Still told to 'get over it, it's done.

Claremont

Allira

We do still trade with the EU.

It is just that we are no longer part of the Customs Union and Single Market.

Yes, we do, at huge costs. Lots of paperwork, expensive official and vet checks, customs duties, etc, which massively eats into profits, to the point that many have just given up.

On the other hand, as we so desperately need goods from EU- checks have been postponed, and postponed and postponed again, as we do not have suitable facilities or staffing- so anything can come into the UK mostly unchecked, including possibly dangerous meats, plants and electrical goods, etc (like batteries that blow up and cause fires).

In the meantime, if you follow GB News, you would not have seen the results of the YouGov statistics posted above- as they did not want you to see them. Wonder why?

*GB News has deleted article about plummeting Brexit support from their website*

Confirmed today in a BBC article, about warnings that security checks don't work- and that tons of illegal, unchecked and possibly diseased meat is entering the UK all the time.

'Efforts to keep potentially disease-ridden meat out of the UK are being undermined by post-Brexit border checks, a senior health official has said.

The boss of the Dover Port Health Authority said illegal meat, which has not been through proper health checks, was now available on "most high streets" in the UK.

European outbreaks of deadly animal diseases in recent months have left health authorities, Whitehall officials and many in the farming industry worried about the threat they pose to the UK.

But the government has insisted the checks work and it will never "waver in its duty to support the UK's biosecurity".

Under the post-Brexit system, checks on commercial vehicles do not take place at Dover itself.

Instead, drivers are ordered to travel 22 miles (35km) away to a border control post at Sevington.

But critics have warned that many lorries are simply failing to turn up for the checks, due to a lack of enforcement.'

Dangerous for people, our children, and also for our farming industry as disease can so easily spread. The system is just NOT working, Same for chemicals, drugs, electrical goods, unsafe materials of every kind.

UK farmers and producers, businesses, big and small, have had strong and expensive checks imposed since Brexit. But the UK is just too dependent on imports that it has just not been able to get proper checking systems working.

Romola
European values, standards and rights

Are those the same European values, standards and rights that some EEC member countries don't feel are in their best interests?

Allira, you ask what I am doing about it.
I have joined the European Movement, which campaigns for a close relationship with the EU and to ensure that European values, standards and rights are upheld in the UK post-Brexit. We hold regular stalls in our town centre.
I'm a retired teacher of French and German, so I'm keeping up relationships with all possible contacts in the EU, including my late DH's through his many engineering business friends in the EU.
On this forum, I'm just saying, DH's company was an original equipment manufacturer, developing and making communications systems for difficult environments. Much of the production was exported to the EU. Going back to 1992 and the introduction of the single market, suddenly export to the EU became seamless, as did travel. Now, all has gone into reverse and I'm just glad he sold the company and retired before Brexit.
I'm an active Lib Dem, the party, one point of whose manifesto is membership of the single market.
Oh, and by the way, our DiL, a professional musician, is also campaigning to make it normal once again to work in the EU. Musicians have had a terrible time, what with Covid on top of Brexit.

Well, I know I won't change things any other way except by voting.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Our old MP was a pro-Brexiteer but as for the new one, she's not very visible at all.

Write articles for paper - how do you get them published? That would be at the discretion of the Editor unless you work for that publication or are an established free-lance journalist

So should we write to pro-EU politicians and the PM urging them to apply to rejoin?

To coin a phrase, "they're going to do what they're going to do".

Thanks for this post.

if anything, sitting or lying back and accepting all this nonsense would truly depress me.

I think maybe we need to understand both ends of the spectrum where acceptance is concerned.
Without wishing to be accused of being a Patience Strong disciple again, (though I know that wasn't from you Claremont), my acceptance of Brexit involves moving on from it and finding alternatives. Not necessarily to see it as a victory, and I can appreciate that many aren't happy about it, but as an opportunity to pursue other avenues. At the other end of the spectrum, maybe there are those who are just resigned, and lie back, as a form of acceptance, but they were never going to be the ones to do anything exciting with their lives anyway, so it really doesn't bother them.

Many of us write to our MPs, attend surgeries, write articles for papers, and get involved in as many ways as possible, including supporting politicians, and even our PM, who are aware of the issues and want to redress the balance.

Small things all aadd up. No need to be a hero!

Nobody should expect easier cross border trade or travel soon, before Brexit the UK had unified rules for the production of goods and growing of food AND the ability for the EU to oversee those rules.
The VAT system was also unified, now, for many purchases it’s charged twice. Freedom of movement in some form needs to be agreed, currently I don’t believe that is at all likely

Allira

But I asked the question why back in the thread - what are you doing about it?

I don't mean starting threads on social media, I mean what actions are you taking personally to ensure we re-join the EU?
Are you a politician? An adviser to politicians perhaps?

