Hong Kong Kowloon firm to buy 500 coaches from Wrightbus

Hong Kong Kowloon firm to buy 500 coaches from Wrightbus
By Margaret Canning PUBLISHED 30/06/2016

Ballymena's Wrightbus is celebrating after securing a multi-million pound order for 500 buses. The company, which employs 2,000 people in Co Antrim, will be supplying the vehicles to the Kowloon Motor Bus Company in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories area. There are already 500 Wright buses on the regions' roads following earlier deals.

Company chairman and co-founder William Wright revealed news of the latest multimillion-pound contract win in an exclusive interview with the Belfast Telegraph. Mr Wright, who created the company with his father Robert in 1946, said: "Hong Kong can easily buy buses from China, but they come to us (when they want) quality." While he declined to reveal the total value of the deal, he admitted that it came to "quite a bit of money".

Mr Wright said he was happy with the order and also happy with the outcome of the EU referendum. The business boss, one of the few industry leaders in Northern Ireland to publicly back a Brexit, condemned the banks' and stock markets' "hysterical" reaction to the result. "When it comes down to it, the European Union has just been about a trade deal - although some of the countries have been trying to make it another America of federal states," he insisted. Mr Wright also claimed that EU laws on cigarette packaging had directly resulted in the closure of tobacco giant JTI Gallaher's factory in Ballymena. The plant is to shut completely next year, although lay-offs have already started.

Tyre maker Michelin is also to close its local plant in 2018, with the loss of 860 jobs. "What bugs me is that 1,000 people in Ballymena have lost their jobs in tobacco manufacturing at JTI because the EU has stated you can no longer buy 10-packs of cigarettes," the Wrightbus chairman said. "That's supposedly to stop young people smoking, but I've checked out prices. A pack of 10 would have cost £3.69 and 20 would cost £6.89. I don't think anything would stop a young person who wants to smoke from paying an extra £3."

Returning to the implications of a Brexit, he maintained he was confident that the UK would be able to negotiate strong trade deals with the remaining EU member states. "German car manufacturers send 20% of their output to the UK, and others, like Renault and Peugeot are in the same situation," Mr Wright said. "Those countries will want a decent trade deal as much as the UK (will want one). It's not sensible for them to want to punish the UK."

The leading businessman also told how worries over immigration had influenced his pro-Brexit stance. "I do think immigration should be held at a reasonable level," he said, adding that he was concerned that many immigrants arrived without essential skills. However, he revealed that his company employed a number of Romanians and said: "We don't discriminate - all we look for are skilled people."

Dismissing fears that local firms would suffer in the wake of the EU results, Mr Wright insisted: "We've learned ourselves to take these things and find a way around them." He also said he was looking forward to meeting London Mayor Sadiq Khan - the successor to Leave campaigner Boris Johnson, who also bought 1,000 buses from his firm.

"I think I will have a lot in common with him," he added. "Wrightbus started with the two of us in a tin shed, so I know all about austerity - and Sadiq's parents came over from Pakistan. His father was a bus driver. They had a tough time, but they made it." The Wrightbus chairman told how his company did limited business in Europe and had sold only eight buses - to a Dutch customer - there in recent years.

He said most European bus companies were State-owned "and don't want to take chances and try anything new", but added: "We have salespeople looking at Europe regularly." Rather than focusing on the continent, the company makes many of its sales in Great Britain and the Republic, also exporting vehicles to China, Hong Kong, Singapore and India. Wrights Group is Ballymena's biggest employer and with all the closures will soon be its last significant manufacturer.

In its latest results, the company almost more than doubled pre-tax profits to £11.6m on turnover of £297m.

The fall of EUmpires some post Brexit thoughts

The most enduring and immutable lesson of history is that eventually every empire built by man falls. This was true of the The Aztecs the Roman empire the Spanish and Portugese the French the USSR and the British empire and now the EU with all its pretentions to becoming one it is likewise falling apart also.e demise of the EU is as inevitabkle as it is irrevocable.

