Are you scared

Which ever way it goes, this will rumble on for years.
Staying in we are locked into a dictatorial organization. We will need to prop up Germany, Italy, Greece etc: abiding with all the laws made by Brussels but with no power of our own.

‘Crashing out’ will probably mean punishment by the EU before they come back to us with some kind of deal, as they
need us, or should I say our money.

When we voted we had little information about anything, apart from our desire to get back control. Most people, including me, had very little knowledge of the EU and how it works.

Recently in Tenerife on a coach trip round the island. We had a conversation with the coach driver about the bananas we saw growing there. His answer was. ‘Our bananas are harvested, taken to Spain to be stamped with the EU logo then some returned to us’

I wonder if the politicians have a personal vested interest in the EU as they seem so keen to convince us to stay, but may juggle it in some way so that the referendum is respected, but
in such a way that Brussels will still control us.

It’s not us that need to worry about this but our children and grandchildren.

I voted out and the sooner we leave the better it has gone on for to long I am not worried it is the remainers just scare mongering.

I’m not afraid for myself , I have an EU passport and homes in EU. But I’m afraid for the future of UK because it seems people are so easily manipulated and lied to. So many truths are missing from people’s thinking. Our EU scientific , medical, environmental , research collaborations end with a no deal and that will throw us out of the global frontline of innovation and development. Some uni’s will close. We will lose EU students ( UCL PhD chemical engineering has NO British students , none had the grades , all students are EU and we may lose them !!) We will lose our vast income ( much more than a mere 39 billion ) from EU based financial services ( France are desperate to replace us) . 200 million pounds will be lost by small businesses with the time it takes to set up WTO deals which will bankrupt them. Aligning ourselves with US is madness ( MAGA with our money ? No thanks ). Referendum was based on lies , financed by Russia , who want UK out before EU tax laws apply to oligarchs money in London. So do we leave because Russia pushes it ? Re:EU army ??? Ursula VD Leyen has seven children and is not a war mongerer, unlike Putin, Trump and Xi. EU will use its economic power for peace. EU sees that NATO can drag us into WW3 and they want options to stay out and defend their borders against Russia which US won’t. As for ‘we can do world trade deals post no deal Brexit’ ??? We currently have 170 world trade deals as part of EU all of which collapse with no deal ! Will countries reinstate ? Not necessarily if EU plays hard ball to protect themselves. The EU need us ?? They just signed deals with 7 South American countries that Trump dumped. They’re not as desperate as people think and they have been preparing for no deal for two years more than we have ! Lastly the NHS will be up for sale in fact a lot has been sold ! Your GP surgery may be owned by US firms, your care homes, etc. The rest of the world is begging us for deals ? No they’re not. New Zealand maybe. Nigeria India etc yes , in exchange for visas! So you end up with just as much immigration just from Nigeria etc instead of Poland! Try getting a Nigerian to do your plumbing job !! So yes I’m scared for my friends and family in UK. I’ll be away for six months and pray the best happens and it’s as smooth as the optimists say!!! But I’m not holding my breath.

We managed before we joined so we will manage again

The world was a different place then.

I am very concerned about the future for our children and grandchildren, and scared about the direction of politics in the UK.

Growstuff, on balance I would rather take my information from the actual supplier of insulin. I'm simply reiterating what Novo Nordisk has put out in their statement. I think most people will welcome that reassurance.

The rich managed pretty well in the nineteenth century too!

The UK was actually considered the sick man of Europe in the 1960s - that's why we joined the Common Market in the first place.

We also had an Empire, which we exploited.

Chipski Diabetes UK took their information from Novo Nordisk.

As a diabetic, I'm interested in who tells the truth.

Very well said FC61. With a bit of luck, some people might actually take notice of your detailed and rational post.

By the way, welcome to all the new posters to this part of the site! Where have you all been over the last three years?

Ellpammar I don't understand your claim that the UK will have to prop up Germany. How's that going to work? Please could you explain.

PS. I've seen that story about a coach driver and bananas before. Do all the coach drivers in Tenerife talk about bananas?

PPS. The EU doesn't need the UK anywhere near as much as the UK needs the EU.

What are you looking forward to Kapitan?

Prolific growstuff, I admire your stamina.....

Good post FC 61

I don't get the point of the banana story, anyway. Tenerife is Spanish. Why can't they have bananas from Tenerife? I've never seen a banana stamped with 'EU', either*. Is this a charming Spanish custom?

*But then, our bananas come from South America or the Caribbean...

But this thread is certainly bringing out the factfree Brexit script in all its glory...

Globalisation has very much reduced the power of nation states and enhanced the power of international companies. I feel that the EU had the capacity to provide some sort of bulwark against this to protect the living and working conditions of people in Europe, for example the proposed legislation to force international companies operating in Europe to pay tax in Europe. Some of the promotors of Brexit such as the millionaire Rees Mogg have companies which pay no tax here and avoiding being forced to do so is a prime motive for leaving the EU because of this proposed legislation, We already have large government contracts here being awarded to international companies based in the US, to run prisons, parts of the NHS, the benefits agency and so on. This will progress apace. The profits are large and gained by the services and the conditions of workers within the services being squeezed. All of this is paid by the British taxpayer who are the ordinary people of this country while the profits of such companies are tax free. I am sure Brexit will bring about the end of the NHS and we will have health services provided by privatised American health insurance companies. This is a system which has left many Americans without health care at all. Trump’s slip while he was here is the truth. Any ordinary person voting for Brexit, especially older people with increasing health care and social care needs are turkeys voting for Christmas, I am afraid.

Thank you Chaitriona for setting out the reasons that we need to STOP BREXIT.

The way to do that is to support the Liberal Democrats.

Here’s a wonderful independent well researched map showing who suffers the most from no deal Brexit. The darker the orange the more the region suffers.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/02/07/world/europe/brexit-impact-on-european-union.html

Really interesting post FC 61. Thank you.

Again not holding my breath sadly growstuff . But I appreciate you reading my long windy opinion !
Great post Chaitriona !
Thank you Nandot!
We must keep banging on the door of uncommon common sense !

I voted Remain. I did so having voted to become a member of the Common Market in the 1970s and have considered myself a European since. I will always be a European. My family have taken full advantage of EU membership. My children took part in ERASMUS at universities they attended, studying politics (we are a very political family) and languages. My husband and I have lived in the EU previously for a number of years. We chose to buy a small apartment in Catalonia, and we spend a chunk of every year there. We researched remaining in the EU....we are health workers and knew how hard the NHS would be hit by leaving. I am incandescent with some of the misinformation out there. Idiot posts daily on facebook from Leavers claiming all sorts...'our boys will be signed up to the EU army with conscription' really? 'we will be a vassal state of the EU' funny...because we are one of 28 member countries and we all have a vote on every single law and policy that goes before the EU....in fact the handful of times we haven't agreed with a vote...its been one in favour of more rights for workers. I have had too many friends to count who have left the NHS because of being made unwelcome...or being actually abused by members of the public telling them that now we are Brexiting they have to leave and good riddance. I am horrified to live in a country with far too many nationalists and racists. When I am told to bugger off abroad if I want to live in the EU....I remind leavers....that I am living in an EU country and maybe if they don't like it, to move to a country outside the EU.

Already there are difficulties obtaining some medications and I can't believe how some in power are behaving.
It is easy for them to defend a no deal scenario as one suspects they will have a huge financial cushion unlike most of the population