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Guy Verhofstadt says “Happy Brexit Day”

(215 Posts)
Urmstongran Tue 31-Jan-23 17:38:15

It’s a journey, not an event.
It’s only been 2 years - 11 months were tied to EU legislation.
We’ve ‘saved’ £198 BILLION not being part of the European furlough and QE packages.
I’m glad we’re out.
“Things can only get better” 🎵 🎶 as the song said!

MaizieD Fri 03-Feb-23 15:23:08

Whitewavemark2

But we can mitigate some of the damage, by having a closer relationship.

It is no big deal as it was absolutely promised by the leave campaign before the referendum.

A Leave voting caller on James O'Brien's programme today:

"Why can't it be the same as before we left?"

twitter.com/LBC/status/1621485416909094914

hmm

Whitewavemark2 Fri 03-Feb-23 15:19:30

Those that will resist the most are those that have seen a huge Brexit benefit.

No guesses as to what that is😄

Whitewavemark2 Fri 03-Feb-23 15:18:10

Well, the headbangers will always resist, but I think that the majority are willing to try to unite the UK. The brexiters will retain Brexit, and the remainers will regain a soft Brexit.

With regard to the EU laws.

It is being recognised that probably 99% of them that we integrated into U.K. law are necessary and in fact vital to the smooth running of a modern economy. I am not so concerned as I initially was and am a bit more confident that this will be revisited and revised.

Normandygirl Fri 03-Feb-23 15:01:45

Whitewavemark2

What I do think as far as Labour and Lib-dems are concerned is that they (and I agree) recognise the ghastly divisions that have resulted from the Tory policies since the idiot Cameron decided on a referendum.

I am hoping that they will work towards informing the population that the way forward is what we were promised which is a soft Brexit. One, in which we recognise the EU economic block as an important trading area, but which will only work with closer ties. Most large trading blocks and countries have recognised this and have developed closer ties for their own economic benefit.

This type of Brexit I think is the best way to bring the population together, reverse the damage done to our economy and tens of thousands of businesses, one with which the vast majority would find acceptable.

I completely agree, but I wonder how the UK can become a significant trading partner when it seems hellbent on ripping up all those "pesky" EU laws and directives. As most of them relate directly to trade, would a future Labour government have to re-instate them all again and how would that go down with the brexiteers? I can hear the cries of BRINO already.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 03-Feb-23 15:00:05

But we can mitigate some of the damage, by having a closer relationship.

It is no big deal as it was absolutely promised by the leave campaign before the referendum.

Maremia Fri 03-Feb-23 14:52:48

I have just noticed on Facebook a post that reports that The Bank of England says that BREXIT has done 'more damage' than they were expecting.
Who to believe? Such a quandry.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 03-Feb-23 14:52:24

As a poster is so fond of saying

“Let’s avoid extremes” 😄😄😄😄😄

Whitewavemark2 Fri 03-Feb-23 14:47:41

What I do think as far as Labour and Lib-dems are concerned is that they (and I agree) recognise the ghastly divisions that have resulted from the Tory policies since the idiot Cameron decided on a referendum.

I am hoping that they will work towards informing the population that the way forward is what we were promised which is a soft Brexit. One, in which we recognise the EU economic block as an important trading area, but which will only work with closer ties. Most large trading blocks and countries have recognised this and have developed closer ties for their own economic benefit.

This type of Brexit I think is the best way to bring the population together, reverse the damage done to our economy and tens of thousands of businesses, one with which the vast majority would find acceptable.

Dynawritecat Fri 03-Feb-23 14:45:29

What Lala land are you living in? Brexit always was going to be, and is, an unmitigated disaster.

Urmstongran Fri 03-Feb-23 14:35:06

Actually you talk a lot of sense DaisyAnne. As you say, we have left. Now we have to make the best of it. Long term, I believe we will.

maddyone Fri 03-Feb-23 14:32:54

Ashcombe

I have recently written to my MP regarding changes to rules for immigration to EU countries. Those of you who travel to and from Europe will be aware of the need to have passports stamped on entry and exit. EES is due to be introduced in May, 2023 (just over three months away) but I find no mention of this new regulation when I visit the UK government site, advising on travel to France. EES entails the fingerprinting and photographing of British travellers with these records being stored for future times when they might visit. Delays at ports and airports are expected when this is implemented. This will be followed by ETIAS being implemented in November of this year.

This is interesting. I returned from New Zealand today, arriving at Heathrow. Reading the information on who can use the e-gates at the airport I was surprised to see that all EU citizens are entitled to enter the UK via the e-gate, no fingerprints to be taken, no stamp of the passport, just free entry via the e-gate. No charge, and allowed to stay for a full six months in the UK. Given the conditions for British citizens to enter the EU from later this year, I wonder why we are being so generous with our entry conditions for EU citizens. Under the circumstances, I certainly wouldn’t be so generous.

Lizzie44 Fri 03-Feb-23 14:30:13

What's happened to the £350m a week promised for the NHS when we left the EU? Delayed in the post, disappeared down the back of the sofa or ....were we being lied to?

