** The Brexit Thread ** - 'Brexit Means Brexit'

[blackbike]

Tomorrow is the anniversary of our decision to advise the government to leave the EU.

I'll dedicate my Friday night drinks as a celebration of that wonderful day.

Of course, the real anniversary is 1st Feb 2018, a year after parliament, after accepting our advice, voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU by allowing Article 50 to be invoked by the PM.

That'll probably be the day when Gina Miller, that great admirer of the sovereignty of our national parliament, celebrates the anniversary and I'll probably have another celebration of my own on that day too.

Then there's 29th March, the anniversary of the day our government triggered Article 50.

I'll celebrate on that day as well.

So many Brexit related happy anniversaries!

Drinking alone is never a good thing. You should really try and avoid it.

Thanks for the advice.

Finding other people to celebrate with won't be a problem.

The country is full of Leave voters.

More people voted to leave the EU than have ever voted for anything else in the entire history of democracy in the UK.

[1gunsalute]

The other anniversary you could celebrate is the day when the NHS started to get its extra £350m a week. Now remind me when that is?

[meic]

Tomorrow is the anniversary of our decision to advise the government to leave the EU.

And look at how much has been achieved in the first year since Independence Day.

[pwa]

According to a recent poll (usual caveats apply) only about 20% of us now believe Brexit should not happen. Maybe some of you should shift your focus to how Brexit can be brought about in the best way. I know most on this thread don't want it, but it is probably going to happen so why not get over it and start talking about the kind of Brexit you find least difficult to accept?

[meic]

but it is probably going to happen

Do I detect doubt?
I am doubting my earlier predictions of a Frexit (Fake-British-Exit) but nothing has been done so far which really negates it as a possibility. I just think the rhetoric has been too strong for a government which is planning such a future sleight of hand. May be that is the way it has to be played by them.
The dragging of feet in starting Article 50, starting negotiations etc, is certainly consistent with giving us plenty of chance to change our minds when something miraculous happens to sway the public attitude.

[1gunsalute]

According to a recent poll (usual caveats apply) only about 20% of us now believe Brexit should not happen. Maybe some of you should shift your focus to how Brexit can be brought about in the best way. I know most on this thread don't want it, but it is probably going to happen so why not get over it and start talking about the kind of Brexit you find least difficult to accept?

Lots of us have been trying to debate just that subject of what sort of Brexit is best. But it seems that Brextremists keep trying to shut down the debate - "the country voted to take control of immigration therefore we have to leave the single market". But the country also voted for a Brexit that doesn't damage jobs and the economy, and for a Brexit that delivers an extra £350m a week for the NHS.

So the debate can't really start until the Brextremists admit that we can't have a cake and eat it Brexit. Meantime we have less than 21 months to agree on all this stuff.

Trouble is the Brextremists are happy not to have the debate - let negotations run to the wire, say that EU isn't offering a good deal so we'll crash out without a deal. Their idea of heaven.

[pwa]

but it is probably going to happen

Do I detect doubt?
I am doubting my earlier predictions of a Frexit (Fake-British-Exit) but nothing has been done so far which really negates it as a possibility. I just think the rhetoric has been too strong for a government which is planning such a future sleight of hand. May be that is the way it has to be played by them.
The dragging of feet in starting Article 50, starting negotiations etc, is certainly consistent with giving us plenty of chance to change our minds when something miraculous happens to sway the public attitude.

My main cause for doubt is that I feel some on the other side of the Channel may be tempted to try to prevent Brexit by making sure that the terms presented to the UK people and Parliament are so unattractive that we all say "oh well, better settle for staying in". So yes, I do have a doubt.

But I wonder if some Remainers will end up, in a post-Brexit UK, constantly fighting yesterday's battle.

[meic]

I dont see why not, speaking as a leaver fighting a battle from 740 years ago.

[pwa]

I dont see why not, speaking as a leaver fighting a battle from 740 years ago.

But it would be boring for the rest of us and sad for them.

[meic]

I am sure that exactly that was said about the leave campaigners until just a touch over a year ago.

[bovlomov]

According to a recent poll (usual caveats apply) only about 20% of us now believe Brexit should not happen. Maybe some of you should shift your focus to how Brexit can be brought about in the best way. I know most on this thread don't want it, but it is probably going to happen so why not get over it and start talking about the kind of Brexit you find least difficult to accept?

