How can businesses, trying to recover from Covid and the war in Ukraine, etc- cope with not knowing if and when and how they will be able to import from EU? This is an absolute shambles- and indicates that the Tory Governement were, at the time of the Referendum, totally unprepared for the consequences, and still are clueless 7 years later.
Controls were supposed to be finally imposed from 1st of November- 11 weeks from now. Businesses, hauliers, etc, etc, are supposed to be spending much time, and costly expertise, technology, etc- preparing - AGAIN - but still have NO information at all about how it will work and be implemented- for the 4th time- in just a few weeks.
Could you really blame EU and other exporters to UK if they just decide that, in those circumstances- they will just stop exporting to UK. We are not talking here about fancy cheeses and wine, but essential goods, chemicals, medicines, parts, fruit and veg, and so much more. At the moment, the EU could export anything to the UK without any controls- yes MEAT and other stuff that could bring catastrophic disease and sub-standard electrical goods, etc.
youtu.be/Uw-NIpE5Yh8
What a shambles.
GrannyGravy13
No reduction in our friends and family skiing in France/Austria this year. Or travelling to European countries and further afield for any holidays.
That is wonderful for you- but this is not about you, or me- but real statistics.
The overwhelming opportunity for Brexit is over the next 50 years.
Thus spake Jacob Rees-Mogg some years ago now during an interview with Channel 4 (I think it was C4).
The 'deal' was never going to live up to the rallying cry, IMO.
What matters now is how the government or any future government deals with the after-effects. We have got to get to grips with them so that businesses and the economy can function in the interests of the nation, as a whole.
And, so far, not so good.
Fleurpepper
GrannyGravy13
No reduction in our friends and family skiing in France/Austria this year. Or travelling to European countries and further afield for any holidays.
That is wonderful for you- but this is not about you, or me- but real statistics.
Aah but there are lies, damn lies and statistics.
GrannyGravy13
No reduction in our friends and family skiing in France/Austria this year. Or travelling to European countries and further afield for any holidays.
Same for us and our family. No differences noted in Germany, Austria, Italy - the places where we've always gone and enjoyed.
Also Portugal, I believe our daughter said it's even more reasonable.
Fleurpepper
GrannyGravy13
No reduction in our friends and family skiing in France/Austria this year. Or travelling to European countries and further afield for any holidays.
That is wonderful for you- but this is not about you, or me- but real statistics.
Like this one published this week
'Britons no longer the biggest group of foreign homebuyers in France
In 2015, Britons made 35% of all property purchases in France by foreign non-residents. Now, at 17%''
That is a huge drop. And yes, things are more difficultin Switzerland due to huge drop in value of Sterling as against the Swiss Franc. I personally know 3 couples who have had to sell up their holiday chalet due to the rise of costs, multiplied by the big loss in Sterling value.
But this is NOT the subject of this thread.
This is real, this is now.
Germanshepherdsmum
I buy some things direct from the EU, Germany in particular. No problems. Brexit is done, whether we like it or not. So what if Brits are spending less in the EU, if indeed that is the case - the OP hasn’t supplied any evidence of that. What does that matter to us in the UK? Why the histrionics?
That really surprises me Germanshepherdsmum, I’m finding it a real pain, the last pair of shoes I bought took almost two months to arrive.
Fleurpepper
Fleurpepper
GrannyGravy13
No reduction in our friends and family skiing in France/Austria this year. Or travelling to European countries and further afield for any holidays.
That is wonderful for you- but this is not about you, or me- but real statistics.
Like this one published this week
'Britons no longer the biggest group of foreign homebuyers in France
In 2015, Britons made 35% of all property purchases in France by foreign non-residents. Now, at 17%''
That is a huge drop. And yes, things are more difficultin Switzerland due to huge drop in value of Sterling as against the Swiss Franc. I personally know 3 couples who have had to sell up their holiday chalet due to the rise of costs, multiplied by the big loss in Sterling value.
But this is NOT the subject of this thread.
This is real, this is now.
For every anecdotal tale of woe I and many others can counteract them with a positive tale
I know several people who have bought property in Europe in the last year (Spain, France & Italy)
If you look for misery it will always find you.
In short, the EU is able to sell any old whatever, without any checks at all- and the Government is too scared to impose the promised checks because they have not done the necessary work, realise the bottle neck in Calais is impossible to solve, and they fear the backlash of the public if checks cause more empty shelves and essential shortages. It is a vast mess, which will affect us all.
Even the rich who can afford to go skiing- and will get stuck in the long queues, be it at the airports or Calais- and py much higher costs. But it is not about them ...
Haven’t been stuck in a long queue at any EU airport over the last 12 months, just told to use any lane, or the digital machine.
(Cyprus, Spain & Portugal)
Norah
Out of interest, FP, apart from how one voted (and I was a remainer), what difference does any of this make now? We still buy all the Italian/German things we bought prior, we still ski -- I'm at a loss as to import issues.
If the government continue to mess up - and it was the Tories who called the referendum without any plan - then it is does matter now and in the future.
