Even that is ambiguous, isn’t it? Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland aren’t in the EU but they’re friends with benefits. The UK could have been a friend with benefits too (I guess that was the best worst case scenario we all hoped for) Trying to boil the whole complex issue down to a single ill defined (or not defined at all) referendum question was preposterous.
IMHO if the Tory remainers hasn’t been so over confident they could have structured the question(s) in a far more sensible way and possibly prevented 17,410,742 turkeys (interspersed with some other more devious and/or deluded avians) voting for Christmas.
I don’t think so, we left the EU - which is what was on the ballot; job done.
As you say, where the whole thing fell down was that there was no plan, and we went from “no one is talking about leaving the single market” and “wouldn’t it be terrible if we were like Norway” to full on no holds barred, no trade deal, turbo nutter Brexit; or would have done were it not for Northern Ireland.
The problem with all referendums I’m afraid.
It was, as you say, badly managed from the outset. Cameron’s initial mistake was to promise the referendum at all, then to assume that it was “in the bag” for Remain without understanding the 30 year anti-EU campaign that the media, spurred on by Johnson’s ridiculous claims as EU correspondant had waged. then setting it up as an advisory vote but making it politically impossible to do anything other than invoke Article 50 almost as soon as possible.
For such a wide ranging change Cameron should have made it clear that a “yes” vote would lead to a number of options being explored and put to a further vote. We’d have avoided almost all of the mess had we done that (and probably realised that a full-on hard Brexit was not compatible with the GFA).
Every time I read this thread, and/or see or hear Farage, I just cannot believe how bizarre the whole fiasco was. I was in the Czech Republic at the time, and remember it vividly, as well as how difficult it was to exchange to Euros in the immediate aftermath. So many folks stripped of future freedom.
I try not to mock people who voted Leave but now regret it, because without people like this guy going public the UK cannot start to undo Brexit. But with comments like this it ain’t easy to bite my tongue:
@vero - I avoided posting that one as the couple in question voted Remain.
I still can’t understand why (apparently, if the article is to be believed) French border guards are stamping the passports of those with a Carte de Sejour - hopefully a “teething” issue and now in the past.
I could understand why a Spanish border guard was not impressed but were they landing in Spain from the UK? Because there are no border checks between the two countries.
Yes, but I thought that they were representative of europhile types who are getting it in the neck. Even though I don’t understand the bacon and cheddar thing. I did think it was very poor little me-ish.
Quite, why buy imported English bacon in plastic packets, when most French butchers sell perfectly good bacon, cut to whatever thickness one wants? Similarly, fresh lait cru Cantal versus something else in a plastic packet from England.
Happens on a regular basis and seems to depend on the mood of individual border guard, OH has had her’s stamped twice now despite handing over her CdS with her passport open at the photo page.
Surely you mean wingeing brits more like. They will always have something to whine about and Batshit is the easiest. I second what Mark says, the bacon from our local butcher is fresh, and he or she cuts it to the thickness I want. I get cheddar from the U or Intermarche. I dont need to get the clonakilty brought in.
A local pork rearer makes bacon which I buy occasionally from their market stall. The cheese stall has a great choice, and the only English cheese I would buy there is an occasional piece of red Cheshire or Stilton. But these days I prefer by far Tomme de brebis, cantal (much nicer than cheddar), brie de meaux, comté, bleu d’Auvergne…
Individual tastes, what one person loves another will hate, it would be a boring world if everyone liked the same thing, personally if a cheese has mould through it, it should be in the bin
I appreciate my circumstances are not like most but this screenshot is why I get “something else in a plastic packet from England.”, I have neither the time or the patience to spend 90 minutes in just the cheese aisle trying to find the odd cheese that doesn’t use animal rennet. The plastic packet spoken of likely has a very clear “Suitable for vegetarians” written on it meaning I always have a backup if I only have 45 minutes to spend in the cheese aisle this week and so can’t find anything that clearly says it’s something I can eat. I’m sure there are many options but unlike in the UK they don’t make it easy…
