Bringing goods from the EU

[Droogs]

in emergencies a signal is usually sent with "paperwork to follow". most customs guards don't argue if you turn up at the barrier with 155mm gun pointing at them, unless they are Danish in which case they insist on checking you haven't got bottles of vodka/fags or porn hidden down the barrel

 

[Blackswanwood]

"thats a fair point"





joking aside, Its an interesting point, I personally think division will increase this year and probably next. I can see it calming down in 2022 / 2023 a bit but will then get reignited as campaigning starts on the next election.

currently support for brexit has been boosted by UKs vaccine roll out, but give it 18 months when thats forgotten and people will start to get fed up with brexit damage, especially if theyve lost their business or jobs, then we will see support for brexit dwindling.

lets also remember a lot of youngsters have been made eligible to vote since 2016....and they will be more pro EU.

You could well be right. I hope it will not be the case but I agree with the view put forward by @Droogs that there an increased probability that the UK will split.

One factor is in my view how the EU evolves now we have left. Poland and Hungary seem to have an outlook that could be troublesome and (while I voted to remain) some aspects that the leave campaign exploited had substance and need to be addressed.

I do hope saying that doesn’t mean I now get shot by both sides!

 

[Rorschach]

I also agree that I think Brexit made a split of the UK more likely (though I think it was fairly likely before that). Personally I don't hold any strong unionist feelings. If the Scots want to go it alone, I wish them the best. I think however it would be a terribly bad idea unless their first act is to vote out the SNP who are wholly incompetent to run a country.

What does confuse me though is the wish to become an independent country, and then join the EU (if allowed, which is unlikely) who would offer a terrible deal and they would be swapping Westminster overlord for Brussels overlords with Scotland having much less power. Very strange, but not my choice.

 

[Noel]

You could well be right. I hope it will not be the case but I agree with the view put forward by @Droogs that there an increased probability that the UK will split.

One factor is in my view how the EU evolves now we have left. Poland and Hungary seem to have an outlook that could be troublesome and (while I voted to remain) some aspects that the leave campaign exploited had substance and need to be addressed.

I do hope saying that doesn’t mean I now get shot by both sides!

.

Indeed, the road to UK split up seems to certainly have been shortened. As well as Scotland don’t forget NI although I suspect many in GB will be happy to see the back of the wee place. At least guaranteed to be full member of EU.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Of course if the UK does break up we have our Prime Minister for the Independent Republic of Yorkshire lined up ready ...

 

[Droogs]

@Blackswanwood I don't think any remainer ever denied that the EU just like most organisations is not perfect and needs areas improved but for them the best way to get improvements is from within through consensus, not by throwing your teddy out the pram and then running away from home. Unfortunately the case of the UK gov'mint is they are not willing to listen at all

 

[Blackswanwood]

.

Indeed, the road to UK split up seems to certainly have been shortened. As well as Scotland don’t forget NI although I suspect many in GB will be happy to see the back of the wee place. At least guaranteed to be full member of EU.

Indeed - although I guess that would have some very difficult and sensitive issues to overcome Noel.

 

[sploo]

... unless they are Danish in which case they insist on checking you haven't got bottles of vodka/fags or porn hidden down the barrel

That's just specific enough that I have to assume it's a real anecdote

 

[Noel]

Indeed - although I guess that would have some very difficult and sensitive issues to overcome Noel.

.

Difficult and sensitive would be accurate, perhaps considerably worse. The actual process of re-unification is relatively straightforward (all island vote as per GFA), the practical issues (health etc) would be challenging but the reluctance, plain and literal “not over my dead body” attitude from some factions (many who are armed) could prove, to put it mildly, a return to the darker days.
There have been signs of a softening by those that would be traditionally against an all Ireland due to Brexit and the manner in which others decide the future, constitutionally and otherwise, of the place (not much changed there in the past 800 years). The border planted in the Irish Sea this past few weeks is causing many difficulties and a small number are threatening civil disobedience (of the NI flavour) but that hopefully will come to nothing.
Would the south even want the place? A lot of baggage to pile on that particular train if it ever leaves the station.
Independence? Unlikely, NI gets 12bn of your hard earned a year just to stand still.
One answer might be some sort of entity like San Marino or Andorra supported by London and Dublin. A proper gateway to the EU and GB.

