#Brexiteer: Sir Jim Ratcliffe, UK's richest person, moves to tax-free Monaco

[WalkinDude]

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, UK's richest person, moves to tax-free Monaco

"His decision to quit Britain came soon after he was knighted by the Queen for “services to business and investment”, and the UK voted to leave the European Union."

"
Ratcliffe, the founder and chief executive of petrochemicals company Ineos, was an ardent supporter of the vote leave campaign, declaring that the UK would thrive without red tape from Brussels.

After the referendum, he urged the government to adopt a tough approach to negotiations with the EU, saying: “We must listen, we must be unwaveringly polite and retain our charm. But there is no room for weakness or crumpling at 3am when the going gets tough and most points are won or lost.”

"It has been estimated that the move will save him £4bn in tax payments."

 

[cloud]

... and?

 

[Nigel]

perhaps he likes Monaco

 

[websaway]

No. That (tax evasion) has never been a patriotic thing to do.

These so-called keen proponents of Brexit only ever had 1 (or both) of the 2 following reasons;

1. Greed. They stood to personally benefit from a financial stand point.
2. Immigration. People who didn't stand to make financial gain were convinced that being out of the EU was a magic spell to prevent illegal migrants being "handed everything on a plate for free" (which never happened anyway).

Those that claim otherwise never seem to be able to provide an answer as to what is categorically broken with being IN the EU and how, by leaving the EU, it will be fixed.

We joined the common market and nearly ended up in a federal Europe. Sovereignty was the objective, now whether that's right or wrong is a matter of opinion, the majority of voters did not agree with your view and I'm afraid that's democracy .

 

[websaway]

How very patriotic.

why should he be any more patriotic than you ?

 

[cloud]

being out of the EU was a magic spell to prevent illegal migrants

Bring on 1st Jan.

and https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...nts-based-immigration-system-policy-statement

 

[cloud]

As usual, what you say makes no sense. I never said I was patriotic.

I also wouldn't say I was patriotic. I despise what has happened to this country, and how antagonistic and divisive the government and it's electorate has become.

Don't worry about it because it hasn't, it's all in your mind or online (12% of peeps are on Twatter). Most people don't give a monkeys!

 

[cloud]

Prove it.

I walk out of my front door in the morning and no one gives a shit. Just the odd lefty that wants to fight things they can't change.

 

[cloud]

No one gives a shit when you walk out of your front door? Awww... so sad.

A lefty with a sense of humour? Glad to hear that.

Another complex conversation reduced to "everybody's a racist, bigot, hateful" unless they have your exact outlook, experiences and point of view. Twatter has a vast abundance of that going on if you want more...

 

[WalkinDude]

I'm interested in EU/Brexit exploitation hence the post. A growing number of people, often powerful, who promoted Brexit whilst demonstrating no obvious loyalty to the UK.

So anyone interested in this more narrow point feel free.

• Examples are the PM being anti-Brexit then later for it.
• Proponents of Brexit who have then post Brexit emigrated.
• Dual or even Tri nationals who are proponents of Brexit.
• Folks for Brexit but against paying Taxes [avoidance, not evasion[

Another argument I don't get is the idea that if you are against Bexit you are against the 'will of the people' yet when UK was member of the EU the argument was never widely promoted that if you are against the EU, you should still have supported it because at that time it was the majority 'will of the people'.

Isn't it a basic tenent of civilized society - very similar principle to no taxes without representation - that regardless of whether you are for or against something it remains that what you go out of your way to influence you must take responsibility for?

 

[cloud]

It seems that some have taken to dwelling on Brexit so much that they're descending into insanity. It seems rather unwise to dwell on Brexit so much. Why not concentrate on good things that you can do in the world instead of trying to prove that you were (or are) more right about brexit than other people because of X reasons?

You could argue all day long about who's right and wrong and for which reasons but there's not really an audience for sanctimony or calling everyone racist.

I don't buy the whole UK billionaires fled UK = no patriotism. Billionaires are a law unto themselves. Leaving the EU is divisive, not leaving is divisive. Suck it up.

 

[WalkinDude]

I think the idea of Brexit as a political war between the classes, Left and Right-leaning has been and gone. Current and future interests concern future economic viability, the general standard of living etc which are unifying concerns along with other obvious pressures.

The Chairman of Next has just announced the High Street is no longer viable, a Major Investment Bank has just shifted .2 Trillion of the books over to Germany, and one of Central London's biggest Landlords claims to have only received 41% of rent due over the last few months with 20% of available units unoccupied.

