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If we're talking Ethnicity, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of you lot are Angles or Saxons, with a decent bit of Celt and a smattering of Nordic....

The fine scale genetic structure of the British population

(Tongue firmly in cheek)

Ethnicity being belonging to a group sharing a common culture and descent, I find generally I have far more in common with the UK US, Canada and to a certain extent Australia and NZ then I have with French Germans or Italians. I know that one of the big concerns for Ireland with BREXIT was the loss of the 'British Voice' at the table; meaning a perspective firmly based on common law, less beaurocracy, low levels of State Aid, pro-competition, low levels of taxation, etc.
And if anyone here thinks the UK is none of these things, they should go live on Italy or France for a while!

You don't know what Beaurocracy is until you've spent all day shuttling between the local council, the finance ministry, the police ministry, and the tax office, trying to do one little thing that I can do online on Ireland in 30 seconds flat....
Talking of ethnicity, why should we be 'governed' by non ethnics?
 
One of the advantages of living in Northern Ireland (UK) a few miles from the non existent border with 'Ireland' (EU) and family on both sides.
Also we can have EU passports regardless of which part of the whole island. In fact, anybody anywhere with one grandparent born anywhere on the island of Ireland can get an Irish (EU) passport. Very handy when arriving at Faro airport and straight through, rather than the 1&1/2 hour queue for nonEU.
 
Re Brexit, just to recap, here is the outcome of the 2016 Referendum:

Region
Turnout
Remain votes
Leave votes
Remain %
Leave %
England (with Gibraltar)
73.0%​
13,266,996​
15,188,406
46.62%​
53.38%
East Midlands
74.2%​
1,033,036​
1,475,479
41.18%​
58.82%
East of England
75.7%​
1,448,616​
1,880,367
43.52%​
56.48%
London
69.7%​
2,263,519
1,513,232​
59.93%
40.07%​
North East England
69.3%​
562,595​
778,103
41.96%​
58.04%
North West England
70%​
1,699,020​
1,966,925
46.35%​
53.65%
South East England
76.8%​
2,391,718​
2,567,965
48.22%​
51.78%
South West England & Gibraltar
76.7%​
1,503,019​
1,669,711
47.37%​
52.63%
West Midlands
72%​
1,207,175​
1,755,687
40.74%​
59.26%
Yorkshire and the Humber
70.7%​
1,158,298​
1,580,937
42.29%​
57.71%
Northern Ireland
62.7%​
440,707
349,442​
55.78%
44.22%​
Scotland
67.2%​
1,661,191
1,018,322​
62.00%
38.00%​
Wales
71.7%​
772,347​
854,572
47.47%​
52.53%
In the Referendum, of the nine regions in England, all except London voted to leave.

London is as typical of England as is the Vatican is to Italy. It’s far more ethnically diverse, far more involved with the EU, in terms of vested interests – finance, commerce, banking, insurance etc. If the London remain/leave figures are removed from the England total, proportion of leave would be even higher: 44.6% to remain, 55.4% to leave.

Northern Ireland wanted to remain in the EU because Southern Ireland is in the EU and the difficulties which have arisen over border controls caused by leaving the EU were predicted, and predictable.

Scotland wanted to remain in the EU because those Scots who wanted independence from the rest of the UK thought that in the (admittedly unlikely) event they accomplished that aim, as an independent country they would gain entry to the EU,, but they’d have to meet all the conditions and satisfy all of the EU members states to achieve that objective, and likewise the separation criteria for leaving the UK. Seems a bit bizarre to me that they want to get Westminster out of their hair but would be content to be ruled by Brussels and Strasbourg.

Not sure how much sway Scotland would have in the EU, in which the 27 member states and a total population of 448.4 million. Scotland would add 5.4 million, so the total would be 453.8 mill, of which Scotland would be just 1.2% - about on a par with Slovakia. Scotland in the EU would have to scrap the Scottish pound, adopt the Euro, and the EU border would be between Scotland and England. (should the 27 member States agree to accept them).

That would be fun. (not).

It always amuses me when Scots bang on about independence from Westminster.

During the Blair years, the British Parliament was stuffed full of Scottish MPs in key positions:

Gordon Brown: Chancellor, later for a brief time Prime Minister.
Lord Chancellor: Lord Irving.
Robin Cook: Sec of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Alistair Darling: Sec of State for Social Security.
John Reid: Leader of the House of Commons, Lord President of Council, Secretary of State for Health.

