Brexit watch

Definately Little England!

Like everyone on here, the CH article states what the writer thinks. Its an opinion. Its their own personal perspective. As an insight into what that writer sees, its chilling. Burns said it,
"oh wad the Lord the gifty gie us, tae see oorsels as ithers see us". Some on here may not like to be perceived like this but it doesn't stop it being true.

Agree with your sentiment jane

Recommended: A point of view on Radio 4 at 9.45 every morning this week leading thinkers giving their personal view of Brexit, what the vote reveals about the nation and its future

petra Sorry tohave upset your holiday memories, people who go camping are usually friendly thats why you go and do it. There are lots of Marriages between Germans and English/ Scots and friendships which last a life time.

But remember All of Europe had German or Russian boots trampling over them, Germany has good neighbourly relations with all these countries now, after all it is now70 years ago and was the work of their grandfathers. Half the people my age have grown up wihout a father they all perished in Russian POW camps, Germans are so sorry for what has happened and most other Europeans give them a chance- give this generation a chance to grow up wihout a Nazi smear.

All but one country. Britain! They delight in it, it was a time when they were the best, it is a time when some men say was the best in their lives. Germans can only hang their heads when confronted with this talk and already now I fear for DGD who will be visiting England with her school for English practice. She doesn't know what a Nazi is. Shall we prepare her? At that age she won't have been to a concentration camp but will go eventually its in the curriculum.

And then since they joined in 1975 the GB, have been wingeing and whining and no one- not one person, has ever heard them say they will do this or that for the good of Europe, which we love and care for. it is always US Us Us our sovereignity our borders what a lot of selfish rubbish
And now they have it and we must make the best of Brexit.

Margaret, this is so sad. I hope your GS will be made so welcome. But yes, perhaps it is better to warn him that a few might react badly. Tragic.

We used to have German assistant/es at our 6th Form College- and any attempt at a little discipline with some students would lead to them following said assistants down the corridor doing goose step walk with finger under nose for moustache. It was just so dreadful and the assistant/e/s would be so shocked and beyond- in tears even- as they were totally unprepared for this. So I can just imagine what it might be like post Brexit.

Something which never happened to our French assistant/e/s.

Luckylegs - will you be going to Germany or France for your holiday this Summer? Would you feel comfortable?

I'm afraid those who rarely travel beyond our shores, and outside main tourist areas- may have no idea how the British are perceived often, sadly and tragically- and Brexit will NOT help, at all. I spent my all life trying to adress this with people, about football hooligans and the drunken and disgusting/destructive behaviour of a few- constantly correcting people and saying it is just a few- but Brexit won't help- at all. Because they have seen the interviews indeed- and the fact that immigration was cited as a main issue with a large % of those who voted pro Brexit. Fact- not fiction.

If, like me you believe the fight must go on, do join the group

www.facebook.com/The48pc/

45.000+ have already, and the more the better.

Doesn,t the fact that Brexit may cause the break up of the EU,indicate that those of influence in the EU have been negligent/arrogant in not reading the mood across Europe,and not making necessary changes?
They have ploughed on with their own agenda regardless,and only since the result have they conceded that they have failed in that respect.
Perhaps Brexit will be the catalyst for an improved EU,and one which we can work with on congenial terms

Barristers work/income will be affected if they are not allowed to operate within the single market.I am not surprised that 1000 are appealing the referendum.
The referendum criteria was well known to them prior to the vote.
The Law Gazette on line has related articles.

Well, if Europe does reform and take heed- it will be great for the others- but not for the GB as we will be out.

@granjura

I don,t think the EU will be great,just improved.
The Euro zone has been in trouble for some time,the IMF today has warned of its precarious state.
Though a post Brexit fall,thank goodness we kept the pound.
The Swedes are also better having kept the Krona.
Predicted economic growth across the EU has been reduced for the next two years because of Brexit....I can,t see that Europe would not wish to have a trade agreement with the UK.
We are termed Little Englanders for wishing to leave the EU,whereas we are looking beyond Europe to a much wider world.

Why doesn't the wider world include Europe? Why do we have to look beyond our closest neighbours?especially as we import such a lot of food. I don't want to trade more than we already do with low cost sweatshop economies like China and India.

MargaretX I'm really shocked at your vision as to what's going on here Re your GS visit. Do you really think that there are 100s/ 1,000s of people going around just waiting for the opportunity to bump into a German so that they can do their John Cleese impersonation. Unbelievable. I think must be reading too much Daily mail.
Its not happening
Just to add, Germany is highly regarded in this country.

