Guided Missile

Tea-sipping, pansy-ass...

...and you think I'm a weirdo. Mate, you are as out of touch as the career politicians in the US and here. Patronising doesn't begin to describe your view of the average US voter.

Have no idea what you mean by this? This literally makes no sense so have no answer for you. Yes they have. Did you somehow miss yesterday's press conference? Trump literally said live on TV to the entire world that he believed Putin over his own security services. He has been extremely open, going on record multiple times that he believes being friends with Russia is in the interests of the USA. Again, I can't believe you see anything to the contrary of this, it is completely indisputable and on video (multiple times) so have no idea why you are saying this? Of course they should. That is a bonkers view to take, being a close partner allows us to be able to speak our minds if we believe they are wrong. wether that be about Vietnam, Iraq or puling from the Paris climate agreement I could repeat this for Kahn and Corbyn, but maybe it's too bonkers for you. You couldn't be more wrong. Firstly dismissing protestors in the stereotype you have provided shows your ignorance and lack of intelligence. That or you are deliberately lying to suit an agenda. Now she (Merkel) leads a coalition and has to be pragmatic. Isn't that brilliant? Of course he made no promises to us. Why add that? That makes zero sense?

Last time UK Liberals tried to influence US politics, this was the hilarious outcome:

Just my observations: A large number of protesters does not equate to a strong argument. Trump/the US have not started to hang around with Russia. Obama tried to bin us off, when he said get to the back of the queue if we voted Brexit. Our politicians should not protest against the office of the President of the US (Sturgeon/Salmond have discovered what a mistake that was and Khan/Corbyn will, if they ever get elected to any meaningful office ) Not one of those that voted for Trump in the US, gives a flying f*** about what some muesli eating, middle class socialists, protesting in the UK, while the nanny looks after little Jemima and Tarquin, think of their man. Merkel has been "hanging around" with Putin and his type, ever since she was in charge of communist agitprop at University in East Germany. Trump has done what he promised to his voters and was democratically elected by the US voters . He made no promises to the UK or the EU.

Guys, get some f***ing perspective. I can remember Putin's state visit to the UK and it attracted less controversy and protest. A few years later he was invading Crimea and poisoning bin dippers in Salisbury...

Happily, Ford Otosan was able to maintain their dividend payments, "during the heavy capex period" of 2012-2015, as follows: [TABLE=width: 500] [TR] [TD]Year[/TD] [TD]2012[/TD] [TD]2013[/TD] [TD]2014[/TD] [TD]2015[/TD] [TD]2016[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Dividend (US$ mn, gross)[/TD] [TD]325[/TD] [TD]166[/TD] [TD]79[/TD] [TD]146[/TD] [TD]226[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] With Ford US owning 41%, by my reckoning, Ford US earned just over $386 million in dividends over this period, gross. Let's take away the 15% tax they would have paid on that figure, without any other deductions, which comes to around $58 million and they are left with a net figure of $328 million. With prime borrowing rates of 4.5% in the US at the time Ford Otosan took out their $100 million loan in 2015, their interest savings over borrowing the money in the US were $27 million (@ 4.5% x 6 years). (who would bother to pay the capital off early?) minus $5.22 million (@ 0.87% over 6 years) making $21.78 million. Corporation tax in the UK is 20%, so Ford saved 5% over taking a dividends, rather than profits in the UK. Summing it all up, I reckon the EU Turkish deal to Ford US was worth about $19 million in tax savings and around $9 million in interest savings on the capital invested. So, EU tax payers wrote a cheque for around $28 million, payable to a US car manufacturer, to invest in a non-EU country, at the expense of Southampton jobs. Of course, I could be wrong and the Ford may have signed the deal to reduce CO2 emissions, not for $28 million in tax free cash. As I posted earlier:

Ford Otosan: €190 million loan agreement signed with EIB in 2012 8-year loan with 2-years grace period €100 million in Q3 at 2.06% €90 million in Q4 at 1.47% €100 million loan agreement signed with EIB in December 2015 The loan was utilized in the first quarter of 2016 6-year loan at 0.87% 31 % of their vans are exported to the UK, 18% to Germany, 8% to France, 6% to Spain, 7% to Italy and 3% to Belgium. €290 million to reduce CO2 emissions.... Jesus, was Osborne barking mad when he approved these loans? Slap a 25% tariff on vans from Turkey when we get out of the EU, on the basis of illegal state aid.

I'm afraid you're back on ignore for being a total muppet, pal. CO2 emissions...

