Saturday 11 June 2016

Dyson Brexit


I read in the news this morning that James Dyson favours Brexit. He's quoted as saying he's fed up with having to make appliances to EU standards and catering for a plethora of different plugs.


Is he hoping to foist the UK 3 pin plug on Europe? Seems to me that all European plugs are the same - my adaptor (is it adaptor of adapter - I suspect the latter is an Americanism) works in every EU country I've ever visited. I'd hazard a guess there are more European users of his appliances than British. Seems a specious argument to me.

Or could it be that if the pound plunges, he stands to make a packet when his products become cheap as chips in Europe. Yes, his imported raw materials bill will increase, but don't forget that Dyson products have cachet value and most of the price you pay at the till has nothing to do with cost of materials and everything to do with premium pricing and markup for the gadget-obsessed middle classes. His products must be the most profitable on the planet. He will get greater profit without having to employ a single additional person - he could probably lay off a few at his Malaysian manufacturing facility (it used to be round here at Malmesbury).

It's also very strange he doesn't like the EU limits of hoover power, when his whole career has been predicated on making things more efficient.


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