Brexit finally being recognised as one of the causes of the crises

Need more youngsters? Unemployment rate is 4.6% but more than double this in young people. Bearing in mind many young people are either borrowing a small fortune to go to college or part of the gig economy (zero hour contract) I think the UK has long way to go to improve opportunites for the next generation. Brexit enables us to limit the amount of cheap foreign labour businesses can use so they will need to review their training and recruitment policies.

I doubt anyone who uses the term "small island" as a cover for an anti foreigner rant has ever looked at an atlas or statistics on refugees.

Going back over the years I can’t think of anyone from another country that has written about the U.K. in such a kindly and affectionate way. He has become a National treasure.

CoolCoco

I doubt anyone who uses the term "small island" as a cover for an anti foreigner rant has ever looked at an atlas or statistics on refugees.

I think it just sounds believable to those who don't want to think about it too hard - that we're running out of space.

I always like to counter with "We're the sixth biggest economy in the world"

Never seems to work, though...

The map theory only works if the size of the island is taken in isolation with no further thought or research.

I now have a picture of the small island folk looking mistily at the map longing for the days when it was all pink.

The funny thing is that the Reverend Malthus was saying much the same thing around the turn of the 18th/19th century. Except that he was worried about the rate of reproduction of 'the poor', rather than non white people. Population of England* was then about 9 million...

(*Might have been GB & Ireland but CBA to look it up)

MayBee70

Going back over the years I can’t think of anyone from another country that has written about the U.K. in such a kindly and affectionate way. He has become a National treasure.

Yes, he has lovely rose tinted specs!

I thought small island was a reference to the book by Andrea Levy but was attempting to make a joke about Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

Perhaps a joke was not appropriate

If the government turns down the EU's latest offer we could well be into a trade war. That would be an incontestable effect of Brexit...

(Bryson was Chancellor of our University until he resigned when the Vice Chancellor started building on every inch of available space in our historic little city... I don't think he liked that)

Callistemon

MayBee70

Going back over the years I can’t think of anyone from another country that has written about the U.K. in such a kindly and affectionate way. He has become a National treasure.

Yes, he has lovely rose tinted specs!

I thought small island was a reference to the book by Andrea Levy but was attempting to make a joke about Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

Perhaps a joke was not appropriate

My fault: I replied after only dipping in and out of the thread and not reading it properly, something I usually try not to do!

Bill Byson - one of my favourite authors, have had tears rolling down my face at some of his observations - nothing to do with this thread I know, but he's definitely worth a comment!

Curlywhirly

Bill Byson - one of my favourite authors, have had tears rolling down my face at some of his observations - nothing to do with this thread I know, but he's definitely worth a comment!

Definitely! I must dip into his books again.

Same here.

Alegrias1

CoolCoco

I doubt anyone who uses the term "small island" as a cover for an anti foreigner rant has ever looked at an atlas or statistics on refugees.

I think it just sounds believable to those who don't want to think about it too hard - that we're running out of space.

I always like to counter with "We're the sixth biggest economy in the world"

Never seems to work, though...

Indeed, and David Card won the Nobel prize in economics last week for showing - and not just theoretically - amongst other things that that an 'influx' of cheaper foreign labour actually has little or no effect on wages in the economy

...coming round here, with your fancy-schmancy proof....

I didn't know that, thanks Petera

Alegrias1

...coming round here, with your fancy-schmancy proof....

I didn't know that, thanks Petera

There will be alternative facts alongs soon...

Issued by youGov.

What I don’t understand is why?

Standard response to this kind of information WWM2

1. Its just a poll and they're all fixed anyway, can't trust them.

2. You're looking down your nose at people you think are stupid.

3. Yah boo sucks you lost.

But it has implications for the future, that is my worry.

I agree, WWM2. I do think that people with a lower level of education are more likely to be taken in by promises of sunlit uplands and British exceptionalism. So I think there are 2 answers; first, politicians start taking notice of their responsibilities, and acting on them. That's on all sides of politics, so that the opposition parties start really identifying the failures of government and don't let them off with anything.

Second, a better educated electorate.

Now the very fact that I've written that will bring down all the opprobrium of GN on my head.

Alegrias1 and WWM2 Many of us agree with you. Personally I think that &Alegrias1 has her answers the wrong way round. Better educated electorate should be number 1.

Is it possible that the better educated think a little more about other people (apart from their families)?

No one could think that a better politically informed electorate is not an asset to any Country.

Maybe include some political education (national & local) in PHSE as a norm?

GrannyGravy13

No one could think that a better politically informed electorate is not an asset to any Country.

Maybe include some political education (national & local) in PHSE as a norm?

Yes I think that’s right.

I think the teachers on here will know better, but wasn’t there as part of the curriculum, citizenship or some such thing which included politics, but has been withdrawn?

I had to look up PHSE .

For me, its just more about being able to reason things out. To understand that everybody has an agenda and not to take at face value everything that anybody tells you, and to understand that the simplest argument isn't necessarily the right one. The small island thing, for instance.

What a higher level of education does is to teach how to think critically and not accept what is being said by politicians or media etc without applying criticism and facts.

Those without the benefit of that may be more inclined to accept what they hear or read without question.

Some politics is taught in modern history lessons although not under that name. I often think that nineteenth century history should be taught to all children as it has such a bearing on lives today with the start of so many things. I only did up to 1914 as after that was considered not really history! The event at Sarajevo was the final occurrence.
Events in Ireland and the treatment of the agricultural workers still has shadows today in some areas - knowing some of these things does help to put things in perspective.