To feel extremely depressed about how Brexit is limiting the lives we once knew.

[Persiantrio]

Presumably now, if you want to go shopping in Paris on the Eurostar, you will have to declare, queue and pay customs on any clothes / goods over a given amount at the border. How crap and inconvenient is that?

Same with any holiday purchases from anywhere in the EU? Not worth it.

Also if you order anything online that happens to come from the EU and costs over over £135, you get hit with massive customs charges of about 40%. Companies like Etsy etc are taking a massive hit as a result.

How is this “taking back control?” Its so depressing and backward. The only reason nobody is kicking off about this yet is because nobody could go anywhere anyway. People don’t realise the freedoms they had and that are now gone. What a shit and insular place to live this will be.

And I don’t wait to hear any predictable ‘vaccine nationalism’ waffle either (because that has nothing whatsoever to do with what I’m asking in this instance and we could have done exactly the same within the EU anyway).

@anon666 - have you reached out for insurance quotes from French insurance companies?
I'm surprised that you're giving up. I know a British expat who lives in Portugal diagnosed with Parkinson in his 60s and lives there all year round using his Portuguese private health insurance. There are plenty of expats abroad who get local private health insurance. The cheaper lifestyle sunshine and outdoor lifestyle offset the cost compared to living in the UK in order to use the NHS.

We were quite happy to take advantage of Eurostar special offers and do a day trip from Ebbsfleet: chance to speak some French, have a spot of lunch at a local Parisian café, visit a gallery or museum and be home mid-evening. An expensive day out, but not much more than a trip to a theme park or somewhere like that in the UK.

@DianaT1969 you know what, we've just had the news today 😔 so now, but also I'm probably over-reacting.

It's just been such a long road with his health condition, must be 3 years. Today he had a consultation where he was told it won't get better but will continue to degenerate.

I guess that kind of outweighs the Brexit issue. But it's a bit of a double whammy since I've been trying to keep the dream alive.

But you're right. I need to be more positive and confident of overcoming it to carry on pursuing our lifelong dream. I'll just have to be more imaginitive.

I’ve not read the full thread but I’m bloody miffed that I can’t get my child’s daily allergy medication. All of the pharmacies in our area are flat out and don’t know when it’ll be back in!

[quote Hoorayforsunshine]“@DoubleTweenQueen

I don't see why we should all just accept it and turn away from the evidence of the emerging ramifications, personal or national. It's important to guage effects and hold to account those in power and influence that have brought us to this point.”

I agree.

It’s also only been 3 months, and in the context of a global pandemic. For all those who say it’s happened, it’s been fine get over it, it’s just too soon for any of that.[/quote]
But equally, those going "but I haven't seen any benefits yet" also need to remember that it's only been three months.

I was expecting it to take decades for the benefits to be really measurable - for me it was about having a more dynamic country to grow more in the long term. As it happened though, one unexpected benefit was seen within weeks of leaving.

@TheReluctantPhoenix well I believe we have pretty much most of the vulnerable vaccinated, and enough to ensure they receive a second dose. As per WHO guidelines it would be more beneficial to ensure the world’s vulnerable (around 20% of the global pop. if I’m getting my numbers right) get at least their first jab, before any one country gets up to the 65-70% that would likely kick in herd immunity.

We’ve sorted ourselves out so we should be looking over the neighbours fence to see how we can help at this stage. Fwiw I haven’t been vaccinated yet, and I would be fully happy to defer my first vaccination until the world’s most vulnerable are protected. Why Europe? It’s not about wether they are deserving or not, they are our neighbours and we should help, then once that’s done absolutely we should look further afield.

Wow.

Who on earth would want to holiday in or around Europe. Far more beautiful and interesting places in Asia

@Yogalola

What a privileged life you used to live travelling by Eurostar just to go shopping! Just be grateful you haven’t got long COVID , and make the most of your new world. Brexit is done and enjoy what the U.K. has to offer.

God what a depressing post...

This doesn't really sound like a complication if Brexit but a policy the government have deliberately brought In. As an independent nation we have have the choice to increase red tape or reduce it which isn't an option we would have if we were still in the EU.

Do you really, really not get it? We don't have a choice to just reduce red tape if we want. The UK isn't king of the world contrary to what many people seem to think and other countries can do whatever they want and we now have absolutely no say in that. We gave up an awful lot of influence when we left the EU.

Who on earth would want to holiday in or around Europe. Far more beautiful and interesting places in Asia

Maybe people who can't afford to go to Asia but can (could) afford to go camping in Europe.

I don't think it's TAHT priviledged tbh. Where I am from lots of people drive to go shopping to the next country. Some living close to borders go for biweekly shops because stuff acn be cheaper and better quality. It's not just a fun for rich.