All the artificially created financial ponsi schemes propping it up are conspiring along with the myriad of other crises it is now seething under to hasten its fall. Spain after Sundays inconclusive elections is still not able to elect an effective government. The French government facing a huge popular revolt is ripe for collapse also. The Italians are bouyed by a UK brexit also ready to quit at the drop of a hat. Britains brexit vote has simply put the spotlight on all these ptressures and as time progresses this will inevitably increase.

The fall in our currency suddenly makes our manufactured and farming goods more attractive on a world market even to the EU. The Germans industrialists are already pressurising Merkel not to do anything in a fit of pique that would jeapordise their car sales etc as we could quickly get a taste for Korean Japeneses and if Mr Trump wins US made cars as alternatives.

The unfolding situation in the Labour party where a Blarite buracracy which he imposed on the party obliterated any dissent from central party policy on the EU and everything else in a weird pretence it didnt exsist is now mirroring the antidemocratic EU system on which it was based. Two pro EU factions are fighting and tearing each other apart for ultimate control of a party which has totally lost touch with its core voters. Their utter condescending contempt for their former core support base is so breathtaking it defies description all due to the Blairist purges of the very people who made brexit a reality. The only ones who stuck with those people and should be rewarded for it with high office are Kate Hoey and Gisela Stuart ironically herself a German.

The venality and cheap opportunism displayed by the Lib Dems is also breath taking. They now claim voting for them they will call another referendum to rejoin the EU. This the party of tuition fees plus a party with just 7% of the vote at the last election. That means they were rejected by 93% of voters.

Also the total arrogance of the Boris Johnston Vote Leavers. The people voted for brexit not Boris Johnston or Michael Gove. The people who swung it wouldnt vote for either even under torcher. They therefore have no right whatever to dictate who will negotiate brexit. The voting figures for who the people supporting brexit and who they actually support at elections dictate that has to be now fully and fairly reflected in who does the negotiating.

TODAY IS OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY

The fight was a truly epic and bruising one and the peoples voice has prevailed. We now stand on the brink of a whole new future as a proud independent nation.

As even Mr Cameron admitted shortly before caliing this vote we live in a great country and the British people will do magnificently in or out of the EU.

Whatever this future brings let us all unite to make that reality. To ALL the people who voted thanks indeed to all who voted remain we now have 94% of the rest of the planet to go out there and as a single country with out own interests fully at heart to make those trading deals as we have done for thousands of years that means we all benefit and prosper.

Noone who voted for brexit did so with anthing less in mind nor we believe did anyone who voted remain. Its our duty now together to make it so on this the UKs INDEPENDENCE DAY.
Heartfelt and emotional Thanks and eternal gratitude to one and all.

This day should now become an annual national celebration as the UKs independence day

 UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL

LEXIT The Left Wing movie on quitting the EU

The Left Wing case to leave the EU

US shootings since Florida massacre - 158 killed & 374 wounded

If I was to say that following on from the Florida massacre at the Pulse nightclub another club had been attacked and 158 killed with 374 wounded the media frenzy would be poring over the details for weeks. 

While the incidend I describe is fictional sadly the figures for the dead and wounded are hard cold fact. In the week following Omar Mateens massacre of 55 people in the Pulse nightclub up to the Sunday 19th of June there have according to the Gun Violence Archive, a charity tracking America’s gun violence occoured, shootings of 158 killed and 374 wounded by gun crimes.

Thankfully such a dire situation is not one we experience in this country where gun killings

because such weapon holding is the exception are a comparitive rarity. In the light of recent tragic events we will have to redouble our efforts to make it even harder for those who resort to vilolence to get hold of these weapons in the first place.