Well done to Sadiq Khan. It appears that spending your time whipping up protests against the visit of the President of the United States, rather than tackling violent crime in London is bearing fruit:

Or, you take the time to read the EU Commissions answer to Daniel Hannan on this specific topic. I'll highlight the parts that may help. What part of...objective..., EIB Loan to..., Ford..., Pre-accession Country..., Turkey..., you guys don't understand is beyond me. Still, let's all rely on Twitter for the answer, shall we, although anything Ford say regarding cheap EIB loans, should be rejected, out of hand. They're hardly likely to say we moved to Turkey and closed Swaythling because the EU bribed us to. Luckily, after we have left the EU, all UK companies have to do, is for the UK government to ask to be let back into the EU and wait for cheap loans from the EIB. House a few thousand migrants on the financially challenged IoW, with rubber boats bound for France at the ready and the EU will probably give us a few billion to keep them there. Enough money to keep the caulkheads happy and they will get their cars cleaned for cheap, into the bargain.

For those ex-Ford workers in any doubt, here's what the EIB is: ...and its mission is: Turkey has been making out like a bandit outside cheap of EIB loans, as well. €3 billion to keep migrants out of Schengen, for a start. The Russian Federation did quite well out to the bank in 2013: That all stopped the following year when Russia invaded Crimea Still, it hasn't stopping that well-known opportunistic ex-communist Merkel jumping into bed with Putin over Nord Stream 2. Trump has her number. Pity May hasn't....

Your dedication to trolling me has completely overwhelmed any capability for you to engage in rational debate. I knew Turkey was in the customs union. I'll walk you through the argument. Please try and read my post again, this time without posting an insult at the end of each sentence. As there were no tariffs in either the UK or Turkey, at the time Ford decided to invest in Turkey, they weren't a factor for Ford pulling out of Eastleigh, nor are a significant factor for the other global car manufacturers, even in the case of Turkey, if they are imposed, the next time they violate human rights. What are significant factors are cheap money, grants, tax breaks, etc. when the investment is made. You obviously think the level of tariffs is a significant factor. Then rather than insulting me, pal, why don't you explain your reasoning? If you promise to behave, I'll keep you off ignore. Any repeat of your past behaviour will mean you're straight back to the naughty corner. You have been warned. Verbal stays there because he's a total nutter and is beyond help. You obviously have self respect issues you are trying to overcome by demonstrating a deluded sense of intellectual superiority on a forum, by denigrating others. I may be able to help you, if you are willing to learn. One final question for you to ponder. What was the incentive for the EIB to provide a US van manufacturer cheap money, to expand a plant in Turkey? I'm sure the Ford workers who lost their jobs in Southampton would love to understand...

Further proof for the gullible fools on this thread, about exactly how the EIB is used to bribe or punish foreign governments, here. Accession funding, also known as bribes... Think of the cheap loans the UK could get if we had a hard Brexit and then talked about rejoining the EU. We wouldn't even have to worry too much about our human rights record.

So... Turkey is being considered for EU membership Ford granted a cheap loan to expand Turkish plant from the EIB Eastleigh Transit Plant closed Production moved to Turkey, which benefits from lower overheads (i.e. cheap capital costs via low interest loans) Not that complex, was it, unless you want to muddy the waters to hide the truth...?

My point is that the incentive for global car manufacturers to either invest in the UK, the EU or countries outside the EU has very little to do with Brexit and everything to do with the demands of their shareholders. The UK government has little influence over where businesses invest apart from tax and other financial incentives. I doubt tariffs are a significant factor, otherwise Ford would not have invested in Turkey.

This development and that surrounding it, together with the Harbour Hotel at Ocean Village, have transformed Southampton, IMHO and are reasons to visit the city. A walk from West Quay, along the old walls to the Jetty restaurant, via the pubs along the way, is a great way to spend a day and offers as much as anything in London.

What I find hilarious is the fact that the media have been crying about the possibility of JLR reducing their investment in the UK, post Brexit, when 4 years before the referendum, the EU lent Ford £150m to move the transit factory from Eastleigh to Turkey, with the loss of 4,000 jobs. Turkey? Isn't that outside the EU? No wonder we voted to get out...

We have more Polish inhabitants than any other city outside London. Most recent figures show that there are now 25,000 Poles living in the city. With a population of around 240,000, that means more than one in ten is Polish.

Shirley is a sh !thole, as is Millbrook, Thornhill, Woolston and Sholing. As Britain, unlike Portugal, is a net contributor to the EU, the citizens of Shirley, Millbrook, Thornhill, Woolston and Sholing haven't seen the benefits of the EU, in terms of money and investment, unlike much of southern Europe. It is mainly for this reason that they and people like them across the country, voted to exit the EU, much to the surprise of the out of touch London political elite. They also expected that, having provided an answer to the question asked at the referendum, the political elite, would be able to work out a mechanism to get them the f*** out of the EU, with the minimum of damage. Apparently they were wrong. Now the political elite in London and the EU are treating them like idiots. They are making a BIG mistake.

Woosh....

Personally, I think private sector tax payers are the only citizens that should be allowed to chose the government that spends their money, or gives it away...

EU Freeloaders: I think NATO have got the message, here:

F*** me, it's Jean Claude Juncker's love child. Can I take this opportunity to thank the EU for letting an idiot like me have a vote?

Yeah, right. How about best out of three?