Perverse? - NOT amateur radio

On the day a vaccine for Covid-19 was approved for UK rollout, the value of the UK pound against the major currencies such as the euro, yen and US dollar has fallen! OK I appreciate a BREXIT deal has still to be done, but I was expecting the pound to have a good day.

Climbing pound? - NOT amateur radio

Since the coronavirus hit the world, everything feels different.

It almost feels surreal and that somehow life will never, ever, be quite the same again. Right now things seem dreadful. In time, things will get better, but it will take time and hard work.

Since the crisis started the UK Pound fell heavily against the Euro. In recent weeks it has regained much of those losses. Maybe the world sees the Euro under threat as the coronavirus debt has to be paid, probably by the richer north.   With the UK out of the EU, perhaps the UK will be master of its own destiny? At the moment it is still climbing.

The world has never been in this situation before and we are all searching for a way. The hope is in a vaccine (some way off) or drug treatments (possibly sooner).

UPDATE 0840z: Still climbing.

UK Pound up again - NOT amateur radio

The UK Pound is, yet again, up against major currencies such as the Euro, Yen and US Dollar. With a UK General Election next week, I am puzzled. With the outcome so uncertain I would have expected a fall, or at very least, things to be static. It is nearly back to the value last year.

I guess the markets are banking on a Conservative government with a working majority and a BREXIT deal being approved soon.  If there is a hung parliament or a Labour victory, we can expect big falls.

The UK pound against the euro

When I looked last night, the UK pound had suddenly appreciated further against the euro. At one point it was worth little more than 1.07 euros, whereas now (last night) it was over 1.13. Before the BREXIT referendum, it was far higher. Does this suggest a big rebound if we (finally) agree a deal?

With all the uncertainty over BREXIT some were expecting it to fall close to parity. I am puzzled.

Enough? - NOT amateur radio

The UK pound has been gaining against most major currencies this morning. This may be a blip as BREXIT uncertainties continue. However, maybe the world has said, "enough".

Sliding UK pound - NOT amateur radio

Perhaps it is not too surprising with a no-deal BREXIT possible with the Conservative right wing government led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the UK pound is sliding against major currencies.

In my view (others are free to disagree) we are being run by a bunch of total idiots. The sooner there is a General Election and a second referendum on leaving the EU the better.

Although I voted to remain in the EU in 2016, I can see a lot wrong with that institution. In my view, the EU needs reforming or it will fragment. The EU is doing itself no favours by carrying on as it does. This could turn even more people against the EU, which it can ill afford to do.

The UK has always (at least in my day) wanted free trade, but ultimate control of our laws and who lives and works here. Personally, I can see nothing wrong with that. No-one wants a hard border in Ireland, ever. We have never sought political union. Yes, we should come together for defence and good trade deals.

In my view, the EU needs to be more flexible. Sour grapes?

UK pound losing value - NOT amateur radio

Perhaps this is to be expected with all the uncertainty over BREXIT, but the UK pound is losing value against major currencies.

My view is Boris Johnson will be elected leader of the Conservative Party and UK Prime Minister. He will try to get better terms from the EU and fail. There will be a vote of no-confidence in the government, which will be lost. There will be a general election with a coalition between Labour and the Lib-Dems. Another referendum will be held and we will vote to stay in the EU. Of course I could be very wrong!

UK pound versus the euro - NOT amateur radio

We have already seen quite big falls in the value of the UK pound against several major currencies. With the continued uncertainty over the UK Prime Minister and BREXIT, things are likely to get worse. Personally, I can't see any quick fix on the horizon. What is more likely is the UK pound will continue to lose money.

We are ruled by a bunch of public school toffs who haven't a clue about life for the majority. Sadly we voted them in!

It is in their (financial) interest to show non-Conservatives in a bad light. Remember, most of the written media is owned/controlled by right wingers. We are manipulated more than we realise.

Currency oscillations - NOT amateur radio

At the moment the UK pound is up and down against major currencies. With BREXIT uncertainties and the likelihood of a new Prime Minister in the next month or so, this is hardly surprising. I guess the fact the UK pound has not tumbled dramatically is good news.

The UK must be the laughing stock of the world! How can we be so divided? I am struggling to see how rifts created in the last few years will be healed. Healed they must be.

Pound versus the Euro - NOT amateur radio

Well, I am baffled.

