Heathrow Harry,
I don't see the relevance of the "old Commonwealth" in all this. The Commonwealth is what it is. But the nations that I have just returned from; Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, all consider that the UK has a tremendous amount to offer them, and this also applies to other attendees, from Cambodia, Laos, The Phillipines, South Korea, Indonesia and Brunei. They regard the UK as a powerful nation that has military strategic capability and expeditionary reach beyond their experience. A military that has vast experience of actual operations over decades, and a political willingness to actually USE that military capability. The current deployment of RAF combat aircraft to Japan and South Korea has received wide publicity and generated a good deal of interest. They also view the UK as an increasingly independent economic power with many globally based multi-nationals and specialist businesses as well as a unique source of financial expertise and trading ability that is simply not available elsewhere. The UK experience in global politics, military intervention, cultural depth and "soft"power is seen as extremely valuable and attractive to them. They also noted the attitude displayed in India toward the PM and party that was the UK is no longer acting as an "old Friend" in allowing the Indians to enter and settle in the UK as easily as previously, you do not think that about somewhere that is a total irrelevance to you. The UK is also a huge potential market for their own economies with a level of growth not seen elsewhere in Europe, a population with huge personal spending power and stability and a sophisticated infrastructure. More than once did I hear comments along the lines that "there is a REASON why immigrants are desperate to get there."
Now I was very much for REMAIN, but the last two weeks has shown me that BREXIT does have a positive side in how we are viewed abroad, especially in Asia Pacific.
As to Australia, what of it? It is seen by folk that I have spent the last two weeks with as, largely, a bunch of Ex-pats that don't even belong there with a struggling isolated economy and wedded militarily and politically to the US and of no strategic importance whatsoever. I met with two Thai automotive industrialists who noted the complete and total withdrawal of Automotive manufacture from Australia announced in recent months, and they compared that to the UK automotive industry, where they are acutely aware that Nissan's most productive plant worldwide is located, that TATA of India are reaping immense rewards from their investment in Jaguar Land Rover, and that it was a place of potential investment interest and source of expertise.
Harsh words, but not MY opinion, merely ones that I heard expressed widely.
Last edited by pr00ne; 15th Nov 2016 at 01:10.