@tinks29

Who on earth would want to holiday in or around Europe. Far more beautiful and interesting places in Asia

Ah, more of "how dare you rich Londoners go to Paris, don't you know us poor people fly to Tokyo instead?"

@bellocchild

We were quite happy to take advantage of Eurostar special offers and do a day trip from Ebbsfleet: chance to speak some French, have a spot of lunch at a local Parisian café, visit a gallery or museum and be home mid-evening. An expensive day out, but not much more than a trip to a theme park or somewhere like that in the UK.

Why would Brexit stop you doing that? (Once the pandemic is over, obvs)

Far more beautiful and interesting places in Asia

A farcical statement when people are getting told off for wanting a day trip to Paris. Yes, start with flights at a good few hundred pounds before you even factor in food and accommodation.

I haven’t shopped for clothes in Paris etc so won’t miss it. I have Aus though where I think you’re meant to declare.

Anyway two things would worry me more. Funding in universities - no idea on how it works but I would like it to be maintained somehow.

And I did wonder if plants were more expensive today as all had plant passport sticker. Maybe they were the same price anyway.

"limiting the lives we once knew."

Just to get back to the original point - don't have to have a fancy, 'Eurotunnel-shopping-in-Paris' lifestyle to notice the changes. Living in Germany - DM in UK. Simple things like sending birthday presents for her grandchildren and vice versa has just got very complicated. Imagine you are 82 and suddenly have to start filling in a CN22 or CN23 form. Postage rates here have more than doubled due to the extra work the delivery companies apparently have to do. As an Etsy seller, I have had to remove UK from my list of countries I can sell to - Etsy are obliged to add 20% tax even though I'm VAT exempt as a small trader and there is no way of guessing how much my purchasers will have to pay in the end.
Not to mention that we are suffering Tetley teabag withdrawal - I refuse to pay €17 for 240 teabags simply because the tea wasn't grown in the UK!

As anti Brexit as I am, this is not a convincing argument.

It's based heavily on consumerism and smacks of the priveliged elitism that Remainers are often accused of.

In 2021, when we're supposed to be reducing waste and looking for more sustainable ways of living, a day trip shopping in Paris on the Eurostar rather than your nearest city seems completely unnecessary. I live in the realy quite rural north and I can be in Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow or Edinburgh and be there and back in a day. We are not short of amazing cities in the UK.

Thailand and Vietnam are two of the most cheapest places you can visit.

@Kendodd

This doesn't really sound like a complication if Brexit but a policy the government have deliberately brought In. As an independent nation we have have the choice to increase red tape or reduce it which isn't an option we would have if we were still in the EU.

Do you really, really not get it? We don't have a choice to just reduce red tape if we want. The UK isn't king of the world contrary to what many people seem to think and other countries can do whatever they want and we now have absolutely no say in that. We gave up an awful lot of influence when we left the EU.

As a government we have made the decision to change the qualification. We had the option of leaving it the same but our decided not to do so. Our government has decided it will be better to have our own separate qualifications which we couldn't have done if we were still in the EU. It is a positive thing we are now able to do this.

I don’t generally go for the day to Paris. Oh my god, how is it that someone can come come on and say “Europe is boring, personally I go to Asia,” and yet I get hauled over the coals for taking an occasional 2.5 hour train journey to Paris.

Where am I allowed to go by train - do advise? What about Edinburgh (4/5 hours away by train)? Would that be deemed acceptable? Thanks.

If my daughter decides to go to uni in Durham, should she walk there?

FYI, I am probably more eco than most in the sense I’ve had an electric car for some time and I’m vegan (but let’s not go there)!

Last time I went to Paris with the kids we stayed two nights, on occasions, I have gone for the day or just overnight, but I don’t make a habit of it. Can’t even believe I’m justifying this!

To the poster who is an Etsy seller who ships to the U.K. - I have every sympathy for you and your business must have been very affected by this. These are exactly the small businesses being hit hardest right now.

This thread is surreal.

It's immoral to complain because one's DH can no longer profiteer from low paid labour to allow for your indulgence in expensive tastes

It's also immoral to be well off and moan about import duty which goes into the UK coffers and will help all of us in these very difficult Covid times.

@bp300

It’s not a positive thing. It means people will have to pay for two different qualifications to work in and industry that has ties to Europe- which is many.

It means workers in U.K. industries like aviation and engineering will be out of pocket to pay for two separate licenses. How is that better?

I can just imagine who will profit from the extra red tape the Tories are introducing with Brexit. If the PPE scandal is anything to go by, you don’t need an overactive imagination to understand the apparent* cronyism and corruption.

*by apparent some people mean bloody obvious

When covid is over you can still take a day trip to Paris fgs