Light bulb moment

Most European people speak English perfectly well actually, it is taught in schools! I have never, ever had a problem in making myself understood when travelling in Europe and have never had a problem communicating with Europeans who came to work in this country either. As a matter of fact, many Europeans can speak several languages, some as many as five.

I thought it was put to referendum and 'the people' spoke

Franbern

Lollipop1

I for one am happy with the present arrangements. Its such a relief that we are once again a free nation. Am I the only voice crying in the wilderness or could it be a plethora of remainers have frightened off those who would disagree. It's not good enough to put all of today's problems down to Brexit, too much has happened in the last two years.

Wonderful being a 'free' nation - governed by a minority government with an unelected second house and a totally unelected and unanswerable Head of State.

So, just one rule about railway safety is the only one that can be cited as ALL those rules and regulations imposed on us.

Mind you regardless of anything else everything about railways in Europe seem so much better than what we have on our small island.

This is my area of expertise and if you think overseas railways are better than the UK, then I suggest you try them!

In the past I have travelled extensively in Europe on the railways there and they are just as crowded, just as late and have more accidents/fatalities than the UK.

mayisay Blind trust in a better future doesn't negate all evidence to the contrary.

If only! My only hope of being European again is I am a Scot so a small glimmer of hope remains. I am in France camping currently on a site with many many nationalities. First I get asked if I am from Ukraine because of Uk on back of vehicle. Conversation then usually goes along asking why I wanted to leave Europe! Not my idea and I very much wished to remain.”Why leave?what have you gained by leaving?”. Nothing! Is my response we’ve all just lost”

I truly believe that had our representatives in Parliament not opposed the result of the referendum, the UK would be in a much better place now. Instead, the odious John Bercow, and other Remainers, caused untold damage to our democracy for three long years, and brought this country's standing in the world to an all time low. Within weeks of leaving the EU, covid struck, and the procedures came to a standstill.
I am an optimist, and trust that. eventually, we will be better off in the future.

This sounds brilliant!
Let’s vote on it!

Thanks Franberg. You are the one and only person who has ever tried to do the impossible, which is to list the tangible, to ordinary folk, not to tax avoiding millionaires, benefits of BREXIT.

What they didn't vote for was a European Parliament dictating how the UK should operate its laws.

We weren't dictated to. The UK were part of the decision making process of the European parliament and were represented by about 70 of our own democratically elected MEPs.

puffernutter

The trouble is that in the EEC Referendum in the 1970s we did join a trading block (as my parents used to tell me when they were alive and voted for it).

What they didn't vote for was a European Parliament dictating how the UK should operate its laws.

What started off as a good idea, became much more than trade and far too intrusive!

My feelings too. And if Scitland wants “independence” why does it want to rejoin the EU?
A contradiction in terms surely.

It's not good enough to put all of today's problems down to Brexit, too much has happened in the last two years.

All countries have suffered because of the pandemic, but we faring the worst of all the G20 nations barring Russia.

This is because of Brexit.

Is it because a plethora of remainers have frightened off those who would disagree.

Or is it because there are no arguments to be put forward in favour of Brexit.

Lollipop1 I would love to know what aspects of the present arrangements are making you happy.

Maremia I think the James Rees=Mogg has been appointed to let us all know ALL the benefits of Brexit. Now we know that there are several for him and his ilk with regards to increased profit - but even he has failed to find any to pass on to the rest of us.

SIlvercollie with regards to the Commonwealth. English was imposed on them as a language and many have started to bring back their original one. Do wonder how many former Commonwealth Countries want to be allied in any way with the UK.
In any case, for a trading block not really as good as Europe as they are so widely separated.
Whether we like it or not we are really just a small off-shore island to the European continent.

Lollipop1

I for one am happy with the present arrangements. Its such a relief that we are once again a free nation. Am I the only voice crying in the wilderness or could it be a plethora of remainers have frightened off those who would disagree. It's not good enough to put all of today's problems down to Brexit, too much has happened in the last two years.

Wonderful being a 'free' nation - governed by a minority government with an unelected second house and a totally unelected and unanswerable Head of State.

So, just one rule about railway safety is the only one that can be cited as ALL those rules and regulations imposed on us.

Mind you regardless of anything else everything about railways in Europe seem so much better than what we have on our small island.

Oh stop all this complaining about leaving the EU.
Look at all the Brexit Benefits we now have
such as...
er, now we can.......
Come on Brexy folk, help me out here.

Scotland will need borders to rejoin the EU. That's if they become independent next year. Look at the fuss over NI that doesn't have a border with Eire.

You may not be the only brexiter left Lolli but you are one of declining number.

It is no longer just an opinion to say that brexit has been a disaster for our country. It is an incontrovertible fact.

Are you aware, for instance, that our exports have declined to such an extent that the gap between exports and imports as a percentage of GDP is worse than it has ever been since records began in 1955?

www.thelondoneconomic.com/business-economics/uks-trade-performance-drops-to-worst-level-since-records-began-328084/#:~:text=The%20UK's%20trade%20performance%20this,cent%20across%20all%20of%202021.

I for one am happy with the present arrangements. Its such a relief that we are once again a free nation. Am I the only voice crying in the wilderness or could it be a plethora of remainers have frightened off those who would disagree. It's not good enough to put all of today's problems down to Brexit, too much has happened in the last two years.

All very well you folk having a stab at those of us who wanted our heritage and not to disappear into the mire that Europe had become.

But back along I had a spiffing idea too.

Why not all the English speaking countries then known as 'The Commonwealth' join together to form a trading block, I thought. Between us we had all we needed in the form of items to trade and roughly a similar cultural background.
This was before Computers were de rigeur but it could have worked.

Why did no-one listen to me?

nonsense, build our walls higher! only joking, a sad post in many ways........

Kier Starmer is wrong about Brexit. As is crystal clear to all but the fanatical, Brexit cannot "work" ... all it can do is make life harder for the very people Labour are supposed to champion.

twitter.com/TheNewEuropean

No, definitely not! We've been there and done that!!!

Franbern

Puffernutter could you please list ANY law that was forced on UK by European parliament?

Railway Safety Directive. 2004/49/EC

As a "Directive" the UK has no option but to implement it into UK Law. It replaced a perfectly adequate (and in my opinion) superior method of safety management on our railways.

Directive (EU) 2016/797 - Railway Interoperability - making the UK railway compatible with Europe. We spent most of our time arguing why the UK is different. It has cost a lot of money on some projects to be "interoperable.

Next?

Franbern

You urgently need to communicate this brilliant idea to Sir Kier Starmer before he makes a very silly speech pledging the Labour Party to turn its back on the wishes of the majority of its members and the majority of its voters because the right wing press has apparently convinced him that the way to win an election is by "honouring" the result of a fraudulent referendum won by lies, cheating and foreign interference.

He desperately needs your good advice

puffernutter

The trouble is that in the EEC Referendum in the 1970s we did join a trading block (as my parents used to tell me when they were alive and voted for it).

What they didn't vote for was a European Parliament dictating how the UK should operate its laws.

What started off as a good idea, became much more than trade and far too intrusive!

Clean beaches and rivers?

MerylStreep

I see Kier Starmer has had a change of heart. If he gets into power there will not be a referendum to re-join.

Thank goodness for that - there really isn't money to throw at that, and anyway not sure that I have the energy for yet another lengthy period of acrimonious chatter rehashing all the old arguments on the news.