Post Brexit: the reality

[Mervyn and Trish]

You're entitled to your view of course Frank. But the country needs to move on. The government is very clear Brexit means Brexit so in our mutual interest we need all our politicians and civil servants pulling together to get the best deal, not handing the advantage by those we'll be negotiating with by being half hearted.

But to pick up your Farage point, every time I see a failed politician like Junker threatening retribution for our democratic decision or some of the losers running basket case economies in their own countries telling us how to run ours, or a windbag like Kinnock pontificating, I'd also say QED.

[barney]

I look at it more on the financial side than anything else Merv.

It is readily accepted by all that the UK has an annual loss of about £8 billion per year in the EU.

I just think what that £8 billion could be spent on in this country.

Call it a deficit or anything else you like, but that's £8 billion straight down the Swanee with absolutely nothing to show for it.

If the UK was some sort of wonderland Utopia where everything was perfect, and there were no social issues, then that could be acceptable, but when they've just announced a pitiful £12 million on flood defences for THE WHOLE COUNTRY, any right minded person would think that this can be better spent here.

[Silver_Shiney]

... when they've just announced a pitiful £12 million on flood defences for THE WHOLE COUNTRY, any right minded person would think that this can be better spent here.

There's also the state of the NHS. Some surgeries have a three week waiting list before you can see one of their doctors. By the time your appointment comes round, your either better or dead.

Then we have the pitiful state of policing. We don't have enough bobbies on the beat. Mind you, we'd also need proper judges in courts, instead of the present shower who hand out minimum sentences instead of deterrent sentences.

And what about the nation's defence? We sell perfectly good Harrier fighter-bombers to the Americans for peanuts, we've lost our maritime patrol ability, we're building two aircraft carriers to put one straight into storage, defence budgets are slashed to the marrow, we send troops to fight wars that have nothing to do with us - if this country faces an attack, we're defenceless.

And flood defences? a sticking plaster remedy. As Barney says, woefully inadequate

[oldbluefox]

........................................... but apart from that we're not doing too badly and we can take in more immigrants!! (Just as long as they bring their own tents cos we're a bit short on housing).
Listen to some politicians and lefty journalists and you wonder which planet they are on.

[Golden Princess]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ni ... um-7985017

[Mervyn and Trish]

Since neither Nigel Farage nor Ian Hislop are Prime Minister or involved in the negotiations over the coming months I'm not over bothered by their opinions, which have no more status than mine or Frank's

[Silver_Shiney]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ni ... um-7985017

Just as I have no time for Remainers who whinge about the absolute need for a second referendum, I have no time for anyone who wishes to thwart due democratic process.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I see reports today that the EU is considering making Brits pay for visas to travel to Europe. They say it's because of security concerns after the Paris attacks. Remind me again, how many of those involved had travelled from the UK? And how many from Brussels? So no, it's not about security. It's about spite. Still if it is more costly and hassle to holiday in the EU we can always go somewhere else can't we.

[towny44]

I see reports today that the EU is considering making Brits pay for visas to travel to Europe. They say it's because of security concerns after the Paris attacks. Remind me again, how many of those involved had travelled from the UK? And how many from Brussels? So no, it's not about security. It's about spite. Still if it is more costly and hassle to holiday in the EU we can always go somewhere else can't we.

I usually file these sort of stories in the straight banana folder, these rather silly comments regularly pop up in the press and certainly contributed to the dislike of the EU felt by many in the UK.

I look at it more on the financial side than anything else Merv.

It is readily accepted by all that the UK has an annual loss of about £8 billion per year in the EU.

I just think what that £8 billion could be spent on in this country.

My concern Barney is that there is widespread speculation that for the the UK to retain duty free access to the EU we possibly will/may have to make a contribution to the EU, which some have speculated could be as much as the our current nett contributions.

[oldbluefox]

My concern Barney is that there is widespread speculation that for the the UK to retain duty free access to the EU we possibly will/may have to make a contribution to the EU, which some have speculated could be as much as the our current nett contributions.

Forgive me if I have got this wrong but if UK loses duty free access to the EU then they will also lose duty free access to our goods and since we import more from the EU than we export it would not be in their own best interests.
That seems so logical to me but maybe the continentals see it differently.

[towny44]

My concern Barney is that there is widespread speculation that for the the UK to retain duty free access to the EU we possibly will/may have to make a contribution to the EU, which some have speculated could be as much as the our current nett contributions.

Forgive me if I have got this wrong but if UK loses duty free access to the EU then they will also lose duty free access to our goods and since we import more from the EU than we export it would not be in their own best interests.
That seems so logical to me but maybe the continentals see it differently.

Since when did logic bother any politician?
But I do agree with you Foxy, and if left to business to negotiate our leaving terms I assume they would sort it out fairly swiftly, but the EU mandarins want to punish us if only to deter les autres.

[Mervyn and Trish]

And going back to my earlier post, if Brits needed visas to go to Europe, then of course tit for tat they'd need them to come here. And since there are more of them than there are of us the income would aid our trade gap nicely!

[oldbluefox]

It all seems very logical but think how many it would put out of work if we didn't complicate matters.

[Silver_Shiney]

It all seems very logical but think how many it would put out of work if we didn't complicate matters.

Well, if we make our generous benefits system such that foreign spongers don't want to come here, and the indigenous population get off their fat backsides and work instead of sponging, because Johnny Foreigner can no longer come in to take the menial jobs that our current fine upstanding citizens consider to be beneath them and their PS4s.... Unemployment and benefits budget both down. Result.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Well that's told 'em Shiney, you old liberal softy you!

[Jack Staff]

I would just like to point out that we are not 'Post Brexit'. It has not happened yet and will not for at least another two years.
So much more to look forward to.

[barney]

Post Brexit vote more like it.

Many have moved on except the folk who were wrong but cannot accept it.

Whatever the future holds, we as a country will be fine when no longer shackled to the failing EU social experiment.

[screwy]

Maybe we should just remind them wgho got them out of the sh*t in 14 and 39......

and i also dont take any notice of that socialist rag or the bbc for that.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Not necessarily an argument that will go down well in Berlin. But yes the French are an ungrateful lot at times.

[screwy]

They never change....Paris surrendered to a bus load of German Tourist last month.

[Jack Staff]

Towing our little island off into mid Atlantic is yet another Brexit ideal that simply will not work.

[screwy]

Worked ok for neigh on 2000 yrs.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Let's not forget our "little island" is the fifth largest economy in the world.

[Jack Staff]

Let's not forget our "little island" is the fifth largest economy in the world.

Not since the vote. We have been overtaken by the French (of all people!).

[Mervyn and Trish]

Even if we lost all our EU trade we'd still be in the top 10, above most EU nations