British workers are among the worst idlers in the world

Is that the same Pritti Patel that has had undisclosed talks with Israeli officials without informing the FO whilst on 'Holiday' in Israel?

Yes - and she told the people of the Indian sub continent that they would get free access to UK after we left the EU - so much for reduction of immigration! This announcement was only reported a couple of times and then seems to have been buried.

Another thinly disguised OP bashing Leave voters and the government.

Having to dig up an article that was published SIX years ago also smacks of desperation MaizieD No fresh dirt to dig?

Discuss away Remainers.

I certainly didn’t ‘trust’ Patel about Brexit or anything else but made up my own mind about Leaving the EU, in fact I didn’t know that she was for Leaving, and bet not many did know ( or care) far from being influenced by her.
Is this an anti Conservative or anti Leave thread or possibly both?
#goesbacktoleaningonashovel.

it was said on the Wright Stuff yesterday that the people who voted leave were of a "different level of education" that they had believed all the rubbish spouted by Farage ,Johnstone and co .

Hold onto your hats folks........’ere we go again!!

I had no idea which way she voted in the referendum or care.

Popcorn anyone?

Back on the same old treadmill.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA

Actually it is about the level of production in UK and in other countries - nothing to do with Brexit.

Studies have shown that basically this is true but I have never seen a reasoned argument as to why this is. We did well when we were an industrialised country - I wonder what happened. Does anyone know how the comparisons of output are measured?

Leaving Brexit aside, the idea that we are the lazy slobs of Europe has been around for many years. When we went to work in Germany back in the 70s, most of our new colleagues seemed amazed that we could actually drag ourselves out of bed of a morning, and we had to put up with a lot of nasty comments. When we left we were both given references (which we still have ) stating that we were the best two workers they had ever had.

The book is nothing to do with Brexit......true!

maggiemaybe that must have felt very satisfying for you both.

Indeed it was, lemongrove.

it was said on the Wright Stuff yesterday that the people who voted leave were of a "different level of education" that they had believed all the rubbish spouted by Farage ,Johnstone and co .

I find this laughable paddyann.

Do you REALLY have to listen to biased politicians who will put their own spin on ANYTHING before you make up your mind??? Really?

That argument doesn't hold water.

The referendum was called long after people wanted out. Because people wanted to leave, for many and varied reasons, and because the EU was causing controversy, we had the referendum

From then on, people probably knew how they'd vote. I didn't need a big bus or a campaign to persuade me to vote Leave. Long before the referendum I thought we needed to get out of the EU.

To assume "thickos" were persuaded by politicians is again patronising and if you haven't read the arguments regarding educational attainment with regard to the ages of voters then you haven't really thought much about your post.

Every man and his dog has gone to University in the last fifteen years. Now in my 60s I was one of the first generation of working class women to access University education..or indeed further education. That explains the youth vote being 'more educated'. They are not. They may have qualifications but their education can be sadly lacking. The older generation didn't get the opportunities to advance their education as young people get today.

Many however trained in work and got vocational qualifications, experience and knowledge as they worked. Many are extremely wise, not doddering racist old fools as many Remainers like to portray them. Most are far from stupid.

Not only that, wisdom is a far greater asset than examination passes.

Politicians campaigned and you were with them or against them but not because of the campaigns. The decision to leave was made long before any campaigns.

Stop imagining people who don't share your views are gullible or stupid. It's really condescending.

Though I'm very much in favour of Remain I admit the despite watching the news and reading papers I did not fully understand the conflicting arguments. I voted mainly on the economy and as more facts have come to light my choice was I believe correct.

Worker Idleness is not inherent but a product of the work situation. Given proper facilities and management British workers are among the best in the world.

I tend to agree that many Brexit voters were not well educated, not all of them but enough to make a difference. That is not their fault but the fault of a damaged education system and the media which manipulates them. Feeling disenfranchised and remote from government gave many a chance to revolt against the government for reasons they had not thought through.

The worst culprits were those who did not bother to vote at all. They woke up the 2017 general election when it was possibly too late.

What a smug and unpleasant post Day6.
I shall now inform the younger members of my family that their degrees are of no value (compared to yours and mine) and the fact that we have a doctor, research scientist, managers and teachers among others, is worth little.
Presumably there is no link whatsoever then between their level of education and the fact they all voted to remain.

Our alleged low productivity is due to poor management. This is what they were saying in the 1970s and it's true today. Poor communication skills, poor planning and supervision.
People routinely arriving late for work and nothing being said by the person in charge. Etc etc.

I voted to remain but I thought Day6 posted an excellent post of view that I agree with.

Good on you, Day6.

There is wilful misunderstanding going on about Day6’s comments, a large percentage of the population now goes to University and let’s be honest, a lot of them do not become doctors, scientists, managers and teachers, but work in shops and restaurants.Many clever young people of our generation did not go to University (for social reasons) so this myth of hordes of thickos all voting to Leave the EU because they liked a slogan plastered across a bus, is exactly that, a myth.

There is a saying "common sense doesn't come with a degree". I didn't have the chance to go to university, that doesn't mean I am stupid or gullible. The degrees earned by students these days are, mostly, just as valid as those earned by those older people fortunate enough to go to university, what younger people don't have is experience.

The book ,partly written by Pritti Patel, may or may not be an interesting read, but has zilch to do with voting for Brexit, same goes for the MP herself.

"Everyman and his dog has gone to university in the last fifteen years" I read a while ago that the Manchester bomber got into Salford University with two E grade A levels. It's quite evident looking at something such as The Times University Guide which comprises of around 120 universities that some of the establishments that languish around the bottom allow applications from candidates who have just scrapped a pass in their respective subjects, I doubt whether they would have made the grade a good few years ago. Not surprisingly the drop out percentage at universities that admit such students is correspondingly high. We have such a university at my nearest large town, which was once a well thought of Polytechnic. I know a lecturer there a few years ago and at a social event he told a few of us that he had students who were incapable of structuring an essay and in his opinion they were not university material. So like Day6, I am sceptical when I hear about the younger generation who in the main voted "remain" did so because they are far better educated. That is not to say, that I think this about all graduates, but the university spectrum is considerable and clearly they are not all of the same calibre.

Regarding the overall topic about the British being lazy. The younger generation in our family who work in London put in very long hours. Doesn't Macron wish to increase the working week to 40 hours in France. I have read that in recent years, certainly in London, where many French work, the hours are far longer than those in other European countries.

I voted Leave and we should have had a vote much earlier when Gordon Brown sold us out to the EU by signing the Lisbon Treaty behind our backs and without our consent having promised a referendum at that time. I certainly did not need anyone to "persuade" me whether by that stupid red bus which I didn't see anyway or the fear campaign by George Osborne..
As for being stupid - Double First from Cambridge I'm afraid. Most of my friends have degrees and also voted Leave.