807 replies to this topic

[lubylu]

I know they will be able to stay. But imagine how they feel working in a country that doesn't want to be part of Europe. It doesn't send a very positive message. I know from speaking to some of them that the whole thing has made them feel uncomfortable and reassess what they are doing working for our NHS.

[Hildegard]

The Polish ambassador said this morning that "Britain will always be our friend and ally, whatever happens".  A bit more of that generosity of spirit instead of the vilification, bullying and invective that Leavers have had to put up with would go a long way towards building bridges. 

 

Indeed so. But it won't be nice words that stop our services industries (worth 80% of our GDP) deciding to move to the continent in order to continue trading should the EU decide to no longer recognise our regulatory systems.

[PianoMike]

I understand that lubylu, that they may now feel detached. However, the people of this country are still the people of this country and they will continue the warmth and kindness. Those that voted out are the majority, and I think we must agree that the large part of that majority are the same people who've happily welcomed and lived alongside foreign workers for so long. If that majority had been so xenophobic there wouldn't have been the influx of people into britain for so many. years. Lets remember a lot of our deemed tolerant society have been part of this leave vote, and are just people who feel they just want a fairer deal. It remains to be seen if there ever was a fairer deal. Lets face it, both arguments were weak, every economic argument had a repost from the opposition. I think most will have voted on their gut.

[corenfa]

I feel really sad.

[lubylu]

I do too Cofenfa. I also feel ashamed to be British. The first 2 people I encountered at work this morning were EU immigrants. I feel like apologising to every one of them and telling them it wasn't me!

What I don't like about all of this is the concept that somehow Britain is "special" and superior. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. It goes along with our society being far more interested in rights than responsibilities and often people only being concerned about their own interests. That isn't a society I want to live in.

[chris13]

I am deeply saddened and quite frankly ashamed (lubylu's post has just come in saying the same). However we now have to move on and agree some form of compromise with the EU which appeals to many more than 50%ish of our population and also not forgetting British citizens living abroad. I always believed David Cameron was an honourable person even though I would not vote for his party. Lets hope they find a calm, realistic and conciliatory person to replace him in order to heal the divisions within the country and restore a worthwhile partnership with the EU.

[Arundodonuts]

What is very annoying but not at all unexpected is how Farage now distances himself from the Leave campaign as though it had nothing to do with him. I'm also pretty disgusted at the pathetic campaign Remain ran. It would have been so easy to debunk the tissue of lies being peddled by Leave. The subject of immigration seems to have played a major part but in reality it's background noise compared the real issues of trade, security and welfare.

[lubylu]

I shudder to think who's going to replace Cameron.....

[PianoMike]

If people aren't happy with the majority opinion and feel that Britain has become a land of hatred over night, they can do what many other people, disgruntled with their countries, have been doing for years and form an orderly (disorderly) queue at Calais. I'm quite sure this could go either way and be a bad decision but on sn economic front, nothing to do with the sentimental love thy neighbour nonsense. Its not about that luvvies

[Indisguise]

With Cameron, resigning was obviously the "easier" way out. Sometimes, it takes a bigger person to say something like, "I can understand the decision made by the Leave campaign and their reasons for choosing that route and will do the upmost to support and represent them". There is no shame in saying he was wrong or taking another view point, and I believe a lot of people would have respected him if he did that ... 

[AnnC]

Well, I hope and pray that the decision is the right one for the country, whichever way we voted. Obviously enough people thought that it is, and only time will tell. Funny, from what I saw on Facebook it looked as though it was going to be a 90% majority for the Remains. But I knew a lot of people who played their cards close to their chests - including young people and those with degrees, just to dispel the myth - who voted out. What is interesting is that there doesn't appear to be much gloating on FB this morning from the Brexiteers, but plenty of absolutely foul language coming from the Remain camp. Such a pity.

 

Interesting that the EU chose to announce their proposed new EU travel documents, allowing free travel for NON EU citizens throughout the EU, a couple of hours before our polls closed last night. Perhaps they thought we wouldn't notice? Now THAT is scary.

[Hildegard]

I do too Cofenfa. I also feel ashamed to be British. The first 2 people I encountered at work this morning were EU immigrants. I feel like apologising to every one of them and telling them it wasn't me!

What I don't like about all of this is the concept that somehow Britain is "special" and superior. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. It goes along with our society being far more interested in rights than responsibilities and often people only being concerned about their own interests. That isn't a society I want to live in.

 

Not wishing to be in an organisation such as the EU doesn't mean that we no longer value our fellow Europeans. Nobody says that the Norwegians, Swiss or Icelanders are "special" or concerned only about their own interests because they are not in the club.

[Jack Campin]

Let's hope to god Scotland gets out of this moronic banana republic sooner rather than later.

 

Meanwhile, loss of income from businesses that have European markets and the increase in the price of food will mean most music teachers can kiss goodbye to their chances of getting an income from something most of their clients will no longer be able to afford.

 

I'm going on holiday abroad next week.  With the pound headed the way of the Zimbabwean dollar it just got a lot more expensive.

[Aquarelle]

EU nationals will not be deported. British nationals  living outside the UK will not be deported back to Britain either. But they will have to apply for permits to stay and permits to work and they will not be entittled to the recoprocal health care agreements made between European states. Both groups will revert to the status of non European immigrants. And they will both automatically be in danger of facing discrimination which, within the EU they do not face.

 

Contolled immigration will most certainly eventually be applied to any person who does not have UK nationality - European or not.

 

I'm sorry polkadot that you feel wounded by some of the things the "in" people have said. You are of course entittled to your opinion. I too feel wounded. For the very first time in 36 years when I went out to the supermarket this morning I felt that I didn't belong - I felt like a foreigner. I felt vunerable. I daresay that is just an emotional reaction which will settle.But thr out vote goes against many of the things in which I believe and the life I have worked for here - along with many others;

 

The Polish prime minister is very right wing. In my view Nigel Farge is dangerously right wing. The extreme right wing in France are already gloating.  I am not suggesting that everyone in Britain who voted out is an extreme right winger. That would be silly. But the vote is being seen here very much in that directiont. The people outside the UK who are welcoming the British ou( vote are, groups who wish to destroy Europe. - and who certainly don't care one tiny bit about the fate of Britain outside the EU.

 

It is also not really correct to say that Europe has been blind to what has gone on outside London. There is "outside" Paris" and "outside Berlin" too and

there has been an increasing conciousness of the importance of this feeling..

 

My feeling is that David Cameron and Boris Johnson will go down in history as the men who tore the UK apart and chopped an essential link out of the European chain.. 

[AnnC]

Well said, Hildegard.