Shout Out to All Outside the UK! What do you think of Brexit?

[KenDodd]

Ideally outside of the EU as well as it's the global opinion I was really after.
The government and printed press here portray us as a world leader and that Brexit has enhanced our reputation and the rest of the world can't wait for the exciting opportunities for partnerships and increased trade with the UK. I'm not so sure that's what the rest of the world thinks so thought I'd do a very unscientific straw poll.

Yabu - The rest of the world thinks Brexit is a bad idea, it has diminished our reputation and is portrayed this way in the press.
Yanbu - The rest of the world thinks Brexit is a great idea, it has improved our international reputation and is portrayed this way in the press.

Thanks!

I dabble in international (well, US) legal circles, and to a person, everyone thinks it's a shit idea. It's flared up a little recently because of the stories about some US states clubbing together to leave the US - as a warning.

The main criticism is that people had no idea what it was about in 2016 and in 2020 they still have no idea. And these are attorneys and professors.

DH has clients all over the place. Especially in Japan, Middle East and India/Pakistan. They either seem completely unaware or uninterested in Brexit, or else they think we're crazy. A few of his Japanese clients have said that they're no longer interested in investing in the UK now that we're out of the EU, because it will be more beneficial to them to put their money elsewhere instead.

When I visited my usual holiday hotel in Malta after the referendum I was asked "Have the British taken leave of their senses?"

I had a zoom call with an American friend the other day. He thinks Brexit is a terrible idea as well. He was very, very envious of FoM as well, and couldn't believe we would give up the freedom of a whole continent, from Iceland to Greece and Norway to Portugal. I pointed out that I didn't give anything up, those freedoms were taken away from me against my will.

Voting seems more even though. Maybe lots in the world think Brexit will be great for us?

I've got family around the World, mainly outside of Europe, but some in France and they think we are nuts, luckily the UK family voted remain, so there's no heated discussions.

Canadian and I think you're all nuts. But hey, now we get to fill your spot in the EU :P

Turkeys voting for Christmas. I feel Britain is a bit of a laughing stock and has lost any sort of prestige it had still hanging around it. It seems a large waste of money to end up with a worse quality of life

I’ve lived in two different countries since the referendum and the opinion of the British as intelligent and cultured has taken a huge nosedive. It’s widely assumed that the effects will be catastrophic and nobody understands why people would willingly vote for it. The people in Germany who expect to pick up the financial sector jobs that were previously in London are quite happy though.

Brexit is self-destructive. But I think that the right wing, anti immigration cadre will get what they wished for- for Britain to become a lower populated, backwater, isolated island that more people emigrate from than immigrate to.

Shortly after the brexit vote my friend went travelling round Vietnam. She was in a reasonably remote area and was chatting to people. Some locals realised she was British and straight away said “why did you guys vote for brexit?? What’s going on??” They thought it was crazy.

I had lived for more than twenty years in England until I left just under a year ago. I spent the first several months (pretty much until the first lockdown) with everyone from friends to cab drivers asking me quite seriously if there was an angle from which Brexit genuinely made sense to British people, but that wasn't being reported overseas, because otherwise it looked like a completely insane move.

My Aussie rels are pleased, they felt they had a hard time visiting compared to Europeans and feel that the playing field for visiting and work is being levelled. Also West Indian and Kiwi friends.

My US friends and rels can't believe that we were prepared to be 'under the EU' in the first place. They say individual states often rail against Federal laws and taxes.

Swedish, Greek and Italian friends have whispered 'good for you' but their official line is that it's a terrible idea.

Friends in Korea, Japan and Malaysia don't think about it at all.

Canadians think we should stay in and everyone else should join, forming a great big group - not literally, but that's the general idea.

Oh, forgot about my Polish friend, who is horrified.

And an Irish friend who is overjoyed as he has set up a business in Ireland to take advantage of Brexit and thinks it's looking better and better.

Oh! The voting is a bit less positive now!

Funny that, given a heck of a lot of people in the US voted for trump, I’d be shocked if they don’t see things from the UK perspective.

To be fair though, the British public don’t really know what they voted for, so it’s not surprising that the rest of the world can’t get their head around it.

@PlanDeRaccordement

Brexit is self-destructive. But I think that the right wing, anti immigration cadre will get what they wished for- for Britain to become a lower populated, backwater, isolated island that more people emigrate from than immigrate to.

Not in our life time!

Friend from HK thinks we’re crazy. Her elderly parents were always rather in awe of the UK but now think we’re ridiculous.

I'm British but live in Czech Republic. It is embarrassing to be honest. People keep asking me about it and laugh at how ridiculous Britain is. And no one wants Britain to get a good deal, there is definitely ill feeling over here...

I know a fair few Aussies who think we're nuts leaving Europe. Also that we've handled covid badly etc. Becoming a hit of a laughing stock, but more perhaps pity and disbelief we've let it happen.

@amicissimma

And an Irish friend who is overjoyed as he has set up a business in Ireland to take advantage of Brexit and thinks it's looking better and better.

Then he's in a vanishingly tiny minority compared to the Irish people whose businesses are either being made considerably more difficult or wiped out altogether, because the new tariffs make them unviable, or the extra red tape and time involved in exporting to or importing from the continent via the UK means that a time-sensitive cargo cannot get to retail in time to be saleable.

I'm Scottish and can't identify with English leavers. So you dont even need to go abroad to get opinions as above.

Funny that, given a heck of a lot of people in the US voted for trump, I’d be shocked if they don’t see things from the UK perspective.

You're talking about a country where half the population don't understand their own constitution - it wouldn't be insulting to suggest their grasp of UK politics is less than functional.

@ProfessorSlocombe

Funny that, given a heck of a lot of people in the US voted for trump, I’d be shocked if they don’t see things from the UK perspective.

You're talking about a country where half the population don't understand their own constitution - it wouldn't be insulting to suggest their grasp of UK politics is less than functional.

I agree and the way Trump was ‘championing’ Brexit, it would be assumed they would think it was great too.... without knowing the implications.

Ireland here and think you're crazy to leave, I'm still unsure what benefits you think you're going to get that will out weigh the perks of the EU? Also a bit worried about how it will effect us because you're our closest neighbours and we trade a lot with you, luckily my company only has one British supplier and it's not a main one. Also worried about the NI situation