Gransnet forums

News & politics

Open Britain - Hard Brexit

(829 Posts)
Cindersdad Mon 13-Mar-17 16:38:14

The realities of what a hard Brexit could mean are beginning to collide with the breezy rhetoric of Leave campaigners. Already – before negotiations have even begun – totemic promises are being broken.

We were told there would be £350 million more a week for the NHS, but Leave campaigners are desperate to run away from this promise, and borrowing estimates have risen by £58bn thanks to Brexit.
We were told economic warnings were “scaremongering”, but prices have risen as the pound has fallen and car companies are speculating about shifting investment abroad.

We were told the EU would bend over backwards to give us the deal we want, but Ministers are now talking up the prospect of leaving with no deal at all.
And we were told our Union would be stronger, but today we see the SNP once again fostering grievance to threaten the break up of the UK.

We can’t let those who led the country down this road escape from the broken promises they made. Please share our graphic on Twitter and Facebook to hold them to account.

Thank you,

Pat McFadden MP
Leading Supporter,
Open Britain

The above was pasted from an Email received a hour or so ago - you can Google "Open Britain" if you feel strongly enough. I genuinely believe that Brexit could well unravel over the coming months as the truth strikes home. I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.

MaizieD Tue 14-Mar-17 11:27:39

^ although I sometimes wonder why we bothered with freeing Europe in the first place.^

You WHAT?

I don't believe I'm reading that...

Badenkate Tue 14-Mar-17 11:42:53

In the 1970s Marieeliz, we were known as the sick man of Europe. Inflation was running at over 10%, we had had to borrow from the IMF and the pound had been devalued. I can remember interest rates of 15%, trade with the Commonwealth was dropping significantly and unemployment was growing. So I certainly don't want to go back there!

NannyMargaret48 Tue 14-Mar-17 11:43:50

Well said Roses! I didn't realise there were so many political experts on this forum. They should all be MP's

chrislou Tue 14-Mar-17 11:44:09

No thanks

Hollycat Tue 14-Mar-17 11:46:43

OMG! What a lot of disappointed, irritated remoaners! Brexit will be GREAT! Or it would be if people accepted the vote and got on with it as you would have expected Leavers to have done should you have won. We CAN do this. It's a brave new world out there, ours for the taking. Why on earth would you want to remain shackled to this out of date, corrupt organisation when there is so much on offer?The fact they haven't even had the auditors in for 20 years and good old Tony Blair is standing up for them should give you a hint. Anyway, the votes from the Lords and the Commons are in now. We're going. Theresa has a mandate. NO amendments. Her hands won't be tied. Gina Miller can go back into obscurity. The Scots will flounder if they do leave - we know it, deep down so do they. Their trade with us is vast compared with trade with the EU, oil (when DID it become Scotland's oil and not the UK's?) is running low, the Barnet formula will be no more and we will, theoretically at least, rebuild Hadrians Wall. This is GREAT NEWS people - get with the programme.

MaizieD Tue 14-Mar-17 11:48:38

I didn't realise there were so many political experts on this forum. They should all be MP's

So the only people entitled to take an interest in and be informed about politics are MPs? What a strange notion.

( BTW MP's whats?)

MaizieD Tue 14-Mar-17 11:50:40

That is a spoof post, isn't it Hollycat?

GillT57 Tue 14-Mar-17 11:51:49

We are all entitled to our opinions nannymargaret48 and few of us profess to be political experts. We are entitled to be angry/concerned/terrified of the uncertain future though. And the future is uncertain, both sides of this Brexit nightmare must acknowledge that fact. I do remember the 1970s, a time when Britain was the sick man of Europe, and I hope that nobody is advocating that particular pre-Eu decade as being the model that we should now be aiming for. I also note that the noisiest pro-Brexit MPs and rabble rousers ( Farage is not an MP) are being a bit quiet at the moment, maybe they realise that slogans about 'taking back control' and 'make Britain great again' are wearing thin as the reality of the uncertain future starts to dawn.

annifrance Tue 14-Mar-17 11:54:04

Looking into the abyss is what I call it. Despite a slight concern about how us expats in France are going to end up I am so thankful that I do live here. I would hate to come back and live in a UK that is not part of Europe. No French person has asked me when we are going back, they have massive sympathy for us, unlike what I am hearing about comments/treatment to expats in UK which has has anyway lost it's moral compass.