Gun Violence Archive 

Economist who once advised European Commission switches allegiance from Remain to Leave

A LEADING economist who was a senior advisor to the European Commission, has switched from the Remain camp to Leave over his fears of the economic consequences of staying in the EU.
Leading remain economist changes sides to support brexit
By DAVID MADDOX, EXCLUSIVE
04:16, Thu, Jun 16, 2016 | UPDATED: 08:10, Thu, Jun 16, 2016

Professor Brian Sturgess, the Managing Editor of World Economics has also expressed his “disgust” over the Project Fear campaign waged by Downing Street and the Remain campaign to persuade voters not to back Leave. In a damning analysis, Professor Sturgess has warned that his monthly analysis of currencies has highlighted that the eurozone is on the point of collapse.

 the strains within the single currency area as “crippling” and points out that while the euro is undervalued in Germany by eight per cent it is overvalued in France by an enormous 13 per cent. This means Germany has a massive cash surplus while France cannot pay its debts.

He said: “There is no doubt that the eurozone will break up and it will be better for Britain if it is not part of the EU when that happens because we will end up having to pay to support other members when it happens.”

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He said he changed from Remain to Leave about a month ago partly out of shock over the tactics used by the Treasury and Downing Street. He said: “I switched to Leave around a month ago, I was always eurosceptic but I was disgusted at by the hysteria coming from Remain.

David Cameron has been accused of scaremongering

“The dangers have been completely over exaggerated. For example the worst that could happen to manufacturing is a three per cent tariff, that’s not going to make companies like Nissan move [from the UK], it isn’t going to make a difference.” He added: “I think it’s shocking for a Prime Minister and Chancellor to talk down their country and that has in itself had an effect on the economy.”

Sturgess: "I think it’s shocking for a Prime Minister and Chancellor to talk down their country" He also said that scaremongering over the pound falling with a Brexit was wrong. He pointed out that the pound is currently five per cent overvalued on the money markets which “means it will have to come down anyway whatever the [referendum] result.”

David Cameron and the Remain campaign have been nicknamed 'Project Fear.'  I don’t buy the argument that we will be punished for leaving at all. Professor Brian Sturgess He added: “I don’t buy the argument that we will be punished for leaving at all.”

He pointed out that Remain’s argument over the single market covering 508 million people ignored the fact that 62 million of those people are citizens of the UK, the world’s fifth biggest economy.

He went on: “Also if we stay in there is no chance of reforming the EU. If we leave it will force the other countries to look again and make changes.

Aboriginies ethnically cleansed to facilitate Chinese mining firm in TTIP like deal

Australia Services Union poster

In Australia, after ChAFTA  (China-Australia Free Trade Agreement a TTIP style deal) government fiscal policy is now being dictated by the necessity to serve these ruinous trade agreements. After ChAFTA, the Abbott Liberal Government there forced the West Australian administration to evict thousands of Aboriginal families from their ancestral home lands, which had been granted to them by treaty. They forcibly took them away in trucks and bulldozed their houses.

This was done so that their land could be used for mining exploration by Chinese interests - ChAFTA deal is mainly concerned with bauxite, iron ore and coal exports to China, a continual supply of which is necessary to support their voracious industrial expansion. Of course, there was vehement protest against this but it was barely reported around the world.

A Chinese company called Landbridge (a shopfront of the Chinese Foreign Ministry) also leased the port of Darwin for 99 years under ChAFTA, so they can now fully control shipping in and out of it for the next century.

Forced evictions to facilitate Chinese mining companies

There was widespread public protests, but any attempt by the Australian Government to block the move could've been construed as "restraint of trade" as this deal like the secret TTIP one for the EU - USA includes an equally contraversial Investor State Dispute Settlement mechanism that leads to imposition of huge fines for interfering with Landbridges ability to make a profit. These are the sorts of corollaries you can expect from these toxic trade deals.

The Australian Liberals have just signed a rival TPP; (Trans Pacific Partnership) with the US Obama administration  and other Pacific rim nations. Because of these deals Australia is now largely owned and operated by big business, especially the giant mining corporations which dominate the economy. It was their proposed introduction of a mining tax which brought down the Rudd Labour Government. Don't allow the UK to go down a similar path.

VOTE LEAVE TAKE BACK CONTROL