How is Great Britain looking from abroad?

[longwayoff]

I've seen various remarks that other countries are confused by our current situation, although surely Ukraine's running it close. Any comments from outside UK mumsnetters?

Mainland Europe. I would be tempted to say we're a laughing stock, but I'm afraid it's worse than that. Everyone else just really, really pities us at the moment. I understand why, too.

In Italy it’s seen as a total shitshow, the only ones that vaguely supported it at the beginning were people that voted for our populist idiots M5S (who are now tanking in the polls), but now even those people are aghast at how incompetent, self serving and foolish our MPs are being. And this is from a country that has had punch ups in parliament and Berlusconi. I had to renew my ID card recently and got a lot of sympathetic smiles and incredulous head shaking from the council employees.

I also work with other EU and non EU countries and travel a lot between countries. Everybody I’ve encountered without exception, from passport control to clients, have commented negatively. This also includes countries such as Hungary, Poland and Turkey, who are supposedly populist allies.

Expat in Poland. I've given up trying to follow what the bloody hell is going on and to be quite frank I'm glad I don't live in the UK anymore! From here it's all quite embarrassing. Colleagues and I take the piss out of it quite a lot.

What I can't understand is that the majority see It as a bad idea, even those who supported it admit it is going to have a negative impact for years on the economy yet the belief is 'we voted for it, it's going to happen despite everything.' Also this belief that Ireland is somehow to blame for this shitstorm and how dare they! Do they not know their place!!! I've read about how everyone should boycott Irish products and not visit the country to get them back for the trouble they have caused.

Irish here. Wouldn't say we are smug at all. Horrified. No deal would be a massive hit to our economy and that's before you even think about the GFA and Northern Ireland and this bloody hard border. Although I have noticed a general swing in opinion (amongst my own friends anyway). Whereas initially most people were hoping for Art. 50 to be revoked and then for a soft Brexit, I have noticed an increasing number thinking that hard brexit is now the only option. While it will hurt Ireland immensely, this constant tooing and froing, upheaval and uncertainty is also damaging and there is a sense here that even if Brexit was stopped tomorrow, the likes of Farage and his ilk with their very vocal followers would use the opportunity to cause trouble and discord in the EU for years. Better to rip the plaster off now. There is also a sense that UK would last a few months before coming back to negotiate in a weaker position anyway so better that the UK leave with no deal than a deal that will hurt us (time limited backstop anyone? ) Personally, I'm still hoping for a soft brexit, remain seems unrealistic now.

Also there is definitely a sense of anger that the UK seems to expect Ireland to roll over, shoot ourselves in the foot and possibly risk a return to the troubles just because the UK doesn't want to uphold it's international agreements aka the Good Friday Agreement. How very bloody dare we is right

I live in Australia. I feel worried about the direction a lot of the world is heading in. When I think about my own country, the UK and the USA in particular I see anger, fear and division. I do worry about the impact of Brexit on the UK. I think many of you are in for hard times in the future. I hope I am wrong.

I’m in Ireland and it looks like a total shit show. What are you up to? It’s like you gave a group over over excited 5 year olds a decision to make and expected a good outcome. Irish people from the Republic of Ireland are generally horrified by what’s unfolding and the prospect of needing a passport to visit my sister 50km up the road.

Britain doesn't have an empire any more.

Rich posh people are used to bossing people and even countries about.

So rich posh people are treating the UK like a colony, not caring about the ordinary people because they never have, they are just attempting to make more money.

'Divide and conquer' are alive and well.

I'm in Oceana. Everyone is either amused, confused, or offers their condolences

What I also can't understand that Mps who wouldn't vote for Theresa Mays deal all along but then came out and said they would vote for it if she resigned. I know this didn't happen but the fact it was even an option shocked me. What the hell! Why would you even consider vote for the deal that you vehemently disagreed with (as you kept saying it was terrible for Britain)just to get rid of May. The vote will impact people years and years after May and those who voted for it are gone. It's a joke.

gone2 Problem is, even if other EU countries have their own problems and undoubtedly more to come, it doesn't make the current situation in the uk any better or easier. You must admit, politically Brexit has not been executed in the a manner one would expect?