DaisyAnne Fri 03-Feb-23 14:00:20

Grantanow

I notice that Brexiteers here do not deny all the disadvantages arising from Brexit which I and others have listed at length. It is all, alas, water under the bridge because no major Party with a hope of being in government wants to renegotiate entry to the EU and the valuable single market instigated by Thatcher and there is no guarantee the EU members would want us back. The only hope is a renegotiated treaty with better terms than those negotiated by the incompetent and careless Johnson who lied about some of the consequences e.g., no border in the Irish sea, no problems for fishers, no problem with farmers' pickers. My fear is that the Tories will get back in as a coalition with the Lib Dems. I voted Lib Dem to keep the Tories out and they ratted 13 years ago and I have no reason to suppose they wouldn't rat again once they saw the Ministerial salaries and expenses, cars, red boxes, etc., dangled by a Tory leader. The recent comments on the state of our hollowed-out military together with a lack of serious economic growth tells me we are sliding down from being a power in the world.

Why would they even take part in that discussion? They know you will come back at them and try and flatten them. What good does that do?

Brexit never existed. Or rather, it had so many descriptions it was both nothing and everything.

The vote was on leave or remain. We have left. Whatever we think, we now need to move forward and make the best of it. Making the best of it will not be achieved by those who voted to leave telling us the upside or those who voted to remain telling us the downside. We have all seen that growing our economy is down to those most affected by it. The people who are to blame are the regular crew - this government of decline. We now need a government that is there for all.

In the last two years, America’s Congress has passed three bills on infrastructure, semiconductor chips and greenery. These will not directly reduce inflation, but the growth they provide will. During this time, all our government has done is look backward, talk about the mythical advantages of Brexit and change the person at the top with monotonous regularity.

We need a government that is truly aiming at modern industrialisation, investing enough in the left-behind places so they can grow themselves, giving people a chance of a true living income and fulfilling our green promises.

This government seems incapable of doing that. We need a new government not a constant attack on those who thought, for whatever reason, that to leave was the best thing for us.

vegansrock Fri 03-Feb-23 13:59:11

Brexit has freed up the U.K. economy to be the worst performing economy in the Western world bar none. Great.

MaizieD Fri 03-Feb-23 13:59:05

MerylStreep

MaizieD
That was the purpose of the subsidies. But as it all areas where eye watering sums of money are concerned, corruption follows.
Having had personal experience of €20 million disappearing into the ether when I lived in Bulgaria it’s a subject that I’ve taken an interest in.

www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/world/europe/eu-farm-subsidy-lobbying.html

Only 20 million, Meryl? Chickenfeed.

We can do much better than that in the UK.

How many £billions disappeared into the ether (or tory donor's pockets) during covid?

MaizieD Fri 03-Feb-23 13:56:07

What do you Brexit lot think about Boris Johnson saying that Ukraine joining the EU would be a good thing?

hmm

Annierob Fri 03-Feb-23 13:52:15

Brexit has been a disaster. It is our grandchildren who have had their standard of living reduced and face living in a country that is struggling to keep afloat.

MerylStreep Fri 03-Feb-23 12:37:32

MaizieD
That was the purpose of the subsidies. But as it all areas where eye watering sums of money are concerned, corruption follows.
Having had personal experience of €20 million disappearing into the ether when I lived in Bulgaria it’s a subject that I’ve taken an interest in.

www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/world/europe/eu-farm-subsidy-lobbying.html

MaizieD Fri 03-Feb-23 12:36:32

Whitewavemark2

LiliWenFach44

YOU MUST BE JOKING GUY V!

Yes, he is

He was trolling us...

Paperbackwriter Fri 03-Feb-23 12:36:25

The words "Happy" and "Brexit" don't go together, as far as I'm concerned. Pretty much an oxymoron. I really wondered at the time (and still do) how limited a view of the world people must have had in order to vote to leave the EU.

MaizieD Fri 03-Feb-23 12:34:04

Urmstongran

MerylStreep

Why, when BSE is still with us is the eu lifting the ban on feeding animal remains to livestock.
All is not as perfect as some would like us to believe.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/22/eu-to-lift-its-ban-on-feeding-animal-remains-to-domestic-livestock

Good point MerylStreep but note, it just gets ‘brushed aside’ as in ‘none of us are perfect’.
😁

It's micro as opposed to macro, Ug.

It's seeing the big picture as opposed to focussing on a small detail.

It's judging whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 03-Feb-23 12:31:16

LiliWenFach44

YOU MUST BE JOKING GUY V!

Yes, he is

Grantanow Fri 03-Feb-23 12:28:45

Further on Ukraine and EU membership, when former Soviet states joined the EU at Enlargement countries like Ireland and the Netherlands suddenly found themselves paying in to the budget. That is not quite the same as receiving one-off regional grants as the UK did pre-Brexit. The main problem is the Common Ag Policy from which Ukraine would be a large beneficiary. The UK of course had a large rebate on that thanks to Thatcher (which the Brexiteers including Johnson chose to ignore when making claims on the side of the bus).

Urmstongran Fri 03-Feb-23 12:24:02

MerylStreep

Why, when BSE is still with us is the eu lifting the ban on feeding animal remains to livestock.
All is not as perfect as some would like us to believe.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/22/eu-to-lift-its-ban-on-feeding-animal-remains-to-domestic-livestock

Good point MerylStreep but note, it just gets ‘brushed aside’ as in ‘none of us are perfect’.
😁

Grantanow Fri 03-Feb-23 12:20:42

I think the point about the coalition Lib Dems ditching the WASPIs over pensions is that the Tories could not have got it through the Commons without LibDem support. It was obvious to me at the time that once the Court ruled for pension equality a Tory government would save money by increasing women's eligibility age to 65. There was no chance they would reduce men's to 60 or go halfway. The moral is don't ask the Court to rule on ideological matters till you know what the practical outcome will be. Given the saving to Treasury I doubt Labour would alter the situation whatever they say before a GE.