We also notice that the Tories are moving back towards freedom of movement a step at a time. First step for Sunak is towards what he calls the Youth Mobility Scheme. A by-lateral agreement that Labour and the EU are also keen on, and which can, if necessary, be organised country by country.
This is obviously not because the Tories want to give Britain's a chance to work abroad as we used to but to allow young Europeans to come and work in Britain to answer the problem in hospitality and many of the skilled, but lower skilled areas.
They know Brexit has made a terrible economic performance so much worse.
Fleurpepper
In short, the EU is able to sell any old whatever, without any checks at all- and the Government is too scared to impose the promised checks because they have not done the necessary work, realise the bottle neck in Calais is impossible to solve, and they fear the backlash of the public if checks cause more empty shelves and essential shortages. It is a vast mess, which will affect us all.
Even the rich who can afford to go skiing- and will get stuck in the long queues, be it at the airports or Calais- and py much higher costs. But it is not about them ...
Not only rich people ski (that's wrong). There've been no long queues coming out of the Tunnel, skiing costs have been fine considering world inflation, imo. I just looked to records.
If people want to stop buying French holiday homes - fine, perhaps that location is passe. We've family who purchased in Italy and friends who purchased in Berlin this last few months.
We’ve done our bit for the French and Spanish & Bulgarian economy over the past 2 years ( and a lot more before that)
Ex husband bought & retired to Spain not long ago.
Friends sold their business and retired. They put a huge amount of money into the Spanish coffers buying a holiday home.
Are we supposed to be sorry for the EU? Count me out. My country comes first.
I know several people who have bought property in Europe in the last year, Spain, France & Italy.
Yes, interestingly my friend works for Leggett Immobilier in Brittany which has never been envied for its climate! 🌧 However, she told me last month that heatwaves in the South of France mean that Brittany is now attracting many wealthier British buyers, especially round the Golfe area. I think they are referred to as "migrants climatiques". Perhaps there is a reshuffle of location going on, but no less British demand.
Germanshepherdsmum
Are we supposed to be sorry for the EU? Count me out. My country comes first.
No, the EU is fine. This debacle has made them stronger than ever- and they are very happy trading with each other in times of shortages, and find other easier markets to reach.
It is indeed the UK that is getting badly damaged, in 100s of ways- including unchecked imports from EU. If they have ny rotten or diseased meat to get rid or faulty goods, they can just send them here. To your country, that comes first- mine too.
Joseann, from 35% to 17% - even if there is a switch of location- the difference is still huge. Almost half.
Germanshepherdsmum
Are we supposed to be sorry for the EU? Count me out. My country comes first.
May I point out that the properties in France and other EU are still selling, but not to Brits. So the EU is not suffering from the loss, at all. But the Brits are outpriced and their conditions are very restricted.
Fine. People can survive without buying a house in the EU, is that such a tragedy?
Germanshepherdsmum
Fine. People can survive without buying a house in the EU, is that such a tragedy?
It is definitely NOT the point of this thread anyhow. Totally irrelevant to the fact that the EU is able to seel anything to the UK without any checks at all. And that this cannot amount, in any way, shape or form, to 'getting back control'.
Well not a tragedy for you. Those people I know who spent all their har earned savings on a little place in EU or Switzerland, worked so hard on doing it up, in readiness for retirement, and have had to give it up- I've seen their tears, and for them, yes, it was some personal tragedy. Not that you would care, but hey ho. Irrelevant to this thread however.
It is the UK that is getting seriously damaged, in 100s of ways. What kind of scandal re poor imports, meat or otherwise, will make you and others take note?
I don’t buy imported meat. Not even for my dog. Animal welfare is high on my list of priorities. I very rarely buy any other imported food either, preferring to support my own country.
FP It is the UK that is getting seriously damaged, in 100s of ways. What kind of scandal re poor imports, meat or otherwise, will make you and others take note?
Perhaps people would note if there was any real reason to note?
I've not seen anything alarming - I'm a glass half full happy person.
The world is a different place since covid and Ukraine, I think that is much to problems you are seeing. Inflation is worldwide. Political unrest is worldwide, not just in the UK - look to Trump loving USA.
Germanshepherdsmum
I don’t buy imported meat. Not even for my dog. Animal welfare is high on my list of priorities. I very rarely buy any other imported food either, preferring to support my own country.
It's not about you, dear.
Fleurpepper
Germanshepherdsmum
I don’t buy imported meat. Not even for my dog. Animal welfare is high on my list of priorities. I very rarely buy any other imported food either, preferring to support my own country.
It's not about you, dear.
FP you do know meat can be sourced from within the UK?
it is the uk that is getting seriously damaged in hundreds of ways. What kind of scandal re poor imports, meat or otherwise will make you and others take not
Could you possibly more alarmist if you tried?
Bad meat/ products have always been imported/ exported all over the eu since its inception, and we were members, you’re never going to stop it.
You asked what kind of scandal re poor imports, meat or otherwise, would make me take note, fp. I replied. Don’t then tell me it’s not about me, or call me dear. How very rude.
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