I do wonder- is this what the Brexiters wanted?

I wonder if you’d accept that whilst you and many other benefitted from membership of the EU, a large number of peoples’ experience was that their lives had changed for the worse.

And have their lives now changed for the better?

I very much doubt it.

And, now we just have the people working in Brexit affected businesses added to them. Fishers, meat farmers, wine merchants, musicians, lots of small businesses built on the EU market...

Nothing like a bit of levelling down to keep everyone happy...

a large number of peoples’ experience was that their lives had changed for the worse.

Got any evidence for that? And I don't mean UKIP rantings, either.

growstuff

Of course there's negativity. Nobody in their right mind chooses to make something more difficult for no discernible gain.

I wonder if you’d accept that whilst you and many other benefitted from membership of the EU, a large number of peoples’ experience was that their lives had changed for the worse.

Do you really expect that people who lost their jobs, homes and saw their families in need should care deeply that you now have to do more paperwork to get to France for your holiday?

When you were doing well you didn’t care what was happening to them.

'Bisy, backson', eh, *growstuff?

Pah! I'm going A-WOL. (Got things to do)

PS Any real Pooh fans will understand the reference.

growstuff

Of course there's negativity. Nobody in their right mind chooses to make something more difficult for no discernible gain.

Careful, growstuff, you're using words of more than one syllable. A bit much for our self confessed bear of little brain to take in...

My response to the idiotic comment on negativity is short and not to be used on Gnet.

Just another 'little hiccup' thanks to Brexit:

^”A number of long-term British citizens have expressed alarm at receiving letters from the Home Office telling them they risk losing the right to work, benefits and free healthcare unless they apply for UK immigration status in the next six weeks.
Campaigners said they were concerned that the “scattergun” mailshot, which was sent out to thousands of people instructing them to apply for EU settled status before the end of June, revealed weaknesses in the Home Office’s databases, and a lack of bureaucratic clarity about who has the right to live in the UK.
The letter, which was wrongly sent to numerous people who have lived in the UK for over 40 years, states: “The United Kingdom has left the European Union, so to carry on living in the UK after 30 June 2021, you and your family members need to have a UK immigration status,” the letter states.”^

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/may/17/immigration-letter-sent-to-long-term-british-citizens-causes-alarm

nanna8

If you are from Scotland is it (unofficially) easier to visit France? Just wondering.

Don't think so nanna8, but as I am part Welsh my Breton friends might smuggle me in more easily!

In all seriousness, there's no problem on an Irish passport.

If you are from Scotland is it (unofficially) easier to visit France? Just wondering.

I see Kali2 has started another thread about travel between the UK & France. This one has morphed from ostensibly being about travelling from India!

I do care growstuff but if that’s how Macron wants to play it (annoying the hell out of his own citizens in the process) there’s not much can be done about it. The voters in France could perhaps lobby their MP’s pointing out how displeased they are? However I still maintain it only affects a small proportion of visitors so nothing will be done about it.

Of course there's negativity. Nobody in their right mind chooses to make something more difficult for no discernible gain.

Urmstongran

There’s a lot of negativity on this thread. ?
Aren’t some of these new rules (travelling to France for example) Covid driven and not Brexit-related?

Most travellers visit Europe for a holiday anyway and stay in holiday accommodation. A tiny percentage go over to visit and stay with family.

No, they're not Covid-driven. So you don't care one jot about those who visit family? For goodness sake! Where on earth do you get your news?

Lots of people stay with family/ friends, we used to drive down to see family staying in chambres d’hôte as we went along ( not booking ahead, That freedom’s gone now. ☹️

There’s a lot of negativity on this thread. ?
Aren’t some of these new rules (travelling to France for example) Covid driven and not Brexit-related?

Most travellers visit Europe for a holiday anyway and stay in holiday accommodation. A tiny percentage go over to visit and stay with family.

growstuff

nanna8 This isn't just about airport queues. It's about making something which was very simple more complicated and expensive.

I've been saying that for ages and ages, but apparently we have to stop complaining and be grateful that we're no longer being privileged over people from other, non-EU countries.

I still have absolutely no idea whatsoever what we have gained from leaving the EU.

I do know what we have lost...

Kamiso

I don’t have a problem with Indians coming to the U.K. The area I am in is very mixed and multicultural which makes life more interesting. They work hard and are very community minded. They also make the best samosas.

There seem to be quite a few Eastern Europeans as well. Presumably they chose to stay.

I doubt very much whether the couple of thousand of Indians who will be coming to the UK without work visas will be making samosas.

nanna8 This isn't just about airport queues. It's about making something which was very simple more complicated and expensive.

We hit the worst airport we had ever come across just before Brexit and this was Manchester. It was totally and embarrassingly appalling. Hopelessly long queues, fussy people checking just about everyone. We were flying out not coming in, it took hours to get through. I will never go near the place again. We have travelled a lot through many countries, including China, Vietnam,Cambodia, Eastern Europe etc. Nothing as bad.

I don’t have a problem with Indians coming to the U.K. The area I am in is very mixed and multicultural which makes life more interesting. They work hard and are very community minded. They also make the best samosas.

There seem to be quite a few Eastern Europeans as well. Presumably they chose to stay.

nanna8

When we went to Europe we were separated out from those with European residence but it was just a rubber stamp sort of thing. Sometimes we had to have a visa, sometimes not. It didn’t actually make much difference, maybe an extra 10 minutes in a queue.

It's not like that now.

mokryna

sodapop

I am hoping things will settle down a bit before too long. We are currently being informed about the hoops our families may have to jump through to visit us in France. We may need to get an "Attestation d'acceuil costing €30 pp from the local Mairie ensuring we have enough insurance cover and that they are aware of non EU people in the community. The EHIC or GHIC card may not be sufficient on its own, visitors need to have enough personal insurance to cover repatriation. And so it goes on. Sad it has come to this I feel.

This has just been mentioned on BBC radio 4, confirming what has been said. This is very sad.

Yes, it's true. I have a friend who is intending to visit her newly born grandson in the early summer (well, hoping to). In the past, it would just have involved hopping on a plane, but not now. And that's before all the Covid restrictions. The visit has had to be delayed anyway because France is requiring 7 days quarantine even with two negative private PCR tests.

When we went to Europe we were separated out from those with European residence but it was just a rubber stamp sort of thing. Sometimes we had to have a visa, sometimes not. It didn’t actually make much difference, maybe an extra 10 minutes in a queue.

sodapop

I am hoping things will settle down a bit before too long. We are currently being informed about the hoops our families may have to jump through to visit us in France. We may need to get an "Attestation d'acceuil costing €30 pp from the local Mairie ensuring we have enough insurance cover and that they are aware of non EU people in the community. The EHIC or GHIC card may not be sufficient on its own, visitors need to have enough personal insurance to cover repatriation. And so it goes on. Sad it has come to this I feel.

This has just been mentioned on BBC radio 4, confirming what has been said. This is very sad.

It’s just what I caught on Sky News tonight. Will hopefully find out more tomorrow (well, today).....