Brexit - The Disaster That Keeps On Disastering

[Sarah]

Has anyone here voted for Brexit? Genuinely interested in what you hoped to achieve from it if you did.

 

[Angela Channing]

Has anyone here voted for Brexit? Genuinely interested in what you hoped to achieve from it if you did.

I'd be fascinated to know that too.

 

[Angela Channing]

Lord Frost attacks Brexit deal negotiated by.......... Lord Frost!

David Frost: Irish Sea row risks damaging UK-EU relations long term

Minister says government will not ‘sweep away’ NI Brexit protocol, but renews demands for major changes

www.theguardian.com

 

[DallasFanForever]

Not sure if this has been asked yet but even though I live here in the US I find this topic fascinating. A couple of questions:

What was the point in the UK leaving the EU after almost 50 years? How was this sold to you, its citizens?

And also is the UK still the only country to date to leave the EU for Brexit? If so then obviously this part is very telling. Again, thanks for the feedback as this is something I never see discussed over here obviously.

 

[Sarah]

Not sure if this has been asked yet but even though I live here in the US I find this topic fascinating. A couple of questions:

What was the point in the UK leaving the EU after almost 50 years? How was this sold to you, its citizens?

And also is the UK still the only country to date to leave the EU for Brexit? If so then obviously this part is very telling. Again, thanks for the feedback as this is something I never see discussed over here obviously.

I'm tempted to start another thread asking these very things and/or change the title of this thread now we're a bit further down the line @Angela Channing ?

 

[Angela Channing]

I'm tempted to start another thread asking these very things and/or change the title of this thread now we're a bit further down the line @Angela Channing ?

By all means start a new thread where we can discuss the reasons behind Brexit and any positives that people think have come from us leaving the EU.

I'd prefer to keep this thread with its current title as it's a good place for me, and anyone else, to vent frustrations about Brexit now that the realities of our decision to leave the EU are beginning to bite. If anyone disagrees with my comments or wants to challenge my views on Brexit am more than happy to have a discussion with them on this or any thread.

 

[Angela Channing]

What was the point in the UK leaving the EU after almost 50 years?

There was no point and it's just been one disaster after another since we left.

How was this sold to you, its citizens?

Those who campaigned for us to leave the EU tapped into the racism and xenophobia that exists in the UK and sold it as a way of stopping foreigners from entering the country. The reality is that more immigration to the UK comes from non EU countries and the EU workers that have come here often do the work that UK citizens won't do: jobs like picking fruit, being a carer or working in hospitality. By contrast, around 1.3 million people born in the UK live in EU countries, many of which were old retirees living in Spain who do not work and therefore don't contribute to the economy of their host country to the same extent as younger EU workers who came here.

And also is the UK still the only country to date to leave the EU for Brexit?

No other country has left the EU, in fact other countries are queuing up to join but they haven't yet meant the economic or human rights tests to be eligible. However, currently Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey have formally applied to join the EU. Additionally, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo have indicated that they would like to join.

 

[Angela Channing]

Another day another bunch of news stories that show how Brexit continues to be a disaster.

Do you care out the environment and our water supply? Tough because our Government says polluters can dump risky sewage into rivers because Brexit has disrupted water treatment.

Polluters told to dump risky sewage into rivers as Brexit disrupts water treatment

Supply chain disruption leading to fears of water treatment chemical shortage

www.independent.co.uk

Do you travel to other countries in the EU and previously enjoyed using your mobile phone without incurring additional charges? Tough, Three is the latest mobile network to announce it is reintroducing roaming charges between the UK and Europe.

Three brings in EU roaming charges and ends global scheme

Three is the third UK network to bring back roaming charges for the EU post-Brexit.

www.bbc.co.uk

Do you use Paypal to buy goods from EU countries? Tough, PayPal raises fees between UK and Europe.

PayPal raises fees between UK and Europe

PayPal is bringing in a new fee for commercial transactions between the UK and EEA.

www.bbc.co.uk

Do you have a job that produces products or services that are sold to Germany? Tough, you may not have it for long because Germany spent 11% less on British goods in the first six months of 2021, according to data from the Federal Statistics Office.

UK on course to drop from Germany's top 10 trading partners

Customs rules take their toll as German companies swap UK suppliers for alternatives in the EU.

www.bbc.co.uk

Brexit, the disaster that keeps on disastering.

 

[Sarah]

I wonder are a lot of people embarrassed to admit now that they voted for it, given what you’ve outlined above @Angela Channing ?

 

[Angela Channing]

I wonder are a lot of people embarrassed to admit now that they voted for it, given what you’ve outlined above @Angela Channing ?

They should be ashamed, not embarrassed, because all this and more was predicted as being the inevitable consequence of Brexit but they didn't care. We are now a poorer, less influential more expensive and a more xenophobic and racist country as a result of Brexit. That's plenty to be ashamed of causing.

 

[Angela Channing]

The European Union's trade surplus with UK for the first 7 months 2021, i.e, after the post Brexit trade deal, was €82.1 billion which is significantly up from the same months in 2020 when it was €56.7 billion.

The reason for this is UK exports to the EU has fallen by 17.1%. EU exports to UK grew by 6.2%.

