Really very sad with France!

[Friendsoftheearth]

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.

Curious, a 'weaker negotiating position'? How dare you? You must despise the UK and if a UK citizen must be unpatriotic. The German car manufacturers will order Frau Merkel.

@Wanderingbluebell

Don’t you think the Europeans have plenty to feel insulted about? This is a British made mess, not the fault of France

Europeans and the EU are not the same thing. We are still European.

The EU is not split, there is no dissent. France is just voicing the opinions of the 27.
You are delusional.
🤣🤣🤣

I can't believe that our government is threatening the prosperity of the whole UK, after one of the worst years of my lifetime, over fishing, which is a miniscule part of our economy, and all because Brexiteers are for some reason bloody obsessed with fish. Good on France for flexing its power and not being walked over by our delusional government I say.

@Applesonthelawn

And they are perfectly happy to throw the Irish under a bus by forcing a no deal result. So much for EU solidarity.

Wtf. The Irish will be fine trading with the EU, isn't that what the new ferry routes from Ireland to France are about? The English have thrown the Irish under the bus as usual.

What goes around comes around.

We couldn't possible imagine a politician, whether a prime minister, president, or leader of their party standing up for their interests could we?

"These are waters that the French have fished for centuries."

Reference please. They have had full access since 1974 ish and to a far lessor degree prior.

What has been a game changer is Covid. Whilst a no deal is painful..it is no way as painful as Covid has been. The latest bombshell of the EU re demanding what was settled months ago (reported in today's Times) is a result of EU infighting and power struggles....and as Yanis Varoufakis (former Greek Finanance Minister) said this is exactly what would happen.

Yes there will be queues at Calais, but as one Irish government official gloomily put it...yes the British will be queuing but what incentive have they in getting Irish freight through...there is non so the pain the Irish will feel will be magnified several times over.

There won't be anything easy in this but it will be shared out

we had moved on from this, then UK decided to fuck it all up - so what exactly did you expect?

I agree op. It's all too late now anyway. We'll be leaving on WTO. It's just that neither wants to look like that bad guy by walking away from talks first. So it's being dragged out until the last minute. Imo.

We voted for this.

Can't wait to go on our next holiday to France.

@Zilla1

Curious, a 'weaker negotiating position'? How dare you? You must despise the UK and if a UK citizen must be unpatriotic. The German car manufacturers will order Frau Merkel.

Exackerly!

People on here do not like to admit that we have more in common with Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the US. I hope one day we could form a free market agreement with them.

Diplomatically I do not think the UK has ever been on good terms with the French. Look at De Gaulle's blocking the UK's common market entry in the 70s (was it?) And that was in recent living memory of WW2. The French wouldn't piss on us if we were on fire and this whole EU band of brothers shtick was always complete bollocks.

I think most posters on here would be gleeful if Britain did badly out of Brexit just to prove themselves correct but I would say not to underestimate the strength of our economy compared to some of our EU 'brothers'.

And I voted Remain.

The French have always shouted for the maximum they can get. You must have encountered strikers from their fishermen/truck drivers/train drivers/port workers etc etc etc over the years during travels there. The blockades the farmers causing hold ups in the ports etc because they are protesting something or demanding something else. They shout very loud and hold out for a deal that suits them - that is there way. They have never been fair and do their thing for their country.

YANBU but that's the French.

@MarieG10

"These are waters that the French have fished for centuries."

Reference please. They have had full access since 1974 ish and to a far lessor degree prior.

What has been a game changer is Covid. Whilst a no deal is painful..it is no way as painful as Covid has been. The latest bombshell of the EU re demanding what was settled months ago (reported in today's Times) is a result of EU infighting and power struggles....and as Yanis Varoufakis (former Greek Finanance Minister) said this is exactly what would happen.

Yes there will be queues at Calais, but as one Irish government official gloomily put it...yes the British will be queuing but what incentive have they in getting Irish freight through...there is non so the pain the Irish will feel will be magnified several times over.

There won't be anything easy in this but it will be shared out

You are wrong, any form of Brexshit will be far worse than Corona.