Please BEWARE it seems when voters/the population gets treated this badly by the establishment, they tend to vote for extremes and/or not established politicians. Look to the US. I find it so scary for all of us (Europe) since we seem not to feel represented by our politicians in general.

Voila - not much to understand there. It's been self interest and internal party politics from start to finish with this bunch of irresponsible idiots. They're prepared to hold the country's future to ransom for personal gain, and they should be deeply ashamed of themselves. This really, really ought to be criminal.

On holiday at the moment...was a shit show before we left and every day it seems to have gotten worse. I am in disbelief every day when I read the news...do I have to go home???

My American friends and family are quite happy to see the spotlight off the nightmare that is the Trump administration.

It's unbelievable, I'm watching sky news and can I ask a genuine question. One of the reasons Britain voted for Brexit is so they wanted to protect the their borders. Yet they keep saying they don't want a border in the North. Am I missing something? If free travel remains between the North and the republic of Ireland what's stopping illegal immigrants entering Britain from there. How can Britain state they don't want a border and the EU are going to set one up not them.

In short 'the Brits are at it again'.

Voila - a good question, that lays bare the simple truth that there is no easy answer to the Irish border question. They simply haven't come up with a single workable idea/plan yet to deal with that, yet repeatedly say no to the only workable plan so far (the backstop) offered by the EU side. Despite it being blatantly obvious from the start that this would probably end up being THE stumbling block in the whole process, there's a deafening silence from the British about solutions, and yet we just continue to say no to everything. It's beyond inept, it's beyond pathetic.

@Voila212 - One of the reasons Britain voted for Brexit is so they wanted to protect the their borders. Yet they keep saying they don't want a border in the North.

The only reason they are now saying they don't want a border in the north is because Ireland and the EU are insisting they honour the GFA. Prior to that, they either didn't care or didn't realise that "protecting their borders" would contravene an international peace agreement they signed up to.

One of the reasons Britain voted for Brexit is so they wanted to protect their borders. Yet they keep saying they don't want a border in the North. Am I missing something?

No you’re not. Sigh.

Fucking brexit magical thinking again.

Wanting theoretical concepts without thinking through all the implications and then abdicating all responsibility. It’s entirely typical.

I just don't understand how Britain is going to manage?

It is a small island, not a huge amount of natural resources, historically London has thrived due to it's location. But location doesn't mean so much anymore. The knowledge economy can happen from anywhere. Shipping companies will have no need for London.

What will you trade? Can you grow enough food for yourselves? If not how will you get money to buy in? With the power of the EU trading block the UK stayed relevant. On it's own how will you negotiate?

I just don't understand. Happy to have it explained to me because I just can't see how this is going to work?

I'm in Ireland and on the surface it's amusing lots of jokes going around but I am quite worried about what will happen in NI and I really hope the troubles aren't going to start up again and I'm angry that there's a very strong possibility that we may have a hard border separating us and NI. Also, worried about our economy being so far away from mainland Europe and Britain would be our main trading partners

There will be all out war if there’s a hard border.

Everyone I know in France = WHAT ZE FUCK.

No deal will hurt in the short term, but it will be for the best in the long run. The insidious creeping EU federalism couldn't be resisted from the inside. Far far scarier than a no deal Brexit has been the possibility that we actually can't, or aren't allowed to exit in an orderly manner. It was never about migration, it was about sovereignty.

If the UK crashes out, the anger in Ireland will reach significant levels.

We’re a small country. We’re finally recovering from the global recession. NI was ticking along nicely under the GFA.

To have all that compromised because of the UKs arrogant, incompetent fuckwittery will evoke genuine fury.