However you look at these figures it's a disaster for UK companies that trade with the EU but less so for EU countries that trade with us. Brexit is killing UK exports which means less tax revenues and fewer jobs here.

 

[Emelee]

The European Union's trade surplus with UK for the first 7 months 2021, i.e, after the post Brexit trade deal, was €82.1 billion which is significantly up from the same months in 2020 when it was €56.7 billion.

The reason for this is UK exports to the EU has fallen by 17.1%. EU exports to UK grew by 6.2%.

However you look at these figures it's a disaster for UK companies that trade with the EU but less so for EU countries that trade with us. Brexit is killing UK exports which means less tax revenues and fewer jobs here.

And it's not just EU companies that buys less from the UK. I no longer buy many products from the UK because of that extra custums duty. Just ordering 1 little dvd movie will cost about £7 extra in customs.

 

[Angela Channing]

Joe Biden has played down the chances of a post-Brexit free trade deal between the US and UK, as he held talks with Boris Johnson at the White House.

Joe Biden plays down chances of UK-US trade deal

The US president's comments come as he meets Boris Johnson for talks in the White House.

www.bbc.co.uk

So Brexiteers, where are all these fantastic trade deals that we were all promised? No trade deal with the big economies like USA, China and India and no prospect of deals in the future. Meanwhile, exports to EU countries have collapsed while the EU continues to import freely to the UK. What on earth was the point of Brexit? Of course, it was about immigration but people don't want to be honest and upfront about it

 

[Angela Channing]

Everything that has gone wrong due to Brexit in the last week alone according to this article in The Independent:

1. HGV lorry driver shortage
2. Priti Patel’s new border rules challenged for breaking international law
3. International press embarrassed by Britain
4. US trade deal comments come back to haunt Brexiteers
5. Petrol shortages cause stations to close
6. Brexit has raised food costs
7. Turkey supplier blames Brexit for supply issues
8. EU ID scheme causes airport headache fears

Everything that has gone wrong due to Brexit in the last week alone

“Get Brexit done”, Boris Johnson spluttered over the course of his 2019 election campaign, three years after the country marginally voted to leave the EU.But two years after that, and five years after the initial referendum, we are still witnessing the issues that the policy has thrown up...

www.indy100.com

Brexit, the disaster that keeps on disastering.

 

[Sarah]

The only thing Bojo cared about was 'getting it done' to prove a point to Teresa May.

Thanks again to all those who voted when NI clearly voted REMAIN and who have taken out down the river with you.

 

[Sarah]

Have heard from 2 friends now that the airport experience for British travellers is an absolute nightmare on arrival/leaving EU countries thanks to Brexit. My brother was 3 hours early for a flight to NI out of Denmark and the system is so shambolic (one laptop for all non EU) that he missed his flight.

Another friend arrived in Paris and had an hour and a half wait for a passport check - British citizen.

Thank God I have an Irish passport, but what were people thinking voting to leave the EU?!

 

[Brian Kinney]

Have heard from 2 friends now that the airport experience for British travellers is an absolute nightmare on arrival/leaving EU countries thanks to Brexit. My brother was 3 hours early for a flight to NI out of Denmark and the system is so shambolic (one laptop for all non EU) that he missed his flight.

I think before that our press had lots of reports from EU travellers to the UK who had to wait for hours in airports because of some rule that strangely doesn't affect travellers outside EU countries. Journalists then wondered why the EU isn't applying the same (non-existing) "rule" to British tourists. Now obviously they do. All on the shoulders of citizens who like to travel and are more likely remainers...

It's shameful but the UK is playing an "alone against the world" game that even right-wing governments in Poland and Hungary understand to play better with than against because they think at least about the effect on their economies. In the future Johnson will probably compare Britain's economy to Belarus to make a winning point. It's sad to observe the regressive development in the UK.

 

[Sarah]

I think before that our press had lots of reports from EU travellers to the UK who had to wait for hours in airports because of some rule that strangely doesn't affect travellers outside EU countries. Journalists then wondered why the EU isn't applying the same (non-existing) "rule" to British tourists. Now obviously they do. All on the shoulders of citizens who like to travel and are more likely remainers...

It's shameful but the UK is playing an "alone against the world" game that even right-wing governments in Poland and Hungary understand to play better with than against because they think at least about the effect on their economies. In the future Johnson will probably compare Britain's economy to Belarus to make a winning point. It's sad to observe the regressive development in the UK.

My brother and I will both be shredding our British passports at the earliest convenience. Utterly ashamed not that I ever classed myself as British anyway, it’s just part of our confusing identity being from Northern Ireland. We voted NO to Brexit but Johnson doesn’t care about us.

 

[Rove]

Petrol shortages cause stations to close

This made NEWS here in Australia and Brexit was mentioned as being the cause because most of the lorry drivers previously employed have returned to their home countries. It was sad to see my English cousins descend into fights over fuel but then I'm reminded how tense things became here in Australia over toilet paper.

 

[Brian Kinney]

That's a thing about the referendum I never understood: two of four countries voted for remain and the representation of these other two countries isn't respected. What is the idea to be still part of the UK if you can't turn around anything because of the sheer dominance of the others votes per population?

How fast headlines changed...