Some effects of Brexit on unimportant people

The other evening during the PM's briefing I heard Laura Kuenssberg point out that it's not just about people missing their two week summer holidays abroad, it's also about those with family living abroad whom they haven't been able to see for over a year now.

I was so moved I could have wept. That's the first time I've felt someone recognised that for people like me there is just an enormous void in our lives. I haven't seen my DD and DGS for 14 months and it's very hard to stay focused and not to give in to feeling defeated by this prolonged absence. If I send a parcel now, they have to pay on it at the other end!

Re: Erasmus. I was employed on the Erasmus scheme and it's not just the young people missing out on the wonderful opportunities who are affected. Tutors have lost their jobs, along with all the income for local organisers, host families, room hire in Universities and catering staff and all the money spent on sightseeing, theatre visits, refreshments and shopping.

It was so inspirational to go into European schools and organise exchanges between English teachers and pupils. All gone. Our young people will be the losers, because those countries will continue to benefit from the wider educational and cultural experiences.

No idea what to say but didn’t want to just bypass your post. It’s criminal is what it is.

Polarbear2

No idea what to say but didn’t want to just bypass your post. It’s criminal is what it is.

Thanks. No need to say anything.

I'm still in admiration of your masterly analysis of our Glorious Leader on another thread yesterday.

It's the indifference to the adverse effects on ordinary people's lives which really upsets me.

A referendum is held on divisive topics with polarised opinions. I think some of the fall out here is from the pandemic, not Brexit only. A Scottish referendum if it happens again soon will be equally divisive. The result will suit some and not others.

^ I think some of the fall out here is from the pandemic, not Brexit only^

Oh really? Re a lly...

So it's the pandemic that is to blame for all the non tariff barriers that are increasing the paperwork and costs for both exporting to and importing from the EU. The barriers that are talked about in the thread I posted.

Perhaps you'd like to explain how the pandemic is imposing all the paperwork and extra costs. And the long delays in customs so that a present of cake to a son is rotten when it arrives.

This has nothing at all to do with the divisiveness of referendums. This is about damaging people's lives and livelihoods.

No, I meant this ...

The other evening during the PM's briefing I heard Laura Kuenssberg point out that it's not just about people missing their two week summer holidays abroad, it's also about those with family living abroad whom they haven't been able to see for over a year now.

Brexit hasn’t caused this situation.
It’s the pandemic and restrictions due to it.

No pandemic stopped the Erasmus scheme. When will you just accept that the government has reneged on some of the promises it made? It lied - there's no other word for it.

The pandemic hasn't made it more difficult and expensive for people to live and work in the EU. Brexit has. Stop telling porkies!

I’ve had to order a component that comes from Sweden it cost £135. - it would have been £100 before January. It clearly stars on the checkout - rise in price due to Brexit and then itemises the taxes etc. No I can’t buy it in the u.k. or I would have done so.

A friend of mine is a professional gardener. He ordered 80 bare rooted fruit trees last autumn for planting this month in a new orchard. Unfortunately, the Dutch supplier will no longer deliver because the red tape and shipping would be prohibitively expensive. He's just spent the last week trying to source the trees from a UK supplier, but hasn't been able to find 80. That's absolutely nothing to do with Covid, but Brexit.

It is so upsetting isn't it? Why oh why have so many voted for causing all this extra paperwork and costs? All these barriers now to be overcome. We have definitely regressed, but then I suppose that is what some wanted, back to the 19th Century

But, we do have Blue Passports! so thats ok then.

NannyJan53

It is so upsetting isn't it? Why oh why have so many voted for causing all this extra paperwork and costs? All these barriers now to be overcome. We have definitely regressed, but then I suppose that is what some wanted, back to the 19th Century

But, we do have Blue Passports! so thats ok then.

People weren't given this sort of information when they voted.

