to ask how you’re preparing for Brexit?

[CircleSquareCircleSquare]

There is so much uncertainty surrounding what will happen with trade deals and goodness knows what else, that I’m starting to wonder about making some sensible plans.

We have put a stop to some planned works we wanted to do to our house, we have downsized to one car and we grow a small amount of veg. We keep some stocks of food in the house but we have a large family so I never feel like we’d have enough.
We have discussed not taking a holiday this summer and DH is taking every training course possible at work in order to diversify his skills should his industry go tits up.

I’m wondering what decisions you’re making in your homes for what could possibly be a really uncertain time for a few years.

Ever closer union to which Cameron specifically, and previous British leaders historically, had always kept us exempt. Ditto the Euro.

How does one prepare for Brexit? What should we be doing?

Toyota don't seem too worried about Brexit - see here: newsroom.toyota.eu/toyota-announces-the-new-generation-auris-will-be-built-at-its-uk-car-plant/

Depends which way you look at it Tatiana; a Swiss friend doesn't see it like that at all; and the EU not wanting to repeat the Swiss model means that it doesn't work for whom? The EU? Dommage.

The UK didn't start with a trade and economic model based on EU membership either iirc. We went in when I was 6 or 7, so we did, and still do trade with countries outwith the EU without an EU trade treaty being in place.

Tatiana ...and you expected that exemption to last ad infinitum?

I'm saying that the case for Brexit is nonsense.

Then there is no point in soliciting opinions about it - you have made up your mind you are correct and nothing will persuade you otherwise. That's fine but don't try to dress it up as debate or listening.

Yes, because the exemption was legally binding. HTH

Well, if the option is a woolly vague proposal for how to conduct our affairs in future or what we know about the current state of affairs, it's a bit foolhardy to vote out, is it not?

But the remain option wasn't a clear path either - the EU as it is currently is very very different from the organisation the UK joined - those changes weren't put to the UK electorate along the way. There must surely be a similar disparity of view amongst remainers about the future (albeit I accept starting from a known position) - whether to adopt the Euro for example (I was very much in favour at one point).

How does one prepare for Brexit? What should we be doing?

• stock up on olive oil.

• start laying eggs. Or at least get chickens.

• build a bunker.

You’ve done that joke already, Cady.

But the remain option wasn't a clear path either - the EU as it is currently is very very different from the organisation the UK joined - those changes weren't put to the UK electorate along the way. There must surely be a similar disparity of view amongst remainers about the future (albeit I accept starting from a known position) - whether to adopt the Euro for example (I was very much in favour at one point).

It's a damn sight clearer than the cliff edge that brexit was warned to be. And the whole point is we know the state of play as part of the EU and customs union, we don't actually really know what will happen when we leave or how any of it will work, but it is pretty universally agreed by those wh have studied it to be a huge fucking mess.

Re this whole “stocking up on olive oil” thing...

Every time I’ve heard that the price of stamps is going up, I’ve gone out and bought enough stamps to get me through the next year.

I don’t really see the difference here, except that it won’t just be one product which gets more expensive or more difficult to get hold of. It will be lots of things, and you can’t stock up on everything.

But panicking? Not really. Just sensible.

The UK didn't start with a trade and economic model based on EU membership either iirc

The point is that is what our model is based on now. That is what we are leaving, Switzerland has never had that.

Doesn’t work for the Swiss or the EU.

We can stay exempt as long as we want. The Northern European states are generally slightly more independent - Scandinavia for example.

There’s always a Leave voter with a newspaper link to a car manufacturer. Did you read your own link?

With around 85% of our UK vehicle production exported to European markets, continued free and frictionless trade between the UK and Europe will be vital for future success.

Have you researched the car industry’s views on Brexit and its warnings - particularly on no deal?

I dont get the humour of the olive oil

Prices are rising why not buy in stuff you know you are going to use

It wasnt like that poster was saying that it was going to be Armageddon therefore she was buying olive oil

She was stocking up

We are stocking up on whisky...thats my story and i am sticking with it

You’ve done that joke already, Cady.

Merely answering the question - people are starting to grow their own food, others have said that all the food in the UK could quite easily run out after a few days, and others are stockpiling oil.

As individuals (or families), it's hard to know what to do to prepare, tbh.

But DH has changed jobs to one within his (European) company that he hopes will not migrate to mainland Europe after April 2019 (his old one was definitely at risk for this), and we're planning not to fly anywhere in the weeks following Brexit, so our Easter holiday will be one can drive to.

Apart from that I'm not sure what should be doing ...

That's fine but don't try to dress it up as debate or listening. Listen to what? Seriously, show me an evidence argument that stands up to scrutiny that Brexit will make the UK better off. When I tell you why Brexit is a bad idea you just say I'm talking the economy down or I'm only thinking about myself or "lalalala", I don't see any understanding of the multiple ways Brexit has been shown to be a disaster in waiting:

