Surprised we've not seen any discussion of this here but in the last few days the EU has fined Apple $13 billion in back taxes going back decades that the EU insists Apple owes to Ireland. Despite the fact that not just Apple but the Irish government (and Irish opposition parties too!) insist that Apple hasn't broken any Irish tax laws. Taxes are supposed to be a national issue but the EU has been trying to wrestle control of Corporation Tax away from Ireland for years and here there has been no court case, just the ridiculous unelected Commission unilaterally ruling against Apple and Ireland on an issue that belongs to Ireland. Unsurprisingly and swiftly other nations such as the UK and Turkey have retorted that if Apple wants to look for a new European home outside the EU they'd be welcome.

Then escalating the suicidal economic war with America the EU seems to be targeting Google next.

And the cherry on the parfait? Now the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) seems to be dead in the water with the German Vice Chancellor calling it dead and the French government calling for TTIP to be dropped altogether.

Meanwhile "back of the queue" (TM Obama) Britain seems to be pushing forwards with getting a new trade deal sorted with America as well as other nations outside our own moribund continent. Perhaps now the penny, or should I say cent, is starting to drop in America as to why exactly we are leaving this socialist behemoth behind?

PS Somewhat Off Topic but no point bumping or creating another thread but August's manufacturing PMI data has just been announced and shows the joint largest increase in the PMI level in the survey's 25 year history.