Several things have become difficult for us living in France. I have used the Next international site but because unwanted goods have to be returned to UK this is now complicated and expensive. The lady in the Post Office was quite apologetic about the amount of paperwork required. It's hard to judge at the moment which things are a problem due to the pandemic or Brexit. Of course others face much more serious problems but the small things are frustrating.

NannyJan53

It is so upsetting isn't it? Why oh why have so many voted for causing all this extra paperwork and costs? All these barriers now to be overcome. We have definitely regressed, but then I suppose that is what some wanted, back to the 19th Century

But, we do have Blue Passports! so thats ok then.

To be fair, I don't think that people who voted Leave really understood the difficulties that leaving the Single Market would cause. We have got so accustomed to very easy trade within the EU; as easy as trading within the UK itself.
It wasn't even necessary to leave the Single Market & the Customs Union; more rational Leave voters didn't advocate that at all. Leave campaign leaders and influencers casually brushed aside any talk of difficulties, good old Project Fear, and I think that many of them didn't really understand what becoming a third country really involved.

But it would be less infuriating if leave voters had the grace to show a modicum of concern for those who have been adversely (and against their wills) affected by the results of their vote. (A bit of contrition would be lovely, too, though probably asking a bit too much of them.) Completely ignoring other's distress caused by their vote just perpetuates division and bad feeling.

You are right MaizieD I have been saying often to my OH that we were not given enough information at the very start Just stark headlines about money to the NHS etc. I have heard a few people say over the past year, 'If I knew that I would have voted to remain'!

To me it makes sense that we are all stronger together. Even my 90 year old Mum thought that.

Absolutely agree that there wasn’t enough info. I think I pay attention to such things but I hadn’t ever considered the Irish border issue for example. I don’t think any of us, including possibly many in government, had any idea what the real impact of leaving would be. I stand by that it was never meant to end up with us leaving. Cameron did it to shut his right wing party members up. They were completely unprepared, complacent, and left the field wide open for the Leave campaign to road roller its way to success. Several leave voters I know voted as a protest vote regards immigration. They had absolutely no intention of causing what then followed.

It's the constant complaining IMO that "perpetuates division and bad feeling". Had the vote gone the other way, there'd have been people forced to remain in the EU "against their wills".

Well I've heard more than a few people who voted remain say if there'd been another referendum they'd have voted leave NannyJan. People change their minds but regardless of how one voted, it's happened.

The dismantling of Erasmus is a disgrace, it directly affects students that are less likely to be able to afford to have options open to them due to lack of privilege

It's the constant complaining IMO that "perpetuates division and bad feeling".

I don't think you even bothered to read the OP, did you 'Smileless*? Where is the moaning and complaining?

More relevant is, where is your sympathy for the people whose lives have been disrupted by your vote?

Had the vote gone the other way, there'd have been people forced to remain in the EU "against their wills

But there would have been absolutely no effect on their businesses, their hobbies, their exchanges of presents with relatives in other EU countries or on their daily lives. A remain vote wouldn't have caused any difficulties apart from the moaning...

The whole leave campaign was a disgrace. It's main focus was on keeping the immigrants out and the vote showed this country up for what we are. It completely ignored the disastrous effect it is was going to have on many peoples lives keeping the immigrants was what mattered.

I don't think you bothered to read my post did you Maizie.

Where did I say that the OP was moaning and complaining?

You assume incorrectly, that I have no sympathy for the disruption that leaving the EU has caused.

I was not naive enough to assume there wouldn't be disruption and like every other person who voted, whether it was to leave or remain, exercised my democratic right to do so.

Unlike so many though, I have neither the need nor the desire to keep fuelling the division and bad feeling.

Smileless2012 Please explain why I, as someone who lives in France would have been forced to stay here? First I've heard of it.

I've no idea why someone would say you've been forced to stay living in France Dinahmo or where you've got that from.

Smileless2012

"Had the vote gone the other way, there'd have been people forced to remain in the EU "against their wills"

Quote from your post. I've just substituted France for EU