The pound like most currencies is free floating. Do you suggest we go back to the "glory days" of thr ERM so it can be fixed?

Neigh, neigh and thrice neigh*!






* old lasagne joke

No, we suggest we go back to the days where it didn't look like we were going to damage our economy by leaving the EU.

Economies that are in the EU are being damaged worse than any damage caused by leaving it. There is a reason for it end the only economic block in the world that's in decline.

But it's not in decline. All you are doing is showing why referenda are a bad idea.

Yes it is. Even our own government published a paper saying its share of world trade will halve by 2025.

That doesn't mean it's in decline, the EU's GDP is growing over three times as a fast as the UKs alone.

Really? Source? It's growing at 6%? For an area who's economic performance has been flat since 2006 that would be a divine miracle.

Sorry, that was the annual growth rate, but it's still growing.

What is the annual growth rate of the EU at 3 x ours? 6%? And no, it's share of world trade is in decline.

No, I said I was mistaken, I was looking at the annual growth rate of the EU.

But I don't see why you're telling me that developing countries are developing, don't see how that's a criticism of the EU.

Yes, but the annual growth rate of the EU is not three times ours. And I am not telling you developing countries are developing. Other blocks with first world countries are growing their share of world trade. The EU isn't. It's declining.

I know, I said I was mistaken, I'd taken the annual growth rate of the EU and compared it with the UK's quarterly growth rate.

But the "other blocks" with first world countries also contain developing countries, that's why those "other blocks" are growing their share of world trade, the developing countries are developing. That the EU doesn't contain any developing countries isn't a criticism of the EU in my book.

That's a cop out. But you can't cope when anyone gives you bad news regarding your beloved EU.

Developing countries are developing is not a cop out. It's what they do. The EU is still growing.

No it isn't.

Indeed it is:

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/euro...al-growth-rate

No, its share of world trade is declining. And look at the graph. Flat for 10 years.

But developing countries are developing doesn't mean the EU isn't growing - it's simply not a criticism of the EU, that it doesn't contain developing countries, and it's certainly not a reason to leave.

The EU's growth certainly hasn't been flat, it's been positive since 2013 and "GDP Annual Growth Rate in European Union averaged 1.70 percent from 1996 until 2016":

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/euro...al-growth-rate

To be honest engineer, you might make a few good posts (few and far between) but your not helping yourself by making a t#t of yourself by posting so many, most of them shot down as soon as you put them up.

It has been flat over 10 years. If you subtract the minus figures on the graph from the plus figures growth has been appalling. And as I said, despite your constant deflection away from your beloved EU it's not just developing countries that are growing faster than the EU.

Edit, your quote above is cheating. You've included 20 years figures. What's the annual growth average over 10 years.

Going "lalalalalala I'm not listening" in the face of continual adverse facts is not getting "shot down" I'm afraid.

Maybe, but that's mathematically illiterate.

Maybe not, but the EU is growing:

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/euro...al-growth-rate

Dunno, that quote was what it said at the top of the graph. I couldn't see a quote for the last ten years so refrained from making one up,

As the EU's clearly been growing for at least the last three years the point is somewhat moot anyway.

You just err click on the 10 year button on the graph. It's not brain surgery.

I'm so looking forward to the Christmas Day thread by the OP