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Brexit
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Second Referendum

252 replies

MyNameIsArthur · 15/12/2018 09:37

If there was a second referendum, how would you phrase the question on the ballot paper? I thought maybe it should be phrased in the following way in two parts but I'm not sure. What do you think?

A) Do you wish for the UK to Remain in the EU or to leave the EU ?

B) If the majority of the UK votes to leave the EU, do you wish for the UK to leave with:

                    1         Theresa May's deal
                    2          No deal
OP posts:
jasjas1973 · 21/12/2018 21:48

@Neweternal Ha ha You english! you have quite the humour!

1tisILeClerc · 21/12/2018 21:53

{ and we win the war for them}
While not denying the bravery of UK military but it was a team effort involving many from the Commonwealth, oh and a bunch from the USA and all the resistance fighters in occupied Europe who if they were caught had their families executed. For 1 'resistance fighter' who killed a German, around 10 family members were rounded up and killed.

DGRossetti · 21/12/2018 21:54

Ha ha You english! you have quite the humour!

With zee jokes about zee breaking of zee vind ...

lonelyplanetmum · 21/12/2018 22:06

While not denying the bravery of UK military but it was a team effort involving many from the Commonwealth, oh and a bunch from the USA and all the resistance fighters in occupied Europe

This gives some balance of other countries (apart from us) that paid the price of WWII

https://goo.gl/images/Smevas

Neweternal · 21/12/2018 23:06

@Moussemoose lighten up you're like a serious head mistress!

jm90914 · 22/12/2018 06:07

Reminds me of when I asked my step father why it was a good idea for us to leave the single market and he started blathering on about Germany's war reparations...

In fairness, his hearing isn't great. Maybe he thought I asked a different question.

Although he did go on to concede that it's good that the EU standardised the wire colours in electric plugs... so maybe he heard me correctly after all.

No. I'm not joking.

bellinisurge · 22/12/2018 07:22

"You know may be I am a little Englander. We've been treated terribly by some countries in the EU and we win the war for them, that's gratitude!"

  1. We didn't win the war. Much to our great credit we held out until the big boys came along. Not the same thing.
  2. The other countries in the EU that were WWII allies are pretty heroic themselves.
  3. You do know it's not a wet Sunday afternoon in the 70s with a rerun of morale boosting war movie don't you?
  4. My dad was in the war. My mum's uncle was posthumously awarded the highest civilian honour. And he was an immigrant. I know my shit about it not being like the movies.
Moussemoose · 22/12/2018 07:31

@Neweternal you advise me to "lighten up" don't worry I'm pissing myself laughing.

DGRossetti · 22/12/2018 07:32

Although he did go on to concede that it's good that the EU standardised the wire colours in electric plugs..

Was that the EU ? Or ISO and IEEE ?

jm90914 · 22/12/2018 08:02

@dgrosetti

Haven’t a clue. I didn’t pursue the matter. It seemed futile.

icannotremember · 22/12/2018 10:57

We've been treated terribly by some countries in the EU and we win the war for them, that's gratitude!
This is one of those comments that make you think, well, I hope that poster is trolling,

Maursh · 22/12/2018 12:50

Although he did go on to concede that it's good that the EU standardised the wire colours in electric plugs..

Coloured wires were a British Standard (7671) introduced in the early 70s, predating EEC membership. The BS dates from 1880. The wire colours were standardised to be consistent in colour across Europe from 1999 onwards (ie red / black was replaced with brown / blue).

jm90914 · 22/12/2018 14:13

I don't know about anyone else, but I've found this interlude about wiring fascinating.

I shall broach the topic next time I see him, and inform him that coloured electrical wiring is, in fact, a British standard.

He's unexpectedly regained sovereignty over his electricals from the EU.

I'm sure he'd be pleased as punch, if he didn't have Germany's war reparations to worry about.