Anyway, I would far prefer our fish and shellfish being caught and taken to France to be bought at the quayside, cherished and eaten fresh than processed so that the majority goes into cat food.

Hilarious how this entitled thread has brought out all the Brexitrolls.

I bet Farage likes his fish and chips.

It's just indicative of the UK wanting to prove itself as a sovereign nation. Even though we always have been.

So fishing has become a marker of that.

Regardless of how tiny it is in our economy, how few people it employs and the fact that a lot of our fish is exported to Europe.

To be seen to back down would be bad for Boris.

But France is doing what is has to do. And I am looking forward to going there again. It's only a 5 hour drive to the tunnel!!

What has been a game changer is Covid. Whilst a no deal is painful..it is no way as painful as Covid has been.

Except the OBR and the BoE both agree that the economic hit from Brexit is far worse than that from Covid.

YAB massively massively U

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.

You seem to have a short memory:
1.Theresa May secured a deal with Europe it was the Tory party and parliament that rejected it.

1. Last year Johnson came away from Europe with an ‘oven ready’ deal which the Conservatives decided to unpick this year.

3.Boris Johnson is quite capable of embarrassing himself and the country without any assistance from Europe.

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.

Why would the EU want to give us all the parts of EU membership that we have enjoyed without us being a member state? Did you vote for Brexit OP? Are you not enjoying the consequences?

@THisbackwithavengeance

People on here do not like to admit that we have more in common with Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the US. I hope one day we could form a free market agreement with them.

Diplomatically I do not think the UK has ever been on good terms with the French. Look at De Gaulle's blocking the UK's common market entry in the 70s (was it?) And that was in recent living memory of WW2. The French wouldn't piss on us if we were on fire and this whole EU band of brothers shtick was always complete bollocks.

I think most posters on here would be gleeful if Britain did badly out of Brexit just to prove themselves correct but I would say not to underestimate the strength of our economy compared to some of our EU 'brothers'.

And I voted Remain.

Of course you did.

"And they are perfectly happy to throw the Irish under a bus by forcing a no deal result. So much for EU solidarity."

More delusion. Yes it hurts the Irish. But they have direct ferry routes set up and a bunch of mates to help them. Plus an Irish descent US President.
Plus the closest they have ever been to reunification with NI - not an easy or cheap task but, again, with mates less dreadful.

Arlene Foster currently setting up important talks with Irish government about assessing the extent of historic ROI "collusion" with Provos. An open honest conversation about a difficult topic that needs to be had if the relationship is to develop.

@THisbackwithavengeance

People on here do not like to admit that we have more in common with Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the US. I hope one day we could form a free market agreement with them.

Diplomatically I do not think the UK has ever been on good terms with the French. Look at De Gaulle's blocking the UK's common market entry in the 70s (was it?) And that was in recent living memory of WW2. The French wouldn't piss on us if we were on fire and this whole EU band of brothers shtick was always complete bollocks.

I think most posters on here would be gleeful if Britain did badly out of Brexit just to prove themselves correct but I would say not to underestimate the strength of our economy compared to some of our EU 'brothers'.

And I voted Remain.

I do not believe we have more in common with those countries at all, language aside. But it's a moot point anyway. I don't want those countries to be our main trading partners because they're all bloody miles away. I would much rather trade closer to home. We have a planet to look after.

I think it just shows how little the sun think of us especially France

We have a fishing industry decimated by what’s gone in with French and Spanish fishing in our waters and it’s right we stand by our fishing industry, just as those two countries stand by us

And if we don’t get a deal then that does mean taxes on imports, so things will cost more, however the market is open worldwide which means others may sell us the same or similar at a better deal. Obviously not the cheese and wine, however it then becomes your choice if you want to spend that amount

This thread is gold!

Basically the Uk got up and told the EU it would be better off alone (although the EU suspected a third party was involved (US)) EU agreed to a divorce and now the UK is turning up demanding sex and it’s ironing done - EU needs to LTB once and for all.

Eu not sun