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Ok, we are out, what now?

(840 Posts)
Elegran Fri 24-Jun-16 07:49:53

The vote is in, we are to leave the EU. Deep breath, everyone, a new start begins today.

What needs to be done now? No recriminations allowed, no ranting, please. Constructive ideas only for what steps we should take now - we meaning the government, the legal bods, the negotiators, the banks, large and small busineeses, social departments, and orfinary people?

Bear in mind that it will take two years to settle the divorce details, then we have to begin creating a new relationship with the single market of the EU, if we are to buy and sell anything with them, after which new partners might will want to negotiate deals with us. Time scale unknown, but likely to take years. They could be lean years, our credit rating has gone down instantly, and our £ notes won't buy as much abroad at the moment. Better get a taste for British-grown food.

Meanwhile through and after the divorce we have to feed the children (without any alimony, just on our own efforts, and without the inlaws helping us to get orders any more)

The au pairs and the chars will soon go home, which means we'll have to do things ourselves which we used to let them do - look after our aged relations, nurse us after operations, and so on. On the plus side, that should mean we will be needed in those jobs, if we want them.

Nonnie1 Fri 24-Jun-16 11:14:37

Too many EU regulations imposed. Too many other people making decisions for us. Too many other people constantly criticising us for complaining about economic migrants coming here, being issued passports by Germany and then pointing them in the direction of this little island.

Too many hands holding the begging bowl, no chance of a doctor's appointment, or a hospital bed... libraries closing down but being built in Scotland.. free university education for the Scots but we have to pay in England.. all that sort of thing stings when you are an honest hardworking taxpayer.

Now we have the chance to pt it right and shut the whingers up.

Now we have the chance to live without EU restraints. Now we have the chance to actually be proud to be who we are and not able to say it for fear of being called racist.

Now we have a chance to gain back some of that pride we used to have.

That's why people voted out. We have to accept that the majority wanted out, and not for no good reason.

Now we have the chance to prove it to ourselves that we can manage without others saying we can't.

I'm sick of the rhetoric from both sides.
We made a decison yesterday. Now lets get on with it and make the best out of a bad job.

We live in the best country in the world, that's why everyone else in the world wants to be here ! It's only when they get here that they slag us off. It's high time all of that nonsense stopped.

We have the right to change our destiny. We exercised that right last night and we voted to take back control.

I believe this was the right thing to do. It's a shame we felt pushed into doing it.

Granny2016 Fri 24-Jun-16 11:04:42

I voted out,but mine is not a feeling of elation even though I believe we can be a better country without the EU.
I am far from overjoyed to see Nigel Farage grinning like a lunatic on the front pages....UK exit voters did not vote for him or any other individual,neither should we be viewed as being of his ilk.
I am paid in dollars ,so will be immediately affected by the vote,and did not vote lightly.I have spent many years feeling the weight of the EU.

I hope that everyone will settle down,and seize the opportunity to work together for a great country.

I hope there will be cross party support,working for a common cause and the best for all of us.

Looking at the voting results across the country,it was extremely close as predicted,and those of us pleased with the result,should bare in mind that almost half of the country do not share our enthusiasm.
My own family are among them and I feel their disappointment.

I have been reading foreign papers and find it rather irksome to read statements from various European ministers and prime ministers that acknowledge the failings of the EU,and must now work hard to make appropriate changes to improve it.
What a pity they were not prepared to speak out and support the UK against the workings of the EU,prior to this result.

So yes,we have a great opportunity and I hope all will rally to achieve a bright future.
There is a very serious job ahead and it is not the day to hang out the bunting.

Candelle Fri 24-Jun-16 10:57:36

I am shocked. I thought that we would 'remain'.

Although I disagree with many of the decisions made in the EU, being part of it has/would have stopped any possible wars (the thought of being at war with, say, Germany now seems farcical, doesn't it?).

I have been sent a petition regarding the validity of the vote and it can be signed here:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/131215

Do have a look and see if it is for you.

obieone Fri 24-Jun-16 10:54:41

I constructed my post before I had seen daphnedill's. I do think sometimes, dd, you are the exception to a lot of what I write!

obieone Fri 24-Jun-16 10:52:35

Absolutely nigglynellie.

What I find strange, from the left, is that, instead of educating[there seem a high proportion of ex-teachers on here] they chose instead to post, what I can only call propaganda, about immigration and other things.
Also sneering and insults.

That is not education.

Yes, they dont have to educate any longer, and may want to run a mile from it, but it might have helped the remain vote if they had. Perhaps they will choose to educate in future.

wot Fri 24-Jun-16 10:51:10

Democracy, my ar#e!

Badenkate Fri 24-Jun-16 10:50:15

I am also depressed and sad, but not surprised, by the result. But as Elegran said, what's done is done and we have to look to the future. It seems to me that there are two basic areas that have to be looked on as a piority:

There is a deep division in our country which has been widening for years because of the unequal distribution of wealth between the SE and the rest of the country. In many ways I think the vote yesterday was partly a backlash against this. Much more effort has to be made to get new industry and money into the most deprived regions

We are a trading nation and the EU is going to be more difficult to trade with when we leave. New areas have to be developed before this breakoff point. This is not going to be easy; declining trade was a contributory reason for joining the EU in the first place. We also are going to ned to produce more of our own food, since imported food will become more expensive - and we're back to the need for immigrants again.

