Is it too late for a U turn on Brexit or at least watering it down?

When did you do your first years' study with the OU daphnedill?

I wish I could have written that Maizie. Your history degree has served you well and you put so much in perspective. Brilliant, true and sad.

Re read your condescending post of yesterday 15.17, my point was this forum is just an online forum for grannies not a Mensa debating society.

I am not sure what you find condescending Ninny. Could you explain so I can understand?

Excellent post, Maizie, as is this by Angela Rayner.

This is why people should vote Labour.

inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/angela-rayner-vote-labour-change-lives/

If we lived nearer each other we could have a history group meet up and discuss these things - or we could learn more. I did English and European history from 1832-1914 for my O level history - a very interesting period . Obviously you did it all in far greater detail Maizie.

I can't remember exactly Smileless. It was around 2003/4 - before the fees went up.

@ Welshwife

We did British (i.e English) history from the Agricultural Revolution to WW1 for O Level. I loathed it (though I got a respectable mark), thought it was so boring with all those Factory Acts! It wasn't until I did the Uni 'Social Sciences Certificate' (which was 4 1st year Uni courses taught in evening classes over 2 years) that it all started to click into place. We covered early 20 C Britain (to the 1950s) International politics, history of Social Welfare and some sociology. Passing the exams (which were the same as the undergrad exams) got you a chance to do the final 2 years at Durham Uni. A chance I took. I loved it! And I would read a history book in preference to a novel now. I graduated in 1994 and was so lucky as it cost me nothing at all. I don't think anyone could do this now. I would have liked to have done a Masters but it would have cost £3,000, which we couldn't then afford. And the children begged for mercy; tired of mum writing endless essays

Welshwife that is such a tempting idea but I would be the one learning and asking all the questions. I have found history so much more interesting since I left school sadly. Ah - you've taken me back. When I had a baby and a toddler my brain was addling and the local NHR (Housewives register now National Women's Register) was full so a couple of friends and I started a new one which quickly grew. We had a topic each month that different people would research, it might be a part of history, a country, a book; it couldn't be about children although it was occasionally about education - it definitely kept me sane and most of my friends today are from that period. Happy memories.

I did my OU study "for fun". I wasn't eligible for any kind of grant or loan, because I already had a BA and MA. When I did my courses, they cost hundreds (can't remember how much), which I could just about afford, rather than the thousands they cost today, which I most definitely can't afford.

I have to be happy with FutureLearn courses, being a member of the local historical society, attending the odd talk/lecture and reading. I love visiting museums, especially in Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester.

May I recommend looking at your local U3A. I belong here in Burnham, and there are lots of groups doing lots of subjects. If you know about history and want to discuss it, you can start a group of your own. I run one on Climate Change, and have quite a few people interested in learning and discussing about it.

I'm guessing that was for me Yggdrasil. I think U3As vary and I haven't found a similar meeting of enquiring minds within our local one sadly - we certainly don't have a climate change one!

We didn't till I started it. In fact we are a bit short on 'learning' type groups. Another newcomer has started a Philosophy group. But then you find there is an interest.
It wasn't aimed only at you GG, MaizieD and Daphnedill too .

Right let's start the future with some truth..

Brusells has said that we are happy to wait until we've got our act together. Quite a gracious thing in the circumstances.

Nothing difficult from Brussels

It would seem like a very sensible option, whitewave. I'm not convinced that May can hold onto the leadership for much longer and she certainly has no mandate for the 'hard brexit' she was apparently planning.

Nice of Brussels to offer. Do you have a link to the story?

Sensible ideas from Miller. Definately the way forward. Need a unity government on Brexit. Hard Brexit has been totally rejected

So come on what are the ideas about Brexit? The Tories have been told No hard Brexit, so what's their fall back position? We need to know sooner rather than later

If May was a true leader she would reach out for a cross party Brexit approach. May is no strong leader.

Every time she chooses party and self interest above the country's interest and makes a divisive choice. She isn't even good at that

Ian Dunt

I would have thought getting a group together including Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry and Nick Clegg to negotiate would be a good start. Not Boris this time.

CNN - German Foreign Minister. - message to U.K.

Think again whether it will be good for Britain to leave the EU in this way.

Chance for us to rethink

Yes hopefully a softer Brexit now with some element of the customs union retained.
We really need a cross party team to negotiate if the resulting deal is to be accepted by everyone. I would suggest representatives of UK industry are also involved in some way. Keir Starmer should play a major role.
On the other hand the DUP have their own Brexit agenda.

And Nick Clegg.

When the EU referendum showed the country divided almost equally it would have been sensible for Cameron( remember him?) to say, OK not an overwhelming vote to leave but will use the fact of a 4% majority to continue our negotiations re immigration and trade or for Cameron to have created a x party negotiating groip and got on with it. He is the root cause of today's dependence on fundamentalist Christians holding the sword of Damocles over Tories. (Sorry 4 mixed metaphor!)

Yes, Penstemmon, that would have been sensible but he decided to leave the ship and probably pursue more financially rewarding offers elsewhere.

Not ignoring you GG and Maizie but we have been travelling for two days. Saw the election results on the Ferry this morning! And then the reception for Radio 4 was so bad we could not hear anything. Just trying to gave a quick catch up with a cuppa!

We really need a cross party team to negotiate if the resulting deal is to be accepted by everyone
I agree, but will they do that
No, not Nick Clegg, he is extremely biased and his constituency have rejected him anyway.