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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:
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Original poster
Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 16:20

38% of scots voted to leave the EU are we supposed to just airbrush them out?

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Original poster
Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 16:21

Wales voted to leave.
England voted to leave.

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DGRossetti · 08/12/2020 16:23

@Friendsoftheearth

38% of scots voted to leave the EU are we supposed to just airbrush them out?
Well airbrushing 48% of the UK out of the picture came easily enough, didn't it ?
Notthe9oclocknewsathon · 08/12/2020 16:25

You are being wildly unreasonable. If you wanted a common market you shouldn’t have voted for blank cheque Brexit.

derxa · 08/12/2020 16:29

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/shetland-council-votes-overwhelmingly-to-explore-independence-from-scotland/ar-BB18U0yY
Some Shetlanders want independence from Scotland. Not all Scots worship at the feet of oor Nikla

FoolsAssassin · 08/12/2020 16:30

I am at a total loss how you can blither on about the French and lack of respect towards us given the behaviour of our Government since the Referendum.

Original poster
Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 16:30

Yes given the overall majority was leave, that is democracy for you.

You speak as if Scotland voted to remain in its entirety, that is grossly untrue. The most ardent leavers I know are often from Scotland!

The most ardent remainers are often English, there is no one fits all cutout of what either voter looks like.

It was an incredibly brave thing to do, to vote to leave, and it is not often spoken about. An arguably huge monolithic institution such as the EU and a system the UK has been part of for over forty years. The British have balls, they really do, and good on them for having the confidence, courage and conviction to actually follow through, and moreover to resist the forces that were unleashed afterwards.

It is no small achievement we are even here, at this point. The tide has turned now. You can not put the genie back in the bottle now.

The EU can now continue with their plans to become a superstate with the armies and all the rest, that is a matter for them now. The UK made its decision, and reaffirmed it many times.

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TheRubyRedshoes · 08/12/2020 16:32

Op I've not trawled 34 pages, but yes it's ridiculous.

Macron isn't popular, endless riots and problems in France and just as much criticism of his handling of covid.
He has to look like he is doing something.

Also apparently it's a well known taught negotiation tactic in France. To throw something in at the last min.

Hopefully, Merkel etc will pressure him to back down.

bellinisurge · 08/12/2020 16:34

But Scotland did vote to Remain. As did Northern Ireland. Or do Leave votes in Scotland and NI count double. You are a silly billy (nod to Ted Heath for those old enough)

AlexaShutUp · 08/12/2020 16:35

It was an incredibly brave thing to do, to vote to leave, and it is not often spoken about.

There's a very fine line between brave and reckless.

Muckish · 08/12/2020 16:35

It was an incredibly brave thing to do, to vote to leave, and it is not often spoken about.

You should do stand-up comedy, you really should, OP.

Yes, absolutely it was 'brave' in the same way it's 'brave' to cut your own head off with a chainsaw to get a Darwin Award.

teateateateateamoretea · 08/12/2020 16:36

It was an incredibly brave thing to do, to vote to leave, and it is not often spoken about

It's not spoken about because it wasn't brave. It was foolhardy and foolish. There is nothing brave about cutting off your nose to spite your face

TheRubyRedshoes · 08/12/2020 16:36

We should never have got as far in as we did without the more votes and say on the level of integration.

teateateateateamoretea · 08/12/2020 16:38

Yes given the overall majority was leave, that is democracy for you.You speak as if Scotland voted to remain in its entirety, that is grossly untrue. The most ardent leavers I know are often from Scotland!

You do appear to be getting stupider with every post. You understand that a (slight) overall majority for leave across the UK is democracy in action...but you fail to see that an overall majority to stay in Scotland, and in NI, is thwarted democracy?

bellinisurge · 08/12/2020 16:38

New concept of bravery being trialled in this thread now.

AryaStarkWolf · 08/12/2020 16:39

@bellinisurge

Imagine how I felt when Priti Patel said we should use starvation as a weapon against Ireland. Which is far worse than the President of a country acting to protect the interests of that country.
Amen
derxa · 08/12/2020 16:39

@bellinisurge

But Scotland did vote to Remain. As did Northern Ireland. Or do Leave votes in Scotland and NI count double. You are a silly billy (nod to Ted Heath for those old enough)
I think you mean Denis Healey if we're talking about Mike Yarwood. Sorry to be pedantic. Sad
SionnachRua · 08/12/2020 16:40

You do appear to be getting stupider with every post. You understand that a (slight) overall majority for leave across the UK is democracy in action...but you fail to see that an overall majority to stay in Scotland, and in NI, is thwarted democracy?

I'm really enjoying how a 52% total Leave vote is treated as a brave nation rising up and the 48% on the other side are ignored. Meanwhile 38% Scots who voted to leave seem more deserving of a mention than the 62% Scots who voted to stay. An interesting dichotomy. Grin

frumpety · 08/12/2020 16:40

This is such a wonderfully entertaining thread and for that I thank you and your truffle oil loving soul @Friendsoftheearth

Original poster
Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 16:40

Theruby

Yes quite, I read that too. The French are taught this tactic, it is a pretty grim and an underhand way to behave though. Do you suppose their house sales, car sales and everything in between is carried out in such a way?
Honourable, acting in good faith and being transparent doesn't seem to feature much. It looks ugly on the world stage. I don't think he is doing France any favours having this last minute tantrum.

Macron imagines himself as King of France, the King of the EU even - and it is perhaps unlucky for the UK, a normal functioning leader would have been better than an ego maniac.

I can't exactly blame Macron for wanting to shift the headlines away from the riots and the protests and strikes, however millions of farmers, wine producers, hoteliers and the rest are depending on a pragmatic outcome.

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FoolsAssassin · 08/12/2020 16:40

@TheRubyRedshoes

Op I've not trawled 34 pages, but yes it's ridiculous.

Macron isn't popular, endless riots and problems in France and just as much criticism of his handling of covid.
He has to look like he is doing something.

Also apparently it's a well known taught negotiation tactic in France. To throw something in at the last min.

Hopefully, Merkel etc will pressure him to back down.

So Merkel is expected to get Macron to back down now is she? 6 days ago she was the ‘real villain’ of Brexit according to one U.K. paper.

Is this thread designed to try and scapegoat France if a deal doesn’t happen ?

TheKeatingFive · 08/12/2020 16:41

Brave 😂😂😂

Original poster
Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 16:42

So pleased I am making your day! frump

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Original poster
Friendsoftheearth · 08/12/2020 16:43

I love the British, I really do - it is a fantastic country in every way.

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DGRossetti · 08/12/2020 16:44

@TheRubyRedshoes

We should never have got as far in as we did without the more votes and say on the level of integration.
I actually have some sympathy with this view.

However as we are constantly lectured in discussions about democracy - the UK doesn't run on referendums. It runs on a parliamentary system where parliament gets the say. The bottom line is, if you don't like what parliament are doing, you damn well get your arse into gear and campaign for candidates that represent your views.

If we want to waste time picking over the carcass of what went wrong, then Camerons swerving a referendum in 2010 might be somewhere to start. And that might have the sticky fingers of the LibDems* over it.

*Ask your grandparents