You don't have to answer if secret talks are going on, of course, obviously.

Claremont

I am a positive doer and a fighter and bounce back optimist.

So why not share your positive doings, how you are fighting and bouncing back?

And what a great example you could be to those who you have dismissed.

But I asked the question why back in the thread - what are you doing about it?

I don't mean starting threads on social media, I mean what actions are you taking personally to ensure we re-join the EU?
Are you a politician? An adviser to politicians perhaps?

You don't have to answer if secret talks are going on, of course, obviously.

Romola

Well, I'm not accepting the situation. I'm not saying we shall rejoin the EU in the foreseeable future. But I'm feeling annoyed with Sir Keir for dragging his feet over the youth mobility scheme, such a tiny step. We should best strengthening ties with the EU, not making concessions to Trump and Musk.

Exactly, why should we accept it?

I am a positive doer and a fighter and bounce back optimist.

And fed up with the old and repeated accusations that if you want to do something about it, you are a miserable, stressed nutter without a life, and who does not value her health and sanity. Totally the opposite- if anything, sitting or lying back and accepting all this nonsense would truly depress me.

We haven’t made any concessions to Trump and Musk romola, and it’s obviously escaped your attention just how much time Starmer has spent in the EU. Today for instance. And btw I am not a Labour supporter.

Romola

Well, I'm not accepting the situation. I'm not saying we shall rejoin the EU in the foreseeable future. But I'm feeling annoyed with Sir Keir for dragging his feet over the youth mobility scheme, such a tiny step. We should best strengthening ties with the EU, not making concessions to Trump and Musk.

I agree.

Well, I'm not accepting the situation. I'm not saying we shall rejoin the EU in the foreseeable future. But I'm feeling annoyed with Sir Keir for dragging his feet over the youth mobility scheme, such a tiny step. We should best strengthening ties with the EU, not making concessions to Trump and Musk.

A bit meaningless then. Maybe a lot of them voted Leave to stop immigration.

Anyway, we have what we have and I for one won’t lose sleep over something about which I can do b*gger all. I value my health and sanity.

The Express, yes, The Express also has done a poll. 74% of responders (yes, of The Express readership!) think Brexit has been a failure.

I think it is now mid 2025 for all the EU. I understand it was the smaller airports that were not ready, not just France. As it has been postponed so many times, I am not holding my breath.

I don't know about Spain, but it got postponed in France because the French aren't ready to implement it!!

‘Do I Need ETIAS to Travel to Spain? Yes. From 2025, as a UK citizen you will be asked to apply for ETIAS authorisation to enter Spain. By Launching ETIAS System, the European Union intends to enhance the safety and security of the EU's external borders and reduce the risks of illegal migration’.
Is this going to affect us when we travel to Europe? Are we taking part in the scene which will help to stop illegal migration. I don’t really travel abroad these days so don’t understand te implications.

Allira

We do still trade with the EU.

It is just that we are no longer part of the Customs Union and Single Market.

Yes, we do, at huge costs. Lots of paperwork, expensive official and vet checks, customs duties, etc, which massively eats into profits, to the point that many have just given up.

On the other hand, as we so desperately need goods from EU- checks have been postponed, and postponed and postponed again, as we do not have suitable facilities or staffing- so anything can come into the UK mostly unchecked, including possibly dangerous meats, plants and electrical goods, etc (like batteries that blow up and cause fires).

In the meantime, if you follow GB News, you would not have seen the results of the YouGov statistics posted above- as they did not want you to see them. Wonder why?

GB News has deleted article about plummeting Brexit support from their website

We have visited various vets in France over the past 5 years and they all think the pet paperwork requested by the EU is bonkers. So much so, that the vets know how to advise to get round it.
In my opinion, the EU probably thinks we were bonkers to leave, but personally I think they would accommodate our return fairly readily.

Summysoom

henetha

Well, to use another cliché, it's time we moved on....

All very well to say that until you’re travelling in Europe. We watched EU passport holders sail through last year in Malaga while we languished for over a —year— an hour to get through the one ‘foreigner’ line. I wanted to shout at the line ‘which if you idiots voted ‘leave’?

That’s unfortunate, have flown into Malaga twice in the last year and they were waiving people through all the gates, no difference between EU passports or others.

henetha

Well, to use another cliché, it's time we moved on....

All very well to say that until you’re travelling in Europe. We watched EU passport holders sail through last year in Malaga while we languished for over a —year— an hour to get through the one ‘foreigner’ line. I wanted to shout at the line ‘which if you idiots voted ‘leave’?

Layla Moran said on the politics programme that there are @ 30,000 small UK businesses that no longer trade with the EU post Brexit. Someone that I buy greetings cards from said recently that this is what has happened to him.