DGRossetti · 22/12/2018 16:08

I'm sure he'd be pleased as punch, if he didn't have Germany's war reparations to worry about.

Not really sure why he feels he needs to worry about them. Maybe homelessness is less of an issue where he lives ? And childcare provision ?

However, if he does feel there's some unfinished business, I wonder what he knows that (say) Churchill didn't ?

DGRossetti · 22/12/2018 16:11

red/black was a pretty stupid idea for something like electric wiring where getting the colour wrong can be disastrous (which was tacitly admitted by requiring the Earth to add stripes to the mix).

best be careful when international standards are mentioned, it's all to easy to end up refighting the metric wars ....

1tisILeClerc · 22/12/2018 16:17

I think you should leave the wiring stuff out for now as the UK changed when it harmonised with Europe. The fact that the UK 'changed' suggests that the UK was forced into it by those overbearing European................
Still, a major triumph for the UK in that it keeps rectangular pin plugs with integral fuses, and sockets (also featuring in some former colonies).
I am not sure who wins in the 'standing on a plug with bare feet' test.

1tisILeClerc · 22/12/2018 16:19

Red /Green colour blindness could have been an issue, so adding a yellow stripe was probably a good idea.

DGRossetti · 22/12/2018 16:43

Still, a major triumph for the UK in that it keeps rectangular pin plugs with integral fuses, and sockets (also featuring in some former colonies).

You see this is demonstrably safer than the tat the US came up with for their houses (there's a video somewhere on YouTube of an American showing fellow Americans the "little things" they wouldn't necessarily know about the UK. Plugs is one (with point about the foot attractor Grin) plus the fact our socket are generally switched.

He also raves about our money - plastic notes - thinks they are waaaaaaaaaaaay cooler than the slightly braindead one-size-fits-all US notes. (Although to be fair that was the driver for a lot more automated payment systems than the UK used to have).

DGRossetti · 22/12/2018 16:44

I believe the UK is unique in using a ring main over a star system (because it saves on expensive copper wire ...)

1tisILeClerc · 22/12/2018 16:58

Using 230/240 Volts saves quite a bit of copper wire compared to the USA110/120 Volts.
Taking it up to 500 Volts would make it more efficient still but then 'maybe die' from electrocution becomes rather more of a certainty.

DGRossetti · 22/12/2018 17:06

Using 230/240 Volts saves quite a bit of copper wire compared to the USA110/120 Volts. Taking it up to 500 Volts would make it more efficient still but then 'maybe die' from electrocution becomes rather more of a certainty.

UK domestic electricity is supplied as a single phase from 3 where the overall synchronisation between any 2 phases gives 440V (or used to).

From memory US domestic supplies come either side of neutral, so you can power bigger appliances with more volts/less amps.

I won't go any further, as I refuse to relearn Kirchoffs laws.

1tisILeClerc · 22/12/2018 17:13

Working in Damascus in 1981 the 'random' nature of uncoloured wires that might be 110, 220 or something else was entertaining.

jm90914 · 22/12/2018 17:18

@1tisILeClerc

Ah that's bad news about the wires... I was planning to gather the family and regale them around the Christmas tree.

@DGRossetti

I can't say I internalised what he was saying about war reparations. It was insane.

It came off the back of being harangued and called selfish for asking my mum for her birth certificate so that I could get my Irish passport (you know, since I am actually Irish), so I was quite keen to just change the conversation.

I do enjoy my occasional trips back to the arse end of Brexit land.

1tisILeClerc · 22/12/2018 17:32

jm90914
Leavers wouldn't like it, it involves verifiable truths.

bellinisurge · 23/12/2018 08:51

You don't need your Mum's permission to use her birth certificate to get a passport. You can order a birth certificate from Ireland. We did it. There are loads (Grin) in my family who are getting passports and if we all waited for one certificate we wouldn't be able to do it simultaneously. I just contacted the Irish records office and ordered a couple. Worthwhile investment.