To be embarrassed to be British?

[ReasonablyIntelligent]

I've just seen on the news that the 29 Brexit Party MEPs all turned their backs (quite literally) during the European anthem in yesterday's opening session to the European Parliament.

Regardless of Pro-Brexit / Anti-Brexit debates, this is deeply deeply inappropriate, insanely undiplomatic and will have done nothing other than make the UK look ridiculous, childish and plain rude.

I'm ashamed to be represented by these people and the way things are going, ashamed to be a part of a country that is behaving like this.
Everyone else in Europe must think we are dirt.

I guess the dofference is Stone that thry were taking those countries over intentionally, with a view to making them part of their empire. So the indigenous customs would not therefore be applauded or celebrated.

I think Jane was referring to people asking to settle here ie with a view to assimilating but instead complaining about British values. Although she never specified any examples.

I'm not sure there's much point in trying to debate with @Janey0808 because she's not displaying the ability to hear other people's sides but here's my two pence

Could you provide some evidence to back up your statement [foreigners] don't mind dossing off on our benefits, having 10+ kids and a council home, being put first for operations and English people being moved back so that Europeans can have their operations first

1. EU migrants must be able to prove they have been resident in the UK for a min of 3 months before claiming Jobseekers. So they don't just "come over here and immediately take"

2. They are not eligible to claim Housing Benefit at all

3. Migrants claiming Jobseekers can o ly do so up to 6 months.

4. Migrants claiming Jobseekers are obligated to undertake a full "Genuine Prospect to Work" assessment after 3 months of claiming.

www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/benefits-non-uk-nationals

5. 92.6 of benefit claimants are British. 5% were NON-EU (ie. unaffected by Brexit) and only 2.4% are from the EU. [see photo 1 for chart]

6. Almost 12% of NHS staff are EU Nationals

7. 3.1 million jobs in the UK are tied with EU exports

8. EU membership contributes 4-5% of GDP (approx £62-78bn per year)

9. in 2012, £167bn was spent by the DWP

£74bn of that was on state pensions (Which are for British Citizens only).

£17bn on Housing Benefit
(Which are for British Citizens only)

There are many other benefits making up that pot that Migrants are not entitled to, but for the sake of ease let's just say that the remaining pot is open to all so that's £76bn of benefits being claimed in a year(exc pensions and HB)

2.4% of benefit claimants are from the EU, so an inflated estimated is that they cost the system £1.8bn

So of the £62-78bn a year that just ONE ASPECT of the EU membership brings in to the UK, a MAX of £1.8bn is going to EU benefit claimants

10. The total cost of the NHS in 2015 was £113bn The total cost of EEA usage came to £340m

So EEA migrants cost 0.3% of NHS spending

Thanks for the stats reasonably.
I think Janey won't care much though. Hers was a general gripe about too many foreigners in the land (ie anyone not of English descent). She'd probably love to have citizenship tied to dna testing. Wait for that to be what the swivel eyed loons will push for next...

So in effect, you are saying that the biggest problem to our benefits and NHS is a group of people who overall claim 2.4% and 0.3% of these services, yet who make up 12% of the staff, who's right to be here pumps billions into the economy each year.

Also, it was found that the over their lifetimes, EEA migrants pay in £78,000 more than they take out in public services and benefits - while the average UK citizen’s net lifetime contribution is zero.

@Songsofexperience

Oh I know. Have you heard the phrase about never playing Chess with a pigeon?
I shouldn't waste my time really.

Oh I've just seen Janey's posts have gone.

Damn, I did so much research as well!

Totally agree l, it was a disgrace. They should be expelled and suspended with no pay.

Everyone in Europe must think we are dirt.

Very grown up bingbong.
Many of your fellow citizens think badly of those antics, i guess you don't care about them either, right?

Oh no, I go and deal with RL for a bit, and Janey has gone! Can someone tell me if she answered the question about the adverts??

That's all well and good re: stats. But that does nothing to address those feeling pushed out of priority for jobs, housing, salary and quality of life in this country does it? Brexit has come about because people feel disenfranchised and supplanted in government concerns as Janey does. I totally disagree with all her comments being deleted. Although I don't agree with her point of view she had a right to make it and I'd rather engage and attempt to find a middle ground than otherwise. MN is too knee jerk with the moderating and then incredibly slow at other times.

There's some really over the top reactions on this thread - apologising whilst on holiday, working in retail and apologising to European customers. Get a grip.

bingbongnoise - I'm having that gif 🤣

Why on earth delete Janey?Loads of people think like that. It’s ridiculous and counter productive to pretend otherwise.

I totally disagree with all her comments being deleted I agree with this. I refute everything Janey has written; her thinking is muddled, misinformed and just plain bigoted. But she is not alone and ideas such as hers should be aired so that they can be challenged and repudiated.

@ReasonablyIntelligent Thanks for all your effort in producing that analysis. Just one thing though; My job involves dealing with Housing Benefit and it is definitely not true that only British citizens can claim it. Claimants must have the right to receive public funds but people of all nationalities may have this right, immigration status permitting.

They’re a protest party. So that’s what they’re doing. I’m surprised people are shocked tbh After my initial disgusted reaction, I did ponder on their motivations and I thought this too. But they are protesting in the wrong parliament. The EU has not tried to stop Brexit happening - our Parliament has! (Thankfully).

It's just making a point. This was on virtually the same day the new EU council chairman (whatever posts were decided the other day) announced the did want a United States of Europe. Fascism is forcing them to turn round.

You might as well say we should force Sinn Fein MPs to take their seats in Parliament.

The UK does not want to be part of this. Our politicians don't really want this. If they did we would be using the Euro by now. Our remainer MP's are totally mixed up.

I don’t feel ashamed. Their actions were not done in my name, so I certainly wouldn’t be apologising for something I was not part of.

It must be a very British thing to be ashamed of being British. Never met an ashamed Scotsman or Welshman or Irishman.

Then again it’s not frowned upon to be proud of being anything other than British.

They are the Brexit party they are there to protest what did anyone expect.

It embarrassed me too. We’re a global laughing stock thanks to Farage.

You might as well say we should force Sinn Fein MPs to take their seats in Parliament.

They don't turn up to disrupt procedures or indicate contempt AFAIK. Just googled and they don't take salaries as MPs either.

www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16460

It's just making a point. This was on virtually the same day the new EU council chairman (whatever posts were decided the other day) announced the did want a United States of Europe. Fascism is forcing them to turn round.

Not everyone feels like the British do about a United States of Europe. There are some who want closer ties with other European countries. Do their feelings not matter, just because the British (who are leaving anyway) don't think it's right or proper? You have no say in what the rest of Europe chooses to do, anymore.

Thecatdidsay - I am proud to be British (English).

Why all the deleted posts? Surely if someone has unacceptable views they should be left there to be shot down? This thread makes no sense now.

Bill Hicks (dead Texan comedian) said it's weird to be proud of your country just for being your country, because it's simply the place your parents had sex in. He thought jingoism might reduce if people had to wave a flag picturing their own parents' procreative act.

It was funnier when he said it. I don't necessarily agree.... Just saying.

Brexit has come about because people feel disenfranchised and supplanted in government concerns as Janey

Yes

I did think that as she was posting, a lot of what she was saying is propagated by the media

My PIL were convinced that the local school had masses of immigrants and minority groups, they were very surprised to r otherwise, but it was what the media was telling them and their friends

My dads the same...i was having a bitch about the school and apparently its the fault of all the immigrants...which we dont have

And i really wanted to know about the adverts..