I have a hard time choosing, maybe this?
“Everything that’s happening testifies to the irresponsibility of the British elite, their inability to correlate Britain’s capabilities with its reality, its ideas about the world with what its people want, and simply to answer our modern challenges.”
In Germany, Lambsdorff said Europe had long smiled on harmless British eccentricities, but had now discovered another kind: “Eton games and Oxbridge rituals that appear to have taken over the House of Commons – and have very little to do with mature political decision-making.”
Right now I’m feeling ‘resigned’.
Resigned to the prospect of ‘no-deal’ or at best an extension to the farce.
Worried and hopeful at the same time.
Worried that Macron will not give the UK a long extension and hopeful that he will be persuaded.
Wishing it would all just go away
Thankful… is how I feel. Thankful that I live in France… and thankful that I shall still live in France… no matter what … 
Ashamed, to be British and somehow involved in this shambolic mess.
I’m intrigued by the seismic events shaking our assumptions about the form and function of politics as we have come to understand them, cooperate in maintaining them, and ‘promote’ their imposition on other peoples round the world.
A fascinating and disconcerting époque dawns, and it’s fascinating to be part of it.
I’m sure you’ll be ‘fascinated’ by having to apply for a CDS etc Peter if Brexit happens.
We’ve got our TdSs, and it was a fascinating experience getting them. What happens post-Brexit will be just as fascinating as well. I like challenging situations, and don’t duck them unless not to do so would be lethal.
I think that the one good thing coming out of all this process is a greater active awareness of, and involvement in politics by the general public. Perhaps MPs will move a bit more towards actually representing the views of their electorate instead of engaging in the ‘We know best’ scenario that the people have perhaps become too complacent about in the past. You never know, we might even have some reform of the election voting system towards the ‘Single Transferable Vote’ method that would avoid the situation whereby most MPs had more people vote against them than for them.
For me ‘stunned’ would probably be the main thing, and this covers an array of sub-subjects;
Stunned that the ‘Mother of Parliaments’ should be shown up as an incompetent mess. It doesn’t matter which side of the argument people stand, this must surely apply in the UK as much as everywhere else.
Stunned that the ‘powers that be’ cannot see how this makes the UK look as any sort of potential Trade Partner in either effective or even honorable (as in ‘to be trusted’) terms.
Stunned that so much of the British population (reading various letters columns) still believe that Britain is still the most superior Nation in the World, and that all the rest are sub-species.
Stunned that the EU have not given the UK its Marching Orders, espcially in the light of the developing ‘blame game’ (see the London Evening Standard of last evening) where increasingly it is ‘all the fault of the EU in general, and Macron in particular!’
Stunned that the British population seemingly at least feel that Boris Johnson is a realistic option as Prime Minister with so much evidence against his ‘abilities’ at all levels - including publicly announcing ‘he was not the man for the job’ when the Referendum result was announced.
Stunned that British Joe Public does not see that the USA only want the UK as a forward military base, and TRump loathes Europe about as equally as he loves Russia (I also love Russia but hate the company I am keeping!)
Stunned that a completely elitist and self-serving toe-rag like Smugg brings out the forelock-tugging propensities in large swathes of the British (‘e’s a Toff inne?’) Plus of course he’s not the only one in that category.
Stunned that the anticipated flood of companies from the UK doesn’t seem, to be happening.
It’s all like some weird Surrealist nightmare, but makes me Soooooh Happy that I have taken French Nationality!
Problem is Jane, on what possible basis is there for an extension? All I see from the UKIP/TORY lines at least is that if they don’t get their way they will do everything to destroy the EU - terrific start point to any favours isn’t it?
The EU in my view should bite the bullet and say goodbye to the UK, as at best only half the uk wants to be in the EU and the rest just want to destroy it -probably by joining hands with the other extremists such as the AFD and Le Pen - assuming the latter gets in, which is by no means certain.
I simply cannot see any benefit to the EU by continuing to have the UK as a Member State. I seriously wish I could, but it seems obvious now that De Gaulle was quite correct all those years ago.
Talking to a German friend of mine and he made much the same point but zero’ed in on young people specifically. I am not sure I have the same faith in the younger people of the UK, but I would be delighted to be proved wrong!
Pssst. How about the roughly 9 billion a year (net) that the UK pays in membership fees ?
Robert. A substantial amount of that is rebounded into projects in the UK.
I have read recently that the NET loss to the EU when all the balances have been worked out is in the region of €13 million per week. Apparently Finland has offered to take up the shortfall. The net losses to the UK have yet to be determined by the UK but one assumes unicorns will form part of that calculation?
However my point is that the UK has never been a full Member of the EU, with so many exemptions and to be frank bloodymindedness in the organisation as to have been disruptive and self-seeking from Day One which in itself has been costly to the EU. Now I don’t claim to speak for the EU in any way shape or form, but it is often better to get rid of disruptive elements that take up a disproportionate amount of effort and money in any organisation.
That the UK is a NET Buyer from the EU is a big factor but will that change when they leave? Maybe, Possibly.
That the UK leaving the EU will be a blow is undeniable, but more in the potential support from other extreme elements in the Group such as Hungary, Czech Republic and probably Poland. However as these are net récipients of EU funding I doubt if they will be quite so aggressive as UKIP/Tories hope UNLESS of course the UK replaces their EU funding? I don’t see that as a possibility until and when the UK re-establishes itself as a major trade Partner with othermajor countries and has excess funds to use.
No, and sorry to repeat myself I see NO benefits to the EU from the continued Membership of the UK, whilst at least 50% of the population is against what it stands for. If anyone mentions the British Military I would remind them this is part of NATO (as are most of the EU countries) and NOT part of the EU Membership other than as buyers and sellers.
At this time as far as I can tell, there is no huge groundswell to stop Brexit happening. It appears that most Brits just want the whole thing over and done with, and from my own modest reading of the runes, many Europeans believe the same.
I could of course be completely wrong.
The rest of the EU will not look kindly upon any state which causes a hard Brexit and huge economic damage.
Comment…‘We live in interesting times’
Just to tip my toe in the water again (and risk the wrath of the many) this whole sorry shambles could have been avoided if:
A). Cameron had had the balls to get tough on the EU during his failed sojourn and the EU had had the foresight to realise that the referendum could go against them.
B). The blind and complacent liberal elite in the South East, mainly in London (of whom, many years ago, I was one), were not so smugly ensconced in their own little oh-so-well-off bubble of property wealth and cushion of comfort-ability without having the vaguest idea how the real world operated ‘oop North’.
It is just not that, those in areas where EU redevelopment money or where factories had been built to gain access to the single market were just as guilty.
Areas where there are many agricultural and horticultural workers from the EU are just as guilty.
It seems that would be quite happy to let farmers go bust and crops rot in the ground.
" the EU had had the foresight to realise that the referendum could go against them."
What?
Don’t blame the EU for the ongoing poisonous self-indulgent snout in the trough dramaqueen Westminster infighting presently afflicting the UK.