@petra

I was a German teacher for nearly 30 years and organised dozens of exchange visits. Unfortunately, I saw how some British school children behaved towards Germans. Apart from that, I would have some pupils goose stepping, putting their fingers up to their mouths like a moustache and drawing swastikas on books and desks.

These were children whose parents and probably grandparents were born after the end of WW2.

My first visit to Germany was in 1970 during the first stages of the World Cup. The most teasing I ever received from Germans of my own age was a comment or two about a disputed goal! The Germans haven't forgotten about it, by the way. On the eve of the referendum, one German newspaper joked that it would forget about 1966 if the UK voted to remain in the EU.

Granny2016 Well said. I don't think the majority of people realise what a precarious state Europe is in.
suzied We will still be trading with Europe, but it will be on our terms. We import more from them than they import from us. We have the whip hand.
Don't forget the German car manufacturers keep telling Merkel and the eu not to get nasty with us. They know that we could easily replace their cars with others from around the world. I'm sure that if Mercedes and Audi start to get awkward, Citroen and Renaud would step in to fill the market. And yes I do know that they are French. But one thing about the French they are sensible in these situations.

The French, sensible ;) - ahahahahah

www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2016/07/08/the-science-of-crisis-why-britain-will-turn-to-theresa-may

It was all predictable.

Living in France, I agree to some extent with MargaretX's post.
As long as we've been here we've been aware of some ant-british feeling among the french. Mostly in the country areas, where most retirees live. We're often resented because we appear to be richer than the locals, and they think we're push up house prices so that their own children can't afford them. And many don't bother to learn to speak french. Not all french think like this, but it exists. We try to keep a low profile and be helpful in the community.
I think there's a different picture in the cities where there's more of a mix. So I'm rather worried that there will be more anti-Brit feeling.
As for anti German feeling in the UK, the town I come from was twinned with a German town, and that helped to dispel prejudices.

I don't think we have the "whip hand" if they have to put their prices up because of the Brits not accepting free trade with theEU, we will have to buy foodstuffs from much further away which won't be cheaper or fresher not to mention the environmental impact. We are actually in the weaker position.

And the government has just had to vastly invrease the offer to to EDF (French) to generate electricity , promising to paying them 3x the current price for energy guaranteed for several years.

I have only very rarely come across anti-British feeling in Normandy (a drunk in Lidl who apologised when I challenged him!), but maybe there is a special relationship here. To be honest if people think all the British are drunken hooligans then they haven't travelled much either!
I really don't think sweeping generalisations are helpful.

@petra

How do you reckon the UK will be trading with the EU on our own terms?

Taking the example of German cars... The British are going to have to pay 10% more for German cars as a result of the devaluation of the pound, which most experts (yeah! I know! They know nothing!) don't think will recover.

It will then be up to the UK whether to impose import tariffs. It's the age-old story of whether to protect home-produced goods or whether to make imports cheaper to try and keep down inflation. The UK is going to have to go out of its way to protect Nissan with its 6,000 jobs and about 30,000 in the supply chain. Nissan is going to find it more expensive to export (and most of its production goes to the EU), so it can't afford the EU to impose tariffs. If they do, Nissan will transfer production to Spain (which would help the Spanish economy immensely).

Osborne has already announced a reduction in corporation tax to try and keep companies like Nissan in the UK, but that tax shortfall is going to have to be made up elsewhere, either by tax rises or spending cuts, both of which would cause there to be less money in the economy, possibly triggering another round of quantitative easing.

However, the negotiators and politicians decide to play it, the UK most certainly doesn't have the upper hand.

Suzied,I do include Europe for trading,but also beyond.
I too despise the sweatshops across China and India ,much of which is to supply stores across the EU.There are many ways of trading without exploiting people.Almost all of the flowers sold in the UK (millions every week) are grown in Africa and sold via daily auctions into Holland.We then purchase from the Dutch and fly them to the UK.
We are the largest purchaser,yet do not buy direct.

Suzied you say "because of the Brits not accepting free trade with the eu"
Why would we not want to have free trade.
The German car manufacturers 'might' put a levy on the goods. But they don't put a levy on cars exported to the US, whys that, because they sell a lot of cars to the US.

We do want free trade but it comes with strings such as free movement of labour which Brexiters don't want. EDF certainly have the upper hand in supplying electricity in the UK.

I give up!