Today we awoke to the news that the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May faces a no-confidence vote and could be out of her job tonight. The BREXIT vote in the UK House of Commons has been delayed. Frantically, Theresa May is trying to get words added by the EU to the UK exit deal so it gets a majority in the House of Commons.

Now, if I was a betting man - I am not - I would have expected the UK pound to fall in value against the Euro. What has happened? The UK pound has gone up against the Euro! Good job I am not in charge.

Sterling - NOT amateur radio

On the face of it, we are in for a rough time. The UK government was found in contempt of parliament last night and the UK parliament is quite likely to reject the Prime Minister's EU BREXIT deal next Tuesday when this is voted on in the House of Commons.

So what happens? Stirling goes up in value against the Euro!  As I write, it is up 0.48%. Maybe, the UK economy will be OK when we leave the EU or people assume we will walk away unless the deal is a fair one.

UK Pound v. Euro - NOT amateur radio

Volatility. This best sums up the situation. Recently, the Pound has been clawing back some of its recent losses against the Euro, although until BREXIT is sorted we can expect big swings up and down.

UK Pound versus Euro - NOT amateur radio

We live in uncertain times in the UK. I guess the markets are waiting to see how BREXIT pans out.

If we end with a reasonable "divorce" I guess the UK Pound could appreciate in value. If we leave on bad terms, the Pound could fall.

At the moment the EU and UK are both playing hard, although expect last minute bargaining: it is in nobody's interest to part badly.

If only the EU had detected the signs that little UK is full up and did not want freedom of movement I expect we would still be in the club.

UK Pound against Euro - NOT amateur radio

Not quite sure why, but the UK Pound has suddenly jumped against the Euro as if something happened. No doubt I'll find out later. I expect it will fall again tomorrow.

UK pound against the Euro - NOT amateur radio

We still await a Brexit deal that respectful of both the UK and the EU. It is in everyone's interest to split amicably.

In the meantime the UK Pound and the Euro are just bumbling along. The exchange rate has hardly changed in some months. Although it fell quite a bit following the Brexit referendum it has been around 1.14 Euros to the UK Pound for some time. It dipped to around 1.12 but seems to have climbed a bit.

Last year I was expecting the Euro to fall in value, but this does not appear to be happening any time soon. Fundamentally, I still think the Euro is under threat.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cx250jmk4e7t/pound-sterling-gbp

UK Pound against the Euro - NOT amateur radio

In recent weeks the UK Pound has been weak against the Euro. It has not been helped by BREXIT uncertainty and poor GDP figures. Once the BREXIT deal becomes clearer, I expect the UK Pound to strengthen against the Euro. It is entirely possible I am totally wrong. After all, I was last year!

The EU and BREXIT - NOT amateur radio

So the EU has published its draft bill on the UK leaving the EU. Since it was published, the UK pound has lost value against all major currencies. No doubt it will recover, but at the moment the UK seems to be fumbling around over what it really wants once we leave.

Why did we not say the referendum would not be binding unless the majority was x %? As it is the margin of "leave" over "remain" was a small 4%, with almost a half not wishing to leave the EU. I suspect fewer would vote leave now. Many want controls over immigration but still want the tariff-free trade with the EU.

UPDATE 2152z: At the end of the day, the UK pound was 0.76% weaker against the euro

UK Pound versus Japanese Yen - NOT amateur radio

Why has the UK Pound appreciated so much against the Japanese Yen?  At the moment it is over 156 Yen to the UK Pound. Not too long ago it was the low 120s Yen to the UK Pound.  That is a lot of difference.

Every day, it swings quite widely, but I find this, and the dramatic appreciation, hard to understand. On the face of it, goods made in Japan should get less expensive in the UK.

Perhaps an economist can explain what is going on?

UK Pound versus the Euro - NOT amateur radio

OK, I was wrong!

Some time back, I predicted the Euro would lose value against the UK Pound by the end of the year. It looks like I shall be spectacularly wrong. What a surprise!

Perhaps the best advice is to believe the exact opposite of what I think. As said many times, I am no financial expert.

UK pound against major currencies - NOT amateur radio

Today, the UK pound has lost value against all the major world currencies. This may be because of the Prime Minister's speech yesterday and the feeling that we are a bit rudderless. It looks like we are due for a leadership contest in the governing Conservative Party or even another General Election.