Gracesgran Fri 24-Jun-16 10:45:48

What now? Back to business as usual. We have had the chance to have our say and won't get another one in a hurry so "what now" is out of our hands. We can pontificate and come up with clever plans but, unless our internal politics changes, which I feel is unlikely, we are back to have little or no say.

grannypiper Fri 24-Jun-16 10:44:37

Anya, well said

daphnedill Fri 24-Jun-16 10:43:38

Cath9,

I spent nearly 30 years as a languages teacher in the UK. I tried my best, sometimes against hostility, to promote the view that 'foreigners' were real people and to promote respect for other cultures.

I'm gutted by this decision. I've seen ex-pupils find work in mainland Europe and even some marriages.

My Facebook page is full of posts from very sad languages teachers. Believe me, as a profession we try very hard, but you wouldn't believe how much xenophobia there is. We're at the chalk face and we witness it all the time.

This is a very sad day for the UK.

Anniebach Fri 24-Jun-16 10:40:59

What is a boystown left?

Jaibee007 Fri 24-Jun-16 10:39:05

We can think hard about how the Boystown Left let us all down & get some women -especially older ones -into the government -get politically active stand for councillors MPs -anything

Cath9 Fri 24-Jun-16 10:38:00

I really thought we would be remaining, although surprised to see so many 'vote leave' posters around. So naturally realize we are all are able to have our own opinion.
I am very much for Europe, not only now for the stability of the country, I was also practically brought up in the Europe, having lived my childhood in Kent with paying guests, foreign exchanges and been so lucky to have been taken for holidays to Europe in the late fifties and sixties.
This is where I fear the English schools do not recognize, how important it is for the pupils to become interested, not only in foreign languages, also that our European neghbours are really no different from ourselves.

When my husband went to work in another region of the Uk in the seventies, I so often heard;
'Oh the foreigners'
Hope this has not offended any of those who wanted out, as I previously said we all have our own opinion.

Granny23 Fri 24-Jun-16 10:36:38

Elegran 'always the voice of reason' indeed. I am afraid that some of us will need more than a few hours to get our emotions under control before we can start planning for the future. ATM I cannot get past the fact that yet again the majority throughout Scotland have voted one way (remain) and by sheer weight of numbers the decision of English voters (leave) prevails overall. You urge us all to 'pull together' respecting the democratic decision but all I can see this morning is an even more DisUnited Kingdom.

nigglynellie Fri 24-Jun-16 10:36:12

As this result was in the main caused by people who are now even on these threads being labelled as thick, uneducated, morons, perhaps the way forward is to insist on future voters having to attain a certain level of education before allowing them the vote?!! or maybe perhaps listening seriously to their concerns however uneducated and spurious these concerns might be. Instead of contemptuously shoving them to one side as not worth even contemplating, maybe a bit of understanding and even sympathy might go a long way to alleviating these 'morons' fears. People by and large don't like being ignored by superior know alls as they see it!

granjura Fri 24-Jun-16 10:35:53

He has remained so calm and nice during the campaign- but in his speech this morning, frothing at the mouth and shouting- the real Nigel came through. And it wasn't a pretty sight sad

wot Fri 24-Jun-16 10:33:34

Nasty little man Nigel.

Anniebach Fri 24-Jun-16 10:31:26

Boris used immigration too

Luckygirl Fri 24-Jun-16 10:28:36

Your jackofkent link is interesting dj - if it does turn out that the result triggers a greater willingness to negotiate and compromise on the part of the EU, then that will be a good thing - just a pity that they did not do it before.

Throughout this dreadful campaign I have always thought the immigrant issue was an irrelevance and that there were more important considerations. But the likes of Farage were bound to jump on the bandwagon.

AllTheLs Fri 24-Jun-16 10:25:03

I'm still reeling from the results. For months I've agonised over which way to vote in the referendum. I couldn't give a fig for the economy, I just wanted what was best for nature and wildlife. The EU had brilliant laws protecting nature which the UK had to enforce. BUT the EU is thinking of relaxing these laws. The EU were supposed to be making their decision in April, and I was going to base their decision on how I voted. In their wisdom, however, the EU decided to postpone their decison until the autumn. I felt so exasperated that, at the last minute I voted to Leave (and also because our country does not have enough space to accommodate hundreds of thousands of extra people without tearing up yet more green places). And now Leave have won and the Prime Minister who has, in the past, poured scorn over anything 'Green', has resigned. And I just can't stop smiling smile

durhamjen Fri 24-Jun-16 10:24:10

Sorry, Florentine, the leave contingent have been the more sober and level headed?
That's why one of them is in custody for killing an MP in a terrorist attack and two are being questioned by the police for threatening to kill MPs families.
Doesn't sound very level-headed to me.

Florentine Fri 24-Jun-16 10:20:07

Sorry, I meant the Remain contingent, of course!

durhamjen Fri 24-Jun-16 10:20:00

Agree with you, wot.

trisher Fri 24-Jun-16 10:19:49

I can't think of anything positive. What I feel is that all the lovely people I know who are living here and come from many different countries must feel they have been kicked in the face and, even if they don't have to, will want to leave. That those who voted leave have started a downward spiral into racism and extremism they probably didn't even imagine. But of course it won't be fascism will it? because that couldn't happen here.....

Florentine Fri 24-Jun-16 10:19:19

I am in Italy at the moment. Too stunned still to think properly. but yes, this is a fact and it needs to be accepted. A good thing, I think: the Leave contingent have generally been the more sober and level-headed, so at least we will probably avoid the angry clashes (possibly violent) which I thought would happen if Brexit had lost. That is the only positive I can think of at the moment. Having lived in this country (legally!) for 45 years, I wonder what my position will be now