We did not end freedom of movement. The only people we ended fom for is ourselves and our children.

[Kendodd]

I don't know why we would celebrate this.
The children of our EU friends living here still have their fom, when they leave school they'll be free to live and work in any one of 31 countries (I'm pleased for them) our children won't be. I've heard 'EU passport holder' is starting to appear on CVs now as it makes people a more attractive employee in certain sectors.

Oh and I grew up in one of the most deprived areas in the country on state benefits attending a failing school. I made use of fom in my youth and it gave me opportunities young people in my situation won't have anymore. It's not just for rich people.

@JoanWilderbeast

Working conditions and pay should be raised in poorer countries. Levelling up not down. I don't understand how a continuous global merry-go-round of workers will facilitate this, rather than mainly benefit business owners.

One advantage of the EU for poorer countries! Heavy investment in Eastern Europe, better economic growth, higher wages, less reason to work in the richer west and a bigger draw for migrants to return.

Plus we can sell more of our services and goods to them, boosting our economy, more places for us to visit too.

That 12 billion per year was a bargain.

If your smart, why on earth would you choose to work in the NHS?

Don’t give our leaders ideas, but maybe that pittance and working conditions look pretty good compared to the pittance and conditions available elsewhere - for instance in the fundamentally similar care sector? And when there’s whole groups of people, both sex and class based, who are very deliberately held down and given low aspirations to service higher groups, it again looks pretty good? Actually you don’t need to worry about giving leaders ideas, they’ve already had them and put them in action. Thanks so much, hereditary middle classes, for working with them on this.

I agree with levelling up, but to what level exactly and what can the whole world’s resources realistically support I’m eyeing up both ecological change and the impossible expectations produced by British regional inequality and out-of-control financial sector here, not just the geographical inequalities across Europe or even the world. Beats me why there was always so much fuss about the impossibilities of matching inequalities across Europe while there remains a complete blinkered denial of those within Britain, but that’s the British middle classes for you.

Oh, and status. I forgot to add the fundamental importance of seeking status in an increasingly hierarchical country. That’s why all the calls from individual professions to call for higher status for status’ sake, all the movements to emphasise and collude in status and other non-financial rewards for work, really really annoy me. They won’t work either. They are destructive: of the economy, of a financially-driven system and destructive too for those same professions, as quality of service is sacrificed for it all.