The Brexit I'll find least difficult to accept begins with Gove, Johnson and Fox being booted out of government. Nothing that bunch of crooks and fantasists have a hand in will ever come to anything good.

You are expecting too much from us. Really, I can see how Brexit could have worked. I might have even supported it. But I will never cooperate with anything as dishonest, as ill-conceived, and as incompetently executed as the Brexit promoted by this shower.

Even if the university educated (liberal elite?) aren't as clever as they think they are, their disapproval of Brexit presents a problem for the UK. It seems that many of the best qualified people in the country are demoralised by Brexit, and are in no mood to cooperate. The government has shown no understanding of that, and unless it does, Brexit will die by bad management.

[pete75]

Tomorrow is the anniversary of our decision to advise the government to leave the EU.

I'll dedicate my Friday night drinks as a celebration of that wonderful day.

Of course, the real anniversary is 1st Feb 2018, a year after parliament, after accepting our advice, voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU by allowing Article 50 to be invoked by the PM.

That'll probably be the day when Gina Miller, that great admirer of the sovereignty of our national parliament, celebrates the anniversary and I'll probably have another celebration of my own on that day too.

Then there's 29th March, the anniversary of the day our government triggered Article 50.

I'll celebrate on that day as well.

So many Brexit related happy anniversaries!

Drinking alone is never a good thing. You should really try and avoid it.

Thanks for the advice.

Finding other people to celebrate with won't be a problem.

The country is full of Leave voters.

More people voted to leave the EU than have ever voted for anything else in the entire history of democracy in the UK.

Wasn't thinking of people who'd want to celebrate but of those who'd want to celebrate with you.

[pwa]

According to a recent poll (usual caveats apply) only about 20% of us now believe Brexit should not happen. Maybe some of you should shift your focus to how Brexit can be brought about in the best way. I know most on this thread don't want it, but it is probably going to happen so why not get over it and start talking about the kind of Brexit you find least difficult to accept?

The Brexit I'll find least difficult to accept begins with Gove, Johnson and Fox being booted out of government. Nothing that bunch of crooks and fantasists have a hand in will ever come to anything good.

You are expecting too much from us. Really, I can see how Brexit could have worked. I might have even supported it. But I will never cooperate with anything as dishonest, as ill-conceived, and as incompetently executed as the Brexit promoted by this shower.

Even if the university educated (liberal elite?) aren't as clever as they think they are, their disapproval of Brexit presents a problem for the UK. It seems that many of the best qualified people in the country are demoralised by Brexit, and are in no mood to cooperate. The government has shown no understanding of that, and unless it does, Brexit will die by bad management.

People will carry on. That's what people do. And I'm not trying to convince you of taking a position you aren't comfortable with. But there may come a time when Brexit has happened and we are all getting on with life and you will have a choice whether to continue as a die-hard Remainer forever, or just move on. I welcome the fact that we are leaving but it bothers me that others are deeply unhappy about it.

[bovlomov]

I welcome the fact that we are leaving but it bothers me that others are deeply unhappy about it.

I'm not a problem, because 1) I'm not worth much, and 2) I'm deeply unhappy about almost every political change in the UK. The bigger problem is the millions of clever and influential people (cue sniggering in certain quarters) who hate the direction the UK has taken.

I don't think the divide will be bridged for at least a generation. Certainly not while Boris and co. are alive. Our reputation abroad may never recover - which might not be a bad thing, as it was largely a fiction anyway.

[pwa]

I welcome the fact that we are leaving but it bothers me that others are deeply unhappy about it.

I'm not a problem, because 1) I'm not worth much, and 2) I'm deeply unhappy about almost every political change in the UK. The bigger problem is the millions of clever and influential people (cue sniggering in certain quarters) who hate the direction the UK has taken.

I don't think the divide will be bridged for at least a generation. Certainly not while Boris and co. are alive. Our reputation abroad may never recover - which might not be a bad thing, as it was largely a fiction anyway.

I wouldn't worry too much about reputation. Every nation is criticised by other nations for something. France gets a lot of criticism, as does Germany. And the USA, and Russia. And Australia. The Brexit stuff will blow over in time and we will carry on working alongside like-minded nations just as we always have done.