dramatic improvement in accountability” rather it’s our backward way of Westminster governance. Reform is long overdue. Every time reform is proposed national vested interests come out of the woodwork to block it. After the referendum I hope all the energy campaigners are now exerting is directed at changing our voting system, our excessive use of patronage and empowering the English regions.
Of course Britain’s laws are influenced by the EU. The EU is not separate from Britain. We are part of the EU. We are sitting at the table making and amending those European laws. Those regulations and directives are of great advantage to Britain. They ensure that a British citizen can work, play or retire in 28 States. They ensure that goods and services can be traded without barriers. They increase our power in negotiations with the world’s major economies.
These reasons are reason enough for me to say that REMAIN is the best option. Let’s remember, the spectre of naked nationalism stalked Europe in the 1930s. Following that path always leads to disaster – its guaranteed.
Britain in the EU is a powerful combination. There’s peace and stability in unity. Let’s keep to that road.
Travelling
Late evening, on my flight back to Stanstead, I was thinking this is how it should be; Irish registered Boeing aircraft, dispatched by a German, based at a UK airport with a Spanish and Italian crew working to European standards. Contrast this flight with the days when going from London to Cologne cost around £500 with a traditional flag carrier, if you could get a seat. Flying in Europe has gone from the preserve of an elite in the 1970s to an everyday experience available to everyone. I’d say the average age of the passengers on my flight was not much more than 30. Despite this reality there are those who have the numskull audacity to say that; “Europe has never done anything”. The blinkers that need to be worn to come to that point of view are thick, dark and dank. To top all this, these liberalising achievements were not done by accident but by the UK being one of the leading advocates for change in Europe. Thus making the depressing; “they never listen to us” mantra as big a lie as you will likely hear during the run up to the referendum on EU membership.
One of the most boring parts of travelling is standing and waiting. Yes, the different approaches to queuing will never be harmonised. There I was at a minimalist departure gate fishing for something of interest to hold my eye. Amongst the things I did see was a tiny EU flag and a sticker in both German and English. It was about Passenger Rights. There it is, yet another sign that Europe is at work improving the everyday experience available to everyone.
Surprisingly passport control at the Stanstead end of the journey was relatively simple. Not too many people around in the late evening. The electronic passport machine worked. I was quickly ahead of the crowd at getting to the bus station. National Express is the first sign that comes into sight. I wasn’t travelling with them but where had I seem their logo earlier in the day? It was on the German railways. National Express is an operator of trains in Cologne. Again, I was thinking this is how it should be in a working single market.
Frightening isn’t it. All of this good progress will be jeopardised in the event of Brexit. People would be crazy if they allow a noisy group of Europhobes to bully them into throwing away all the benefits of EU membership.
Constant Change
Europe is always changing. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989. The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. A Treaty on monetary union eventually became the “euro” and not the “ecu” as the French wanted. The European Union enlarged from 12 to 28 Member States much as the British wanted. 2008’s severe financial crisis and its challenges are still being worked on. Without a doubt, the winds of change are constantly blowing through our continent. In fact, they never let up for one moment.
Often quoted and misquoted is the response of British PM Harold Macmillan to a journalist’s question. The question being: “what is most likely to blow governments off course” to which the response was: “events, dear boy, events”. This is so true, not just of Britain but the whole of Europe.
The notion put around by those favouring BREXIT is that there’s a preassigned destination namely; a federal Europe. There’s a disposition that some people have that loves conspiracy theories. There’s a vivid imagination at work over coup’s or plots, designed to hurt Britain that are being fixed up in darkened rooms. There’s a sour mood that sees all good as having come from a romantic bygone era that there may never have been. Spending just a short time reading BREXIT content on social media quickly brings about this conclusion in my mind.
The reality is different. Europe and the European Union are a work-in-progress. Britain is one of the leading Member States when it comes to setting the direction for the future. However, as per the quotation of Macmillan more time is spent reacting to events than it is planning the future. I think European, including British citizens want a competent and dynamic European Union that has the capacity to deal with major events that cross national boundaries. Yes, it should plan too.
There’s a long list of live subjects like climate change, energy security, migration and international travel for which there must be an agreed regional approach if we wish to succeed. In today’s world the European Union represents the most advanced regional arrangements between States anywhere on the globe. Whilst Britain is considering if it should leave or remain, others would rather see us exert our knowledge, power and influence to shape the EU to assure future peace and stability. Remaining in the EU means we have a plan to deal with the winds of change.
Europe sets standards
Oh brother! “You don’t need a trade deal to trade”. “Just look at all the goods in the UK shops that say: Made in China”. This simple nonsense is coming from the LEAVE campaign. Its’ deception. What seems harmless enough isn’t. There are several reasons why this proposition is wrong.
To start, if you buy goods at any standard the seller offers then sooner or later you’re going to have problems. But if you don’t want say; lead paint on children’s toys then you have to insist on specific safety standards being met. The exporting Country accepts the deal and meets your standards. So, the – Made in China – goods we see in the shops in the UK have to meet European standards. The opposite is true. European exporters have to meet Chinese standards if they are to accept our exports. When a formal trade deal is finally done one aim is to harmonise standards as much as possible to make more future trade possible.
If we didn’t have common standards in the European Union, then even in the European market you could have 27 different arrangements for each Country. The combinations and permutations get complex, expensive to implement and keep track of as they change over time. The results are of little benefit except to those who profit from processing the piles of paperwork. Ask anyone who has worked as an export clerk before we joined the Common Market.
Next, if you have common standards that work well then inward investors line-up to make products in the UK so as to access a large European market. If those investors were only offered access to the domestic market, then they are more likely to go elsewhere.
Next, if you are sitting at the table and voting on the European standards to be used then its advantageous for you and your exporters. Standing back and letting others do that work leaves a Country in a vulnerable position. Modifications to standards can wipe out an industry overnight.
Next, in reality parts, components and supplies come from everywhere. So, even if you don’t care about anything other than the UK domestic market for your products then trade deals still make a difference. For example; you might be making an artisan cheese that sells to a few retailers in a small area but the machinery in the creamery comes from Europe.
On this subject the REMAIN campaign is about holding on to these advantages, maintaining influence and increasing prosperity.
John Vincent 