At Health, Reid controversially increasing capacity by introducing private companies to run treatment centres for knee, hip and eye operations. He claimed this provided extra staff and extra capacity to help treat more patients in the NHS at an unprecedented rate. He was criticized for giving GPs a 22% pay rise while also allowing them to opt out of providing weekend and evening treatment. As Health Secretary, Reid had been in favour of limiting the government's proposed smoking ban as much as possible. Reid won in the cabinet, gaining an exemption for private clubs and pubs that did not serve food. The House of Commons rebels proposing a complete ban were successful when MPs were given a free vote on the issue.

Patricia Hewitt voted with the rebels against the Cabinet's proposals. (Reid arrived at the House of Commons "drunk one day and tried to force his way on to the floor to vote. When an attendant stepped forward to stop him, Reid threw a punch "Reid stopped drinking in 1994 and gave up his 60-a-day cigarette habit in 2003).

So a Scottish Secretary of State for Health delayed the introduction of the smoking ban, whereas the Scottish Assembly had already banned it in Scotland. A ‘Tartan tail wagging the English dog’. Likewise, the Police Pay Review Body made a recommendation to government that Police Officers should get a modest pay rise. Gordon Brown said it was ‘unaffordable’. The Scottish Assembly thought otherwise, so Police Officers in his own constituency got their rise, but officers in the rest of the UK didn’t.

The biggest farce border wise, was during the pandemic when Nicola Sturgeon thought she could control the movement of the virus by having different rules from south of the border. Errrm?
 
Current opinion poll on Brexit Poll

I can only deduce the consensus view is that on balance it has been a significant failure - the difficulty of trade in low value goods being an example.

As neither Sunak (predictably) nor Starmer actively support re-entry it is unsurprising Brexit has been ignored in campaigns thus far. More disappointing is the lack of resolve to improve matters through negotiation and agreement which could benefit both the UK and EU.

Perhaps the EU is still trying to punish the UK for its temerity in leaving.
"Perhaps they're trying to punich the UK . . ?

I'm sure they are. I used to buy - low value - classic Fench/German/Italian bike parts from those countries, with no problems`: just convert into Euros, and pay the item plus postage. Immediately after Brexit, a number of my regular suppliers in the EU announced, with evident joy, that they would not supply to the UK under any circumstances "Because you've left us"!

"Hell hath no fury like a conglomerate scorned"
 
"Perhaps they're trying to punich the UK . . ?

I'm sure they are. I used to buy - low value - classic Fench/German/Italian bike parts from those countries, with no problems`: just convert into Euros, and pay the item plus postage. Immediately after Brexit, a number of my regular suppliers in the EU announced, with evident joy, that they would not supply to the UK under any circumstances "Because you've left us"!

"Hell hath no fury like a conglomerate scorned"
So you reckon they're turning down sales just to punish you? Did they ask which way you voted?
With all due respect, I find that totally ridiculous. We(or some of us - not me) voted to punish ourselves.
Maybe you could substitute bendy bananas or something for those bike parts.
 
"turning down sales just to punish you? Did they ask which way you voted?" ??

Yes; and Yes.

If you find that ridiculous, perhaos you should get out more . . .
 
On 5 June 1975 I voted to become part of the European Economic Community (EEC) and, on 23 June 2016 I voted to leave an organisation that was not only on the way to becoming 'Fortress Europe' but was also dictating how we in the UK should lead our lives.

In July 1957 (some 4 months after its foundation by France, Italy, West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) the EEC came into being. Churchill said: "We genuinely wish to join a European free trade area". He also warned "If, on the other hand the European trade community were to be permanently restricted to the original 6 nations, the results might be worse than if nothing were done at all - worse for them as well as us. It would tend not to unite Europe but to divide it - and not only in the economic field"

In the years since June 1975, the ability for the UK to determine its future was gradually moved from our shores to Brussels and Strasbourg. The transition from being a member of the 'Common Market' to being governed by a long screwdriver whose handle lived in Brussels was further consolidated and imposed on this nation via non-consultative events such as the Maastricht Treaty in 92/93 (but, due to a resolve unseen until this point, did not suck the Great Britain & NI into the Euro).

In the immediate aftermath of the Brexit implementation date, world attention was focussed on dealing with COVID. Currently, large elements of continental Europe have their eyes firmly fixed on Ukraine. For these reasons, the effort that should have been applied to 'getting Brexit done' was left to 650 self-centred individuals (overseen by some 783 peers) and became probably the best example in UK history of the machinery of goverment putting more effort into making the process as difficult as possible thereby collectively failing to implement the will of the people. Whether Cameron should have thought a bit more about 'how' the Referendum was framed is a moot point and will be debated until the cows come home.

