struggling to see the benefits..

[gunting]

So Boris has come out today to let us know his plan - stay in the single market and continue to allow free movement of people and continuing to comply with any laws on trade - I.e. Staying in the EU.

The EU suggest we will have to pay a per capita fee, the same amount we pay in now before leaving, but we won't get that money back this time.

I voted remain, and I am hoping I'm wrong, but what are the benefits here?

Deregulation of what exactly?

DH worked in the chemical industry - masses of regulations and all of them vital. Safety at work, product safety, environmental protection....

Anything we want to be able to export to Europe (and probably most other countries) will still need to conform to EU standards. People won't want to add british standards to the list. We'll probably just make EU standards ours (but with no further say on what they are).

The great thing about European regulations is having just the one set of them for a large bloc instead of dozens of them to deal with.

(It was perfectly clear before the vote that immigration would continue but the economy would be wrecked by leave... that's why no-one believed it would happen and there was no planning by the Leavers.)

Good things? Probably great if you're a visa lawyer. And if you think nuclear energy is a dangerous and expensive route, then be pleased that Hinkley Point is now unlikely to be built.

A recession will make the immigration figures look much better. Does that count?

Another possible benefit (to the world, not the UK except indirectly) - maybe the US electorate will see what a bad idea 'protest votes' against 'the elites' and dissing 'experts' turns out to be, and shuns Trump.

We'll have to have new stickers for our car bumpers when we drive over to France (if we can still afford to etc). Maybe there'll be a design competition. It could be a TV show like the Bake Off or Sewing Bee. Great Brexit Stick Off or something. And the we could feel all warm and fuzzy at the show final. Now, that's going to be a nice moment for everyone.

Does that count?

I'll tell you a benefit - we will not be dragged blindly into TTIP, and our NHS has been removed from the negotiations.

recall and what makes you think the current government would protect the NHS in any trade deal?

TTIP needed all 28 membe states to agree to it. The UK could have vetoed it, if we stayed. Germany were also against it. It's basically a non thing, just like Turkey joining the EU. It's not going to happen for decades, if at all.

Cameron was very eager to rush CETA through...

TTIP is being vetoed by France plus if we trade in the single market or with the US we will still be bound to the rules of it. We lost our chance to veto it now though.

Besides, Jeremy Hunt has just announced his Tory leadership bid. The NHS isn't looking so safe anymore....