Brexit

Under the original policy, shoppers from overseas were eligible to claim VAT refunds unless they were EU residents. Post-Brexit, the government judged it would have to be expanded to EU visitors. But tax-free shopping was scrapped in 2020. A Treasury analysis in 2022 suggested that the policy’s reinstatement would cost £2bn in 2025/26. Yet direct costs only tell half the story. Firstly, the average VAT refund would not be the same for EU and non-EU visitors. Global Blue, the Swiss payments company, has previously estimated the average refund for EU visitors in comparable markets can be up to 63 per cent lower.  Fresh analysis must also take account of behavioural effects — the extent to which lower trip costs might encourage more visitors and spending. In 2022, the average tourist would have saved 4.2 per cent on their total spending in the UK had the scheme existed, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research. It suggests that this could spur a 5.4 per cent increase in overseas tourist numbers. Applied to 2022 numbers, that would mean an additional 1.7mn visitors.

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This is really a weird documentary. It is matter-of-fact, not really mocking but still... you watch it and are always close to laughing or crying. The whole thing is just too stupid.

But then... Norway and Switzerland are doing something very similiar. They have voted for "We want all rights and obligations of the EU but no voting rights."

You really can not make up how stupid populism is. And how much more stupid its voters are.

The Guardian can reveal Transport for London (TfL) has been accused by five EU countries of illegally obtaining the names and addresses of their citizens in order to issue the fines, with more than 320,000 penalties, some totalling thousands of euros, sent out since 2021...

Since Brexit, the UK has been banned from automatic access to personal details of EU residents. Transport authorities in Belgium, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands have confirmed to the Guardian that driver data cannot be shared with the UK for enforcement of London's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez), and claim registered keeper details were obtained illegally by agents acting for TfL's contractor Euro Parking Collection. In France, more than 100 drivers have launched a lawsuit claiming their details were obtained fraudulently, while Dutch lorry drivers are taking legal action against TfL over £6.5m of fines they claim were issued unlawfully.

According to the Belgian MP Michael Freilich, who has investigated the issue on behalf of his constituents, TfL is treating European drivers as a "cash cow" by using data obtained illegitimately to issue unjustifiable fines.

Freilich describes the situation as "possibly one of the largest privacy and data breaches in EU history," according to the article.

Some drivers have even received penalties of up to five-figure sums — for compliant vehicles which had simply not yet been registered. And "some low-emission cars have been misclassed as heavy goods diesel vehicles and fined under the separate low-emission zone scheme, which incurs penalties of up to £2,000 a day."

Abstract credit: https://slashdot.org/story/424244

Im so glad we left the EU so we could negotiate trade deals. We’re so good at negotiating!

🤡🤡🤡

Thanks brexit

Businesses busted by Brexit ballsup - https://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/an-autumn-statement-of-britains.html 😬
#brexit @brexit @ChrisGrey

Experts warn UK’s regulations now lag behind those of the EU and that Britons will be exposed to more toxic chemicals as a result

Industry urges government to extend ‘cheese letters’ before post-Brexit terms expire on December 31

Industry urges government to extend ‘cheese letters’ before post-Brexit terms expire on December 31