Agree with all the, remain, non self delusional posters, why on earth do the brexit voters think it's going to be better? None of you have actually explained how and given examples. It is not always the minority that are wrong.

It is not the will of the people, it was a 48/52 split. And now nearly half of those who voted are being ignored. Who says they are not right?

If I hear the words sovereignty and democracy again I shall explode. They have both become weasel words and without any veracity. Rant definitely not over.

Hollycat Tue 14-Mar-17 11:58:08

Oh MaizieD, I despair. So OK then. It's been decided. We're going whether you like it or not. GOING, Maisie, GOING!! What are you proposing to do to change it? Or are you just reduced to chuntering on the sidelines with all the other bitter disappointed people. The sun's shining! Or it certainly is where I live.

HootyMcOwlface Tue 14-Mar-17 12:00:39

All is well and lovely in the rose tinted world of the remainers.

And if Theresa May is (was?) truly a remainer and not a tight lipped leaver who kept her head down and her big mouth firmly shut prior to the vote with her eye on keeping in with big Dave (if he won) or taking over, like she has done, then I'm a monkey's uncle.

petra Tue 14-Mar-17 12:03:51

Hollycat You speak for many of us on the Brexit threads but many of just can't be arsed to repeat ourselves over and over.

HootyMcOwlface Tue 14-Mar-17 12:04:12

Sorry, error in my first line!

LEAVERS it should read for goodness sake! I'm off for a lie down!

Hollycat Tue 14-Mar-17 12:06:03

I know, Petra, I know.

Badenkate Tue 14-Mar-17 12:06:09

I did feel there was rather a look of panic in Liam Fox's eyes on Sunday - which was quite enjoyable ?.

Badenkate Tue 14-Mar-17 12:14:07

Well, you're absolutely right Petra and Hollycat, because you've got an awful lot of work to do with your sleeves rolled up, on your boat, pulling together. While I'm intending to do absolutely nothing but watch from the sidelines, feeling thankful that both my sons are in jobs which are pretty well safe from any repercussions. It's nothing to do with me. I feel no responsibility at all.

Jaycee5 Tue 14-Mar-17 12:14:53

MinniesMum True and Spain's leader has openly said that if the EU does not do a fair deal with the UK then it wants the right to be able to do so itself. Spanish farmers will go bankrupt if trade with the UK is made too difficult.
There is a lot of emphasis on the size of the total EU market compared to our market - but life isn't like that. Each country and each industry or business and each region in those countries has their own concerns. Politicians love sabre rattling and squaring up to each other in negotiations. Business leaders, not so much.

Jaycee5 Tue 14-Mar-17 12:17:14

Hooty No one is saying that things aren't going to be difficult. We still have the Tories after all. We can make the difficulties worthwhile if we vote the Tories out and make a concerted effort to trade more fairly with the rest of the world.

Fitzy54 Tue 14-Mar-17 12:19:53

"how can we look at limiting EU immigration..."
Mazie you are just reinforcing the "dig your heels in" attitude of the two negotiating positions. You may be quite right in your view that their should be no limits on immigration but unless a compromise is found, which will have to include a compromise on immigration, we are heading for a rock hard Brexit.

otiva Tue 14-Mar-17 12:20:00

Exactly!

Ana Tue 14-Mar-17 12:20:22

And vote who in? confused

Jaycee5 Tue 14-Mar-17 12:25:11

Hollycat Hadrian's Wall is in England. On the East coast it is 68 miles from Scotland. I am not sure the North would be happy to be donated to Scotland.
I can't see a new referendum being popular (and would hopefully lead to Labour being able to pick up a few seats in Scotland, despite Dughal and Murphy). Sturgeon seems to be playing at politics.

Hollycat Tue 14-Mar-17 12:26:08

So, Badenkate, you'll take the easy option to stand and criticise while others get on with it? My children are secure too, but that's in spite of the EU. Anyway, I'm bored now and it's lunchtime. English cheddar on English bread spread with English butter and tea from our Commonwealth friends!

otiva Tue 14-Mar-17 12:27:13

I live in Spain, just living my life in a different country. You have said what I feel, no one here has asked when we will go back. I couldn't live in UK now, I was there last summer and last Christmas for my mums 100th birthday, it felt so awful and so different.

I am so very sad for what is happening, the referendum was based on lies and has spiralled into something even worse than I would have ever imagined.

otiva Tue 14-Mar-17 12:29:11

Well good luck with that!