If the richest man in the country packs his bags 5 mins after Brexit I don't think there's any harm in normal folks taking an interest. I don't claim to be any great sage but I presume he has access to better forecasts than I do.

It's his right to leave, no suggestion anything illegal about it whatsoever, it's what it says I'm more interested in. Most people expect to soldier on but even that has to realistically possible?

 

[cloud]

I think the idea of Brexit as a political war between the classes, Left and Right-leaning has been and gone. Current and future interests concern future economic viability, the general standard of living etc which are unifying concerns along with other obvious pressures.

The Chairman of Next has just announced the High Street is no longer viable, a Major Investment Bank has just shifted .2 Trillion of the books over to Germany, and one of Central London's biggest Landlords claims to have only received 41% of rent due over the last few months with 20% of available units unoccupied.

If the richest man in the country packs his bags 5 mins after Brexit I don't think there's any harm in normal folks taking an interest. I don't claim to be any great sage but I presume he has access to better forecasts than I do.

It's his right to leave, no suggestion anything illegal about it whatsoever, it's what it says I'm more interested in. Most people expect to soldier on but even that has to realistically possible?

So you don't think that there could be other factors at play other than Brexit at the current time?

 

[websaway]

As usual, what you say makes no sense. I never said I was patriotic.

I also wouldn't say I was patriotic. I despise what has happened to this country, and how antagonistic and divisive the government and it's electorate has become.

I see what you are saying and maybe I don't make sense to you, why that is, is a matter for you of course. But what I would point out is that as far as the history books go back we have always been a divided country. In recent history we have had the Thatcher years fighting the unions which was at times a civil war, we have had the millions march during the Blair administration against the Iraq war. You delude yourself because of your personal passion to remain a part of the European Union. You really need to get over it,anything you say or do will not change minds that are made up. it's not healthy to hurt over something you have no control over. My greatest fear in recent years was that we would have an extreme left wing socialist in No 10 from last year. I would however have just had to get on with life until the next general election and let the elected government govern, that is our democracy.

 

[WalkinDude]

Brexit plus Pandemic is gonna impact more than a couple of Election Cycles. No comparison with Iraq (uk impact), or Miners strike. Orders of magnitude different in terms of cost and duration.

Brexit is more comparable to joining the EU which last many decades and COVID is economically and in terms of loss of life more comparable to being at actual war. Debt levels are rising at a rate you'd expect during major armed conflict and entire swathes of normal life grinding to a halt. Thatcher plus Blair combined wouldn't compare to this.

 

[WalkinDude]

So you don't think that there could be other factors at play other than Brexit at the current time?

This feels different. The issue of are you for or against Brexit has come and gone. The issue of is Brexit going to be economically beneficial is universally accepted as a no, for at least the next decade or so.

There is nothing wrong with Brexiteers who think in the far longer span it will turn out to be a benefit on all fronts if that's their genuine belief or reasoning. I personally don't think that can be disproved so who knows.


We all look at different signals so whether you were for or against Brexit, or for or against Lockdown the actual reasons for your view will be different to someone else's. Just seems there's a lot of powerful voices who called for Brexit but who aren't economically loyal to this county and it would be nice to know why?

 

[websaway]

Brexit plus Pandemic is gonna impact more than a couple of Election Cycles. No comparison with Iraq (uk impact), or Miners strike. Orders of magnitude different in terms of cost and duration.

Brexit is more comparable to joining the EU which last many decades and COVID is economically and in terms of loss of life more comparable to being at actual war. Debt levels are rising at a rate you'd expect during major armed conflict and entire swathes of normal life grinding to a halt. Thatcher plus Blair combined wouldn't compare to this.

I'm not going to guess your age but you don't sound like you were an active adult in the late 70's and 80's, Older people have seen serious recessions and I mean serious. The one coming will not be as bad as some post war recessions no matter how much you scaremonger. Although the EU have threatened to impose economic hurt to us same as the soviet union would have threatened military hurt to defectors, we are up to the challenge and will come out alive and kicking.

 

[WalkinDude]

I used to read a lot as a kid, I know about 17% interest rates, mass unemployment, decaying infrastructure. Don't claim to know exactly what it felt like but would say this looks worse but maybe not in quite the same specific areas. It's neither specifically COVID, or Brexit but the combo of the two and as I've alluded to perhaps other factors at play.

I don't have a position as there's no point as has been stated the trains already left the station. I just want to know as much as I can.

I don't believe I'm trying to scaremonger as I don't believe I'm in the company of kids.