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?

I can't! Which is why I am having a quiet little breakdown over here. Despite Norway having decent deals in place for no-deal brexit it'll still make my life really arse to leave and I'm really unhappy about it (among other reasons)!

Having said that though, the leave voting public is roughly half of the voting public so I suspect parliament is fucked whichever way they spin it.

@oldwhyno - I suspect we'd have to renegotiate the obligations.

That says a lot about your personal integrity.

Oh come now.. you don't have to make things personal doireallyneedto. That was uncalled for, oldwhyno might be disagreeing with the majority of us but has so far remained civil about it.

The "work" is the political work of figuring out which of the many options can and can't get a majority in favour, which is constantly shifting as options are taken off the table. I think we'll get there.

What (TAF)?

You haven't gotten anywhere on that front. And you were supposed to leave last week.

Are you just piss taking or do you think that's a serious point you're making?

LaurieMarlow
Yes, lets import all our food from thousands of miles away.That doesn't sound expensive or environmentally problematic.

I expect you don't eat bananas on principal.

Actually, one of the benefits of Brexit it that home consumption of locally produced food is likely to increase - with the knock-on effect that we will start producing more of our own food. Italian restaurant chains in the UK are switching to buying mozzarella produced in Wales for example;
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/21/zizzi-ask-italian-begin-using-welsh-mozzarella-rather-italian/

@oldwhyno - The "work" is the political work of figuring out which of the many options can and can't get a majority in favour, which is constantly shifting as options are taken off the table. I think we'll get there.

I actually laughed out loud at that. Are you really that delusional? So about 3 days worth of real effort? I think that would be possible to replicate quite quickly down the line.

that home consumption of locally produced food is likely to increase

Erm you do realise that the UK is very far from being self sufficient on food and that it takes significant time to ramp up production? Farming not your specialised subject huh?

I’m sure that welsh mozzarella will make all the difference though. Great example

I dread social situations now because everyone goes "how's brexit" and then laughs...

Scandinavia here. Was at a funeral last week and the lady next to me in Church, a complete stranger, asked me about Brexit! We are a laughing stock.

@Damntheman - Oh come now.. you don't have to make things personal doireallyneedto.That was uncalled for, oldwhyno might be disagreeing with the majority of us but has so far remained civil about it.

When someone suggests that reneging on the GFA is a reasonable option, an option that will potentially destroy the peace in NI, an option that will potentially result in bloodshed and the loss of lives, then yes, I do have to make it personal as it is an attack on my country. There is nothing at all civil about oldwhyno's suggestion.

Anyone who thinks ripping up an international peace treaty, with no consideration for the consequences, does, to my mind, have integrity issues.

@doIreallyneedto - Deals get renegotiated all the time. Situations and context change and people can rationally and pragmatically reassess terms of agreements.

@oldwhyno - Deals get renegotiated all the time. Situations and context change and people can rationally and pragmatically reassess terms of agreements.

It is not a deal. It is a peace treaty. One party unilaterally refusing to comply with their obligations under a peace treaty will generally result in the peace being broken.

Flew back to mainland Europe via Helsinki on the original "brexit day" and just about everyone who saw my passport, people behind me in queues, security and the chap checking my passport were all full of sympathy, shaking their heads at my batshit crazy country and asking me if I have a backup plan in place. (i do)

Where I live i'm constantly asked about it, also by head-shaking uncomprehending people. And John Bercow has become something of a "thing" here.

IAmNotAWitch
Clavinova, how will the UK farmers be supported during the period of time it takes for the EU to accept the UK as a 3rd country supplier?

Government offers confidence of support of UK sheep industry with no deal Brexit.

15th February 2019

The National Sheep Association (NSA) attended two highly significant meetings with Defra yesterday (14th February), which gave NSA confidence the Government has listened to and agreed with the case that has been made for the importance and value of British sheep farming. Defra has offered assurances it is prepared, in the case of a no deal or hard Brexit, to step in to protect our industry in the event of market difficulties.

www.nationalsheep.org.uk/news/25311/government-offers-confidence-of-support-of-uk-sheep-industry-with-no-deal-brexit/

“Following a couple of months of debate, we have now arrived at a place where Ministers are stating their support for the British sheep industry, recognition of its economic, environmental and social benefits and an intent to provide financial support in the case of market difficulties.This support will maintain the sectors capacity and ensure it can regain and build on existing markets.

meatmanagement.com/government-offers-post-brexit-support-for-uk-sheep-industry/

@doIreallyneedto - I actually laughed out loud at that. Are you really that delusional? So about 3 days worth of real effort? I think that would be possible to replicate quite quickly down the line.

I don't think so. I think it's only possible with the clock ticking and with the "No deal" gun at parliaments head.

Embarrassing shambles.

The UK is looking fine.....the House of Commons on the other hand....

@oldwhyno - I don't think so. I think it's only possible with the clock ticking and with the "No deal" gun at parliaments head.

That says an awful lot about the quality of your elected representatives.

That's the same Government currently sitting in Westminster? Where will they pull the money from?

That's the same Government currently sitting in Westminster? Where will they pull the money from?

21 Feb 2019 UK public finances hit record surplus to give Hammond pre-Brexit boost. Figure of £14.9bn is biggest January surplus since records began in 1993.

www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/21/uk-public-finances-hit-record-surplus-to-give--philip-hammond-pre-brexit-boost

@longwayoff

It's ok. No one is perfect.

I live in Germany.
bewilderment and head-shaking here, over a country that ws previously regarded as a reliable adult

Many jokes on tv and I've seen Brexit carnival floats too.

Biggest glee though, right from the beginning, came from Indian colleagues who come over every few months
They are just loving it and saying it's their turn to tell Britain what to do

It's not the EU we have to worry about afterwards:
it's all the ex-colonies taking the opportunity to get their own back for the past
I include the US in this

This shattering of national prestige matters, because soft power matters

Obvious back in 2017 that the UK had lost considerable power when for the first time since the ICJ (International Court of Justice was founded in 1946

• and we were one of the main founders - there will be no British judge.

This is because the very distinguished British judge was not re-elected for a 2nd 9-year term.
It should have been a formality, but the UK was weakened by being detached from the EU bloc
and did not dare campaign properly for the British judge against the Indian candidate
.... because we dare not risk going against India now

I think some of the damage is rather insidious as well- crop pickers no longer pick (hurr hurr) the UK as they first option, they tend to go to Germany now. It's not unfeasible that they'll demand higher wages to come over here from now on.

Foreigners, particularly ones with more money and options, aren't that keen on investing in the UK until things settle.

Even the average person like my mum who got an inheritence is unwilling to risk investing over here for the time being and she was actually advised not to transfer money to an account here until things clarify.

BigChocFrenzy didn't India give us the finger when we initially wanted to agree a trade deal? I vaguely remember they wanted lower food standards.