To ask for the positives and negatives of Brexit now it’s happened

[Butterflyfluff]

I haven’t put this in the Brexit section as it’s the same old faces in there

I was looking for more ‘everyday’ opinions

I’ve read / heard about

• VAT charges on goods imported from the EU since 1/1/21
• shortages of certain items in supermarkets, especially in Northern Ireland
• chaos in the fishing industry

There doesn’t seem to be much of an upside - even ‘taking back control’ seems a distant dream as it looks to me like we’ve got years to come of negiotiating all sorts with the EU

What have we gained from Brexit?

And what other problems are there that people have experienced so far

DP distributes sport equipment... It's totally fucked the supply chain, customers being told they're adding £75 to delivery cost (sometimes on a £30) item. Customers obviously don't want it any more, couriers admit they have no clue what to do...they are threatening to abandon the stock or charge extortionate rates to store it.

[quote Tazers]@Darklingthrush

Have you heard of Working Holiday visas?[/quote]
Let me check - a friends DC wanted to travel

The working holiday visa serves as a Type D national visa, which permits the holder to stay and work in the country they applied during the visa's period of validity. ... It means you can only travel within the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days within half a year.

So fuck all like having Freedom of Movement then. As they told her.

Only seen positives so far. Vaccinations being a massive one. There's been none of the 'no food in shops' people were worried about. None of the queues at the ports. Tax on imported things which are already made here is a good thing - buy local.

Positive: it's done so we don't have to hear about it any more

Negative: my dream of buying a place in Europe to spend a few months a year in after we retire is fucked.

Only seen positives so far. Vaccinations being a massive one.

Could you explain why you think our vaccination progress has anything to do with Brexit?

There's been none of the 'no food in shops' people were worried about. None of the queues at the ports.

That's called dodging a bullet, not a positive.

@SerendipityJane

Sorry I wasn't clear. I was talking about a WHV to Aus or NZ. The other poster said they are too expensive. The Aus one is $485 Aussie, it's a popular way of travelling there for Brits and Irish and (in my experience) isn't limited to the wealthy.

@TheGreatWave

There's been none of the 'no food in shops' people were worried about. None of the queues at the ports.

That's called dodging a bullet, not a positive.

And it’s not even true in the case of Northern Ireland

A lot of young people do not have the money to get jobs in HK or Australia- the fact that you did, suggests that you were/are better off than most.

@SerendipityJane - I was responding to this comment. As this comment is incorrect, in my experience, based on the people I met while working in Aus.

[quote Tazers]@SerendipityJane

Sorry I wasn't clear. I was talking about a WHV to Aus or NZ. The other poster said they are too expensive. The Aus one is $485 Aussie, it's a popular way of travelling there for Brits and Irish and (in my experience) isn't limited to the wealthy.[/quote]
Sorry, I thought this was a thread about the positives of Brexit my bad.

So you are saying that because of Brexit it's much easier and cheaper to work in Australia and New Zealand ? OK, that's is a positive. Admittedly a bit less convenient than being able to Eurostar home for a weekend. But definitely a positive.

So that's one positive in 60 posts ?

@zafferana

Positive: it's done so we don't have to hear about it any more

Negative: my dream of buying a place in Europe to spend a few months a year in after we retire is fucked.

Why is that?

You can go visa free for six months in two 90 day chunks in 180 days.

Some countries have chosen not to go the 90 day rule, Croatia I think is one of them.

Visits to other EU countries count when calculating for countries that have the 90 day in 180 rule though.

You may want to research how many Brits go to Aus and NZ on both a temporary and permanent basis.
Yes I know that wealthy kids still have lots of opportunities. That was rather my point!

@Darklingthrush

You may want to research how many Brits go to Aus and NZ on both a temporary and permanent basis. Yes I know that wealthy kids still have lots of opportunities. That was rather my point!

I honestly didn't realise there were so many people who couldn't get to Australia until we left the EU. I guess they weren't as shouty as fishermen.

Still, great news that they can now get to Australia and New Zealand easier and cheaper thanks to Brexit. Presumably that saving is part of the £350 million a week the NHS will be getting (backdated of course) in the next few weeks ?

Yes I know that wealthy kids still have lots of opportunities. That was rather my point!

Your point is wrong though. It isn't just wealthy kids who go to NZ / Aus.

@SerendipityJane

I give up. You are (badly) twisting everything to suit your own narrative.

