Starting to