For the record, I am NOT a European, I am a UK citizen. I voted 'leave' simply because I live, and want to continue to live in a Soveriegn Nation (which is also an island). I listen to friends whose children have been convinced by the education system that they are European - if they really do believe that, why aren't they off in their droves to fight in support of Ukraine ?
Very Very well said
 
I wish I could write like cmoops2, what a perfect consept of the EU. Well this is my personell opinion from a wise old man. As a trading setup it was very good but then from unelected mps it got out of hand. We are british and have been for a 1000 years and I see the EU in 10 years being compleatly europe with Tax, Vat, police, army, all being controlled from the EU. Brexit was a good thing if it had been done right but the in fighting in parliment between the remainers and brexiteers meant it was never going to be done correctly, Thus we are half in and half out. That is why we have all the problems. The world is wide open for trade but they are not happy because we are still half in the EU. And as 6year old running down to the shelter during the Sheffield Blitz Please listen to me. Rant over.
 
The EU isn't making trade as easy for the UK as some other non-European countries but the UK has yet to get through the transition and set up trade deals with individual EU members and the EU collectively. People don't hate Europe but the majority want less EU control for various reasons which, collectively, resulted in the Leave vote.
Sadly, the pandemic arrived at a bad time and any benefits were masked by having to spend any savings on medical investment and workers' protection.
the UK has a trade agreement with the EU, its called brexit, not the fault of the EU that british trade negotiators were so awful at their job, there are no benefits, it is an utter disaster.
 
"Perhaps they're trying to punich the UK . . ?

I'm sure they are. I used to buy - low value - classic Fench/German/Italian bike parts from those countries, with no problems`: just convert into Euros, and pay the item plus postage. Immediately after Brexit, a number of my regular suppliers in the EU announced, with evident joy, that they would not supply to the UK under any circumstances "Because you've left us"!

"Hell hath no fury like a conglomerate scorned"
I really want the new Alpina root MIPs helmet but it's made in Germany and they won't sell to the UK anymore :(
 
the UK has a trade agreement with the EU, its called brexit, not the fault of the EU that british trade negotiators were so awful at their job, there are no benefits, it is an utter disaster.
I'm not really sure what we were expecting. It was a divorce like any other, except for some reason we thought we could leave but would get to keep all of the benefits of being in the marriage without any of the responsibility.
 
I wish I could write like cmoops2, what a perfect consept of the EU. Well this is my personell opinion from a wise old man. As a trading setup it was very good but then from unelected mps it got out of hand. We are british and have been for a 1000 years and I see the EU in 10 years being compleatly europe with Tax, Vat, police, army, all being controlled from the EU. Brexit was a good thing if it had been done right but the in fighting in parliment between the remainers and brexiteers meant it was never going to be done correctly, Thus we are half in and half out. That is why we have all the problems. The world is wide open for trade but they are not happy because we are still half in the EU. And as 6year old running down to the shelter during the Sheffield Blitz Please listen to me. Rant over.
What "unelected MPs"?
 
I wish I could write like cmoops2, what a perfect consept of the EU. Well this is my personell opinion from a wise old man. As a trading setup it was very good but then from unelected mps it got out of hand. We are british and have been for a 1000 years and I see the EU in 10 years being compleatly europe with Tax, Vat, police, army, all being controlled from the EU. Brexit was a good thing if it had been done right but the in fighting in parliment between the remainers and brexiteers meant it was never going to be done correctly, Thus we are half in and half out. That is why we have all the problems. The world is wide open for trade but they are not happy because we are still half in the EU. And as 6year old running down to the shelter during the Sheffield Blitz Please listen to me. Rant over.
I may well be wrong but according to wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_Kingdom 'Great Britain' began in 1707 which would make it about 317 years old.

The world may be open for trade but it doesn't help if we don't want to buy what they are selling. Most of our fruit and veg comes from Europe as it's right next to us and grows the things we want. Not a lot of cucumbers coming out of the indo-pacific I would guess.

also slightly ironic that we want to be free to do what we want and will end up buying from communist/authoritarian countries.
 
What "unelected MPs"?
That's a common and perfect example of people who have been misinformed and have so little understanding of how the EU works and what it does, they believe the nonsense pushed at them.
Did they not understand what voting for an MEP was all about for so many years ?
 

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