• Good Friday agreement in danger
• Reintroduction of roaming charges
• Geoblocking - we won’t get it!
• More expensive food, due to weak £ and import costs.
• Increased cost of fuels, gas, electric & petrol plus possible supply issues.
• Less money for services for example; NHS, local councils, schools etc.
• Leaving Euratom
• Loss of Euroclear
• Brain drain of EU staff from Universities and British staff seeking better opportunities elsewhere.
• Loss of EU staff in NHS leaving some areas critically understaffed
• Loss of EU staff from hospitality industry, hotels & restaurants all struggling to recruit.
• Food rotting in fields due to lack of migrant workers.
• Stagnating economy, with prolonged recession looming.
• Fisheries losing their biggest market (EU) which may cause the collapse of the industry in some areas, (Grimsby being one), due to being uncompetitive if there is no free trade agreement. Loss of EMFF.
• Reduced opportunities for our school and uni leavers.
• Removal of farming subsidies.
• Loss of regeneration cash to ex heavy industry or poor communities ( for example, North East, Wales, Cornwall).
• Gibraltar- that’s got to pop over the parapet soon!
• Food shortages, 1/3 of U.K. food is imported.
• End of Erasmus scheme. *Loss of “Open Skies” agreement. *Relaxation of workers’ rights, regarding hours, pregnancy, minimum wage, and so on. Making it easier to fire people.
• Loss of trading opportunity ( has anyone actually checked out the WTO rules )!
• Becoming “little Britain”, we are a service nation, not a manufacturing one, Shipping, steel and mining are never coming back.
• Potential break up of Great Britain, Starting with Scotland.
• EHIC card and the right to reciprocal healthcare in the union.
• Relaxation of health and safety rules following exit to the detriment of workers and the general public.
• Exit from the ECtHR. European Courts of Human Rights
• Exit from CFREU & ECFR - Charter of Fundamental Rights of European Union & European Charter of Fundamental rights. Which protects our rights to equality, non discrimination and human rights under EU law. This also covers the Amber Alert System.
• European Medical Agency moved to Amsterdam (underway already)
• European Banking Authority (move to Paris, underway already)
• Loss of funding for cancer research and other critical medical research projects: Joint Research Centre.
• Loss of reciprocal cross country research into illnesses, and treatment.
• Loss of research grants across all areas, resulting in further brain drain.
• Loss of access for critical cancer drugs
• Lack of clarity as to rights of EU nationals domiciled in the UK.
• 2.2 million UK expats living in the union (either full or part time) may lose rights to UK pensions & reciprocal healthcare, resulting in them having to return to the UK adding additional strain on the NHS and council services.
• UK border controls revert to Dover from Calais.
• Leaving the ECJ which poses significant risks to our security.
• Loss of freedom of movement within the EU, possible reintroduction of costly visas.
• Impact on Sports, Art & Culture, due to freedom of movement restraints, costs of importing / exporting equipment and livestock, loss of the CEMCP.
• UK driving licence no longer valid in EU & loss of green card insurance scheme and loss of Euro NCAP support.
• Leaving the Single Market.
• Leaving the Customs Union.
• Leaving Joint Action on Climate Change.
• Animal welfare and sentience laws: Natura 2000 programme.
• Wildlife Safeguards & Habitat Protection.
• Harmonisation in industrial standards & CE standards.
• Food safety and consumer protection (chlorinated chicken anyone?) EFSA.
• Risk of NHS being “sold off” in a US trade deal.
• Exit from Horizon 2020 science programme.
• Compensation for lost luggage and cancelled flights.
• Loss of European Maritime safety agency along with the Ports of Refuge for ships in distress, plus the Ship Recycling directive.
• 700+ trade deals to be negotiated in case of no deal, trade deals taking on average between 7-20 years, to thrash out and we don’t have enough competent trade specialists to handle even 5 of them at a time. The Swiss / EU deal still hasn’t been ratified and they started that in 1972!!

evidence-based

I’ve got to go and pick up some children, some of whom may be mine.

Most of the whisky made in the EU is from Scotland, Rufus.

But what the hell, stock up anyway. If only to numb the pain!

Both Cady and the Dotard must have hoped the people don't understand there is a spectrum of possible levels of Brexit misery between a Mad Max scenario and the starting point of Britain still being world's 5th largest economy in mid-2016.

Oh i was so slow typing that lovein beat me to it

One assumes that people who don't feel the need to stock up to combat price rises are obviously very rich and dont need to worry about rising prices

lovein

I was joking...but i agree

Yes, it won't be good, but it could be on a sliding scale of pretty crap to a fucking disaster, we don't know. But why put ourselves through that for "sovereignty" which we never actually lost, "taking back control" of things we've always been able to control but not bothered and "not having a veto" on things we have a veto on and don't actually exist (see- EU army)?

So you arrived here in 1978 in anticipation of the 1992 Treaty?
Obviously not, but there were no restrictions of any kind. We just got into the car and drove here, started living and working here. Apologies if I used the incorrect abbreviation, but the movement seemed pretty free to me.

There will either be a total fk up by the UK negotiating team and UK will crash out into a No Deal Brexit. The UK negotiators are woefully unprepared for this reality, but in their arrogance think all will be well.
Or....
There will be a fudge and a ten year transition period where everything will be discussed, and when the reality of what's involved occurs, UK will opt to stay in the EU! Watch this space....

I'm going with a big transition period myself. There is absolutely no way that all the complexities/agreements/treaties etc. will be sorted (going on current progress) by this time next year. We are nearly three years into the process now and still nothing has been decided.

Look at Golondrina's list above for starters.

No harm anyway to sort finances, dual citizenship where possible UK/EU, or the good old Irish passport and stuff like that. Why not? If not required no harm done.

I hate baked beans they make me fart to high heaven. So I won't be stockpiling them anyway.