Thread by @SteveLawrence_

Is there a Brexiteer or a Brexiter in the land (UK that is) who doesn't admire Switzerland with its GDP/capita of nearly $60,000 per annum and social expenditure running at 20% of GDP?

If there's a roof to be fixed or a boiler to repair there's money in the bank. If there's a pothole in the road, a floral display in the park to be made or a new needle exchange to be created, there's money in the social expenditure fund. What Brexiter wouldn't wish for this?

And, of course, fixing roofs, repairing boilers, filling potholes, digging floral displays and building needle exchanges creates jobs and jobs means people in employment generating GDP/capita and paying tax for the social expenditure.

A growing economy is a happy economy and how does Switzerland achieve this? The answer, of course, is that its population has grown from 75% of its present size in 1980 to 100% now.

Population growth = GDP/capita growth = social expenditure growth.

And does Switzerland expect its population to continue to grow and flourish? It certainly looks like it. What say you @DanielJHannan of @IFTtweets?

So who do we not admire? Greece certainly. Population growth in Greece stalled, social expenditure surged and the economy tanked.

But Greece is a unique case surely, there's no pattern here is there? Oh wait! Italy! Population growth stalled, GDP/capita stalled & social expenditure climbed!

Is this a southern European Mediterranean pattern? Oh no, Japan too! It's not even an EU country - can't blame the EU for that can we? Population growth stalled, GDP/capita stalled & social expenditure climbed!

And what about the UK? Is its economy like Switzerland, with a population growing or is it like Greece, Italy and Japan with stalling population growth and the economic troubles that go with that?

Well, 'not yet' is the answer. If the UK maintains population growth ...

& increases immigration to the extent that Switzerland has managed it can roar back into good health but if free movement of people is lost & immigration is discouraged GDP/capita will stall whilst social expenditure soars.

The UK is at a tipping point, Brexit down, No Brexit up