I would say that you're 100% Scots and 100% French, as are my children.
That's handy for you whatever happens. Those who could suffer financially are the ones whose pension is paid in Pounds converted into €uro. Already in 2008 the devaluation of the Pound must have done them no favours.
Which is the vast majority of people who exercised their right to free movement within the EU and have now been stabbed in the back.
What's the 'solution'?
Returning to the UK to avoid losing through currency-exchange?
I don't want to live in the UK thank you!
This article is worth reading.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/25/boris-johnson-michael-gove-eu-liars?CMP=fb_gu
Just so. When we first came to France, we were getting nearly 1.50 Euros to the Pound. Sterling has steadily fallen in value against the (failed!) European currency.
I understand. I've lived 38 years in France, 5 in Germany. It would seem strange to live in the UK.
When you have continued to be stabbed in the back by both the UK government and the electorate, you can not feel comfortable in such a place.
My life experience suggests that the old phrase "we was robbed" achieves nothing. I haven't voted for a winning party in a General Election for decades, but I accept the result, however flawed I believe first-past-the-post to be. How each of us voted is now irrelevant, no need to insult each other, or those who voted the "wrong" way, all votes are of equal value and a decision has been made.
I am disappointed in Cameron who accepts he got it wrong and misread the public, indeed he exacerbated the rift as has been suggested by others here, but now he is opting out of accepting defeat and working to negotiate good exit terms for his country, a very cowardly reaction in my view. We need leaders who accept the outcome, are flexible and committed enough to revise plans and work for US, the UK electorate and their employers. In commerce you can't say "we should neverhave lost that contract" you have instead to knuckle down to winning the next one and fulfilling existing ones. Where is Osborne, by the way, sulkily drafting a revenge budget, or drawing up plans to ensure we ride this storm.
Incidentally, my daughter in law became very heated over lunch yesterday about the headlines regarding the value of the pound. Having worked for nearly 20 years in foreign exchange she has seen exchange rates way worse than those knee-jerk reactions after the referendum and can see better than most journalists that nothing much has in fact happened and that the € is having a far worse time than the £ so far, and for reasons much more deep seated than the referendum results.
The other daughter in law, however, is deeply hurt by what she sees as the UK's rejection of Spanish immigrants like herself. She is disappointed that we have lost any commitment to European unity and the support of weaker countries by stronger ones. We all agreed, after the second bottle of wine, that most of the problems arising from immigration are down to the UK government doing nothing to control rogue employers and landlords and are no fault of the immigrants themselves, and I tried to convince her that our maritime borders combined with our history have an effect on our psychology as well as on our laws and traditions, but she is not fully convinced.
I am sure many other families are having similar discussions, and that politicians are getting together to plan the way forward. Please let's be positive: I'm not sure there is anything to be gained by looking backward even as far as Friday.
Since 2008, my €uro have been very kind to me whenever I've needed to acquire GBP. Many forget the 2008 devaluation of the Pound when they mock the €uro.
Notice how craftily the British press stop comparing in 2008 :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/4140916/Euro-vs-sterling-graphic-showing-how-the-euro-has-fared-vs-the-pound-GBP-since-1999.html
And here's the whole story :
http://www.statista.com/statistics/412806/euro-to-gbp-average-annual-exchange-rate/
Spanish fishing-trawlers off northern Scotland isn't appreciated.
http://www.politico.eu/article/eu-referendum-brexit-little-love-for-europe-among-scotlands-fishermen/
I agree, Robert...
Very emotive language Jane - and I am in the same position as you wondering whether we will be able to ensure that we get the state pension incremental rises (after suffering two 'moves of the goal posts'....once I am in receipt of it).....and I wont be returning to live in the UK....
The electorate have done the only thing they can and weigh up the info and opinion received, thought about it a bit and voted. There are all sorts of reasons behind the choice (some of which lie with the EU itself, as I have already said...but it doesn't help to suppose some sort of conspiracy......
So, you could say it's worked out rather well for Scotand.....they are going to be getting, probably what most of them want, after all....
Do you lose anything when you convert your GBP pension into €uro?
Selon votre condition sociale (niveau d'études, ressources...), vous devez connaître suffisamment la langue française , en produisant un diplôme ou une attestation délivrée par un organisme de formation au français langue d'intégration.
Sont dispensées de produire cette attestation :
Leur niveau de connaissance de la langue française est apprécié lors de l'entretien d'assimilation.
What do you want them to come up with ? .....I don't think a sort of pre-formed idea of what it should look like and then to have this imposed as a structure, is in this case a good idea. Better, I think to (in several sittings over the 1st 6 months or so) pick out and save the best elements of legislation worth retaining and be flexible about things....so that things evolve and grow. It is partly a creative exercise and comparing that to making a painting, one makes a range of small studies and the final picture follows. ....My feeling is, if one makes too detailed a small scale study and then you just try to slavishly copy that to a larger scale, one ends up with something that isn't as good as you had hoped, because the life has been drained out of it...
Worth submitting this to Boris & co. ......& Her Majesty ?
I can't see the present government relinquishing control in a hurry, but your subsequent points could be implemented by them....It is going to come down to 'picking out the best stuff and jettisoning the rest'. ..I can't see how else it could be done...and we don't want to be trying to 're-invent the wheel'.....
That very much depends John...
If you take it in GBP to your UK Sterling bank account, you then have to transfer it to euro at the commercial rate that then prevails that you can best achieve but if you elect to have it paid direct by HMG to your french account in euro, you might achieve a better rate.
As an example, I transfered £1000 to euro days before Brexit and achieved a rate of 1.2646 (no fees charged) but on the day of Brexit (perhaps the transfer had been made before the decision had been announced and the market reacted) my UK State Pension was paid direct to my french Bank account at a rate in the region of 1.2970 - far better than I could probably have achieved for such a modest amount.
The analogy doesn't hold because painting a picture doesn't have any effect whatsoever on the livelihood of 60 odd million people. Oh let's busk it? What an insult to the electorate - playing by ear isn't good enough, it is profoundly irresponsible and I'm afraid demonstrates yet again that Johnson/Gove/Farage are a bunch of dangerous demagogic chancers with absolutely no aim in view but their personal notoriety and advantage as well as a dangerous lack of perception of the public mood because had they really believed in the success of their side, they would have had policy in situ for the event of a leave win (just as the multinationals have had for ages). I think they thought they would work up a big scare and become heroes by getting new concessions from the EU while staying in, knife Cameron and get ahead themselves and not actually have to take responsibility for anything. It shows that they are just as disconnected from the people of eg Boston Lincs as the remainers.
When those of us who have exercised our right to live within another country of the EU have been treated as second class citizens by both government and now the electorate and with IDS now considering standing for the leadership of the Tories again, you cannot help feel despondent.
Previously IDS called himself the quiet man, which I seriously want him to be now.
Both main political parties are now in total disarray as a result of this vote and it seems that we may be helped by the Scottish cavalry riding to the rescue and refusing to ratify the Referendum.