Hard to know what exactly will happen but as said, Brexit has shortened the road to some change, just hope it produces some stability and, above all, removes any threat to a rather at times wobbly peace process.

 

[Jonm]

That, and proportionally more of the crusty old gits who pushed brexit over the line will have shuffled off this mortal coil - from covid or something else...

The demographics are that age group 45-54 year olds voted remain 44%, leave 54%. So by your definition anyone aged 45 and over is a “crusty old git”.

Perhaps if more of the not “crusty old gits” had bothered to take the trouble to vote then we would not be in this mess.

 

[Jonm]

The demographics are that age group 45-54 year olds voted remain 44%, leave 54%. So by your definition anyone aged 45 and over is a “crusty old git”.

Perhaps if more of the not “crusty old gits” had bothered to take the trouble to vote then we would not be in this mess.

That should be “leave 56%”

 

[Droogs]

2% spoiled ballots or no shows perhaps

 

[Jonm]

in emergencies a signal is usually sent with "paperwork to follow". most customs guards don't argue if you turn up at the barrier with 155mm gun pointing at them, unless they are Danish in which case they insist on checking you haven't got bottles of vodka/fags or porn hidden down the barrel

The dutch customs would insist on checking the sandwiches of the gun crew for “meat and dairy products”.

 

[Jonm]

Being outside of the EU I would like to see VAT abolished and a return to Purchase Tax. For those who are too young to remember, it was a tax paid on “luxury“ items. It wad collected once at point of sale, so the tax was paid once. VAT requires every company with a turnover of £85k or more, to file vat returns. I mage the cost savings for companies not having to to do all this paperwork. Only retailers would be involved and the greatly reduced number of taxable transactions would be easier to police for fraud.

 

[doctor Bob]

Noel or anyone from NI, I'm curious as to what your feelings are with whats happening with the border (article 16).

 

[Jonm]

Noel or anyone from NI, I'm curious as to what your feelings are with whats happening with the border (article 16).

Just been announced on bbc news that EU have backtracked on this.

 

[John Brown]

I'm a crusty old git, and I took the trouble to vote.

 

[D_W]

Being outside of the EU I would like to see VAT abolished and a return to Purchase Tax. For those who are too young to remember, it was a tax paid on “luxury“ items. It wad collected once at point of sale, so the tax was paid once. VAT requires every company with a turnover of £85k or more, to file vat returns. I mage the cost savings for companies not having to to do all this paperwork. Only retailers would be involved and the greatly reduced number of taxable transactions would be easier to police for fraud.

Way too practical. I'd guess the VAT generates far more revenue than the purchase tax did (that type of tax is in place here in the states).

But our state and federal governments don't really care about paperwork. There's gobs of it, even if it may be less than the volume done in the UK, and they have the gall to describe with each official document how said doc meets the requirements made under the "paperwork reduction act".

 

[doctor Bob]

Just been announced on bbc news that EU have backtracked on this.

It seems a right balls up. Apparantly the newspapers in Germany and a few other countries are ripping them a new ar$eehole.
Other sites are just saying if remainers want a second referendum lets have it then.

 

[sploo]

It seems a right balls up. Apparantly the newspapers in Germany and a few other countries are ripping them a new ar$eehole.
Other sites are just saying if remainers want a second referendum lets have it then.

Certainly looks like a significant own goal on the part of whichever EU bodies decided it was a good idea. Even if they've done it for practical/pragmatic reasons it sets a dangerous precedent that will fuel those opposed to the EU, and give the UK government a convenient excuse to also abuse article 16.