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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Really very sad with France!

999 replies

Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 06:52

I am quietly furious with France. We have been going to France between three and four times a year, every year for pretty much all of my adult life. We have spent most summer holidays, skiing and all the rest, choosing France as our destination over all over countries.

Every week I buy French cheeses, wine and truffle oils, and we are very big fans of France and French cuisine.

Even taking into account that Macron should hope and push for the best deal for their fishing industry, I still find it incredulous and insulting that they should be demanding ten years of fish, and are offering us a paltry percentage. Ten years.
They are in a total stand off regarding an even playing field, I understand the reasons for this, but honestly they are pushing all of us to a no deal outcome, that will see French fisherman with no catch whatsoever, and high tariffs slapped on all imports from France. Tourism will be destroyed as people will no longer wish to go there. It could poison relations for decades.

I am aware of the history between the UK and France, but rather naively thought we had moved on from that a very long time ago, I am in despair at the eleventh hour demands, and feel this is in very bad faith. It has really highlighted to me how little respect France have for us as a country.

I feel like I never want to go again, despite having a tentative booking for a holiday in the spring of next year.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
KleinBlue · 08/12/2020 07:05

@Friendsoftheearth

It is going to be counter productive gold if no deal is the result.

It is not so much the French pushing for the best deal, of course they will, but the fact they sprung it on us at the last minute just as the deal was looking likely. It is in bad taste. I feel it is not right at all.

Have you actually been following this issue at all? Ireland is just as involved as France, and the talks on fishing have been essentially stalled on key areas since the summer.
GoldfishParade · 08/12/2020 07:06

@Mhdix
How judgemental are you? I voted Remain and then emigrated when the result came through.

slipperywhensparticus · 08/12/2020 07:07

They are our waters we have crippled our own fishing industry for them

I suppose it means one industry that might pick up in the UK but still fuck off macron

Mummyoflittledragon · 08/12/2020 07:07

Yabu
English fishermen sold off a lot of English fishing rights in the 1990’s to foreign companies for investment. No other country in the British isles / Ireland did the same. It is normal that the companies, who now own those rights wish to fish in our waters. The Tories are seeking to steal those rights from them.

If a french person residing in France owned a house in England, would you also be ok to take it from them post brexit? It’s exactly the same thing.

WhyDoYouAsk · 08/12/2020 07:07

It is not so much the French pushing for the best deal, of course they will, but the fact they sprung it on us at the last minute just as the deal was looking likely.

Sprung it on us at the last minute?
Fishing has been a sticking point throughout.

WhyDoYouAsk · 08/12/2020 07:08

Where have you been OP?

WhyDoYouAsk · 08/12/2020 07:09

They are our waters we have crippled our own fishing industry for them

The rights have been sold ffs. You can’t claim something is yours when it is not.

bellinisurge · 08/12/2020 07:10

When did you last eat mackerel, op? Grin

Original poster
Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 07:11

At this stage I am really worried that the EU never had any intention of doing a deal of any kind, that this has been a colossal waste of time - and are just seeking to embarrass the UK with Johnson going there today, in precisely the same way they treated Theresa May.

In that situation, I am in no doubt the UK will walk and that will be the end.
We are about to find out if the EU are acting in good faith.

OP posts:
Europilgrim · 08/12/2020 07:12

But the EU had already agreed a deal. We decided to renegotiate!

WhyDoYouAsk · 08/12/2020 07:12

At this stage I am really worried that the EU never had any intention of doing a deal of any kind, that this has been a colossal waste of time - and are just seeking to embarrass the UK with Johnson going there today, in precisely the same way they treated Theresa May.

They don’t respect our Government.
With good reason.

WhyDoYouAsk · 08/12/2020 07:13

We are about to find out if the EU are acting in good faith

They owe us nothing. We ‘divorced’ them remember?!

Whyistheteacold · 08/12/2020 07:14

This thread has really given me a good giggle this morning 😂 happy Tuesday. Op, Yanbu, I'm sure if you let the French know that you have been upset by this, they will take it into consideration and give you some sort of loyalty card or gesture of goodwill

Original poster
Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 07:15

This is not a thread to rehash the old sides of the ref, but a stock take on where we are today.

The waters belong to the UK, so the fishing rights will no longer be set by the EU but by the UK.

I am noting Spain and Italy and a few others are also part of this, the EU seems to have split into two.

OP posts:
JauntyMcGinty · 08/12/2020 07:15

It's not the EU acting in bad faith, it's us. Yesterday we voted to renege on the Withdrawal Agreement. Today we're asking for special treatment because they should be loyal to us. It's very embarrassing.

AlizarinRed · 08/12/2020 07:16

I think this demonstrates why Brexit happened. If you are in the north of Britain you don't just pop over to France - yes, you can fly and hire a car, which many do but it's probably easier to go to the Med.
So popping over several times a year is unlikely.
Stop moaning, start buying British.

HoneysuckIejasmine · 08/12/2020 07:16

Oh cool, so I can demand back that house I sold a few years ago? Yes they paid for it, yes I willingly sold it, and yes they've been living there and paying all the costs in good faith, but dammit, I want it back!

Seriously OP you've been living under a rock if you've only just realised this is an issue, and you've clearly done no reading about it since you emerged.

WhyDoYouAsk · 08/12/2020 07:16

But the EU had already agreed a deal. We decided to renegotiate!

This! They are saying thanks but no thanks Boris.

JauntyMcGinty · 08/12/2020 07:16

@Friendsoftheearth

This is not a thread to rehash the old sides of the ref, but a stock take on where we are today.

The waters belong to the UK, so the fishing rights will no longer be set by the EU but by the UK.

I am noting Spain and Italy and a few others are also part of this, the EU seems to have split into two.

They don't. We (actually the English) sold a huge percentage to foreign companies.
Hopdathelf · 08/12/2020 07:16

It may be as well to boycott France. If you can only afford truffle oil and not an actual truffle you won’t be able to afford all that cheese and wine once WTO tariffs are applied.

WhyDoYouAsk · 08/12/2020 07:17

Seriously OP you've been living under a rock if you've only just realised this is an issue, and you've clearly done no reading about it since you emerged.

But the OP eats cheese, drinks wine and goes on holllidaaay there...

AlwaysCheddar · 08/12/2020 07:17

The eu need us more than we need them.,,, they are slowly crumbling. It’s not a sustainable group.

MrsMiaWallis · 08/12/2020 07:18

@milienhaus

I like France too, but you’re taking this very personally! Macron needs to do the right thing for his country, not ours. The EU never needed us the way we need them.
This isn't true. The EU will find it very difficult without us. And I say that at the same time as being very sad and angry about the whole sorry mess.
WhyDoYouAsk · 08/12/2020 07:18

cheddar
They really don’t.

pussycatinboots · 08/12/2020 07:19

@bellinisurge

When did you last eat mackerel, op? Grin
exactly.

The fish we catch, we don't eat - it gets exported to the EU.
The fish we eat, we don't catch - it gets imported from the EU.

And 52% of those who voted in the advisory referendum chose to leave the EU.

Fishing is a tiny industry. There literally are bigger fish to fry.

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