[quote Tazers]@SerendipityJane

I give up. You are (badly) twisting everything to suit your own narrative.[/quote]
I thought this was a thread about Brexit ? Isn't that the only thing to do ?

I'm really pleased that the fish are so much happier.

Makes it all worth it for me.

It's 90 days in any 180 and that includes travelling time through any other EU countries to get to your destination.

Anyone who says there are no shortages, wrong. 4 of the fresh vegetables not available and 1 fruit, on my online shop. Sainsburys. And they said they don't know about forthcoming stock.

The fishing industry in Scotland is fucked.

Erasmus.
Forget the Turing scheme, who knows when it will be up and running,, and it will push US and Australia, all out of the reach of poorer students. We have the EU on our doorstep and it will not be beneficial for them to come here and wade through nightmare visa rules. So there will not be the reciprocation that drove Erasmus.

Don't think about ordering anything online from EU. I know someone who ordered something worth £76 and Hermes wanted over £200 duty!

Banks and financial instituions have moved £1.6 trillion of assets out of the uk.
400 relocations in one month alone. Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg are doing well out of this though!

We're now the poor man of Europe.

Advantages zilch

@whiskybysidedoor

There’s also a global pandemic going on right now and we’ve only just left so really you are starting another bash anyone that voted brexit thread. You won’t put it in the right topic because anyone in their right mind won’t go in there. I feel you are being mightily disingenuous and I hope people ignore you.

This. Yet another goady thread on the subject. We haven't been out (properly) for a month yet.

You'll never get a real picture in the short term. Ten years down the line we will be able to see what is difference. We've only been out a few weeks. Polling evidence shows that most Leave voters expected some short term pain for long term gain.

VAT charges on goods imported from the EU since 1/1/21
You've always had to pay VAT on everything. The only difference is that as part of the single market VAT used to be charged by the originating country rather than on import (as it always has been for goods imported from the US and other places). Yes there have been teething troubles and some people have been charged twice in error but there was plenty of time for firms to get ready.

I'm definitely glad we have been able to independently forge onwards with a massive vaccination program that's seen millions vaccinated already.
How is that down to Brexit?
Because Britain always played by the rules in the EU. Germany might be prepared to go off on its own once it became obvious that the EU scheme wasn't going to work but Britain would have been stuck waiting. It's a clear example of how we can be more agile on our own.

but Britain would have been stuck waiting

Why?

What rules are there preventing EU countries sourcing their own vaccines?

The reality is, the UK always hid behind the ‘EU rules’ to make out they were the problem when it was generally nonsense - which is exactly why there’s no tangible benefits now - most things that are a problem in this country were never anything to do with the EU

As for the ‘it’ll take 10 years’ narrative - that really wasn’t the stance before the vote - Leavers expectations have just been dumbed down to this and they are now pretending they thought this all along

Not only are there lots of taxes for importing goods from the EU now, but lots of retailers are refusing to sell to the UK now. I have recently bought a bike and various bits for it from Germany where there are so many better designed things, and several similar accessories from other EU shops; shoes from discount retailers; etc, and all of those shops have now said they will no longer post to the UK.

[quote SendMeHome]**@Pukkatea* @NoGoodPunsLeft* Yep; they’re looking at getting rid of the Working Time Directive, which includes the right to be paid for holidays and the maximum working hours in a week, according to the FT.

All presumably hidden behind some bravado about giving millions of people half a vaccine and Brexit being out of the oven.[/quote]
The UK has had paid holidays since 1938. Nothing to do with the EU.

The WTD doesn't enforce a maximum working week, the 48hrs rule is pretty notional as most of the employers I've worked for had the opt out written in the contract (and the only one which didn't was in an exempt industry). I have never been forced to work overtime. I've seen agency staff working 16 hour shifts though (plus the time in the minibus) which happened even though it wasn't an avoidable condition in the WTD. They volunteered for it though, they needed the money.

Well I work overseas and am waiting for a big fall in the pound before I transfer money home. So one advantage - but disadvantages seem endless! Well done GB!

Your point is wrong though. It isn't just wealthy kids who go to NZ / Aus. You said yourself that the visa alone is almost $500 and the travel costs are at least ten times what it costs to go to France. That is out of the reach of a lot of people and you are out of touch with what wealthy means. Why are you even trying to argue that it doesn't cost more money to fly around the world than it does to catch a bus???

There isn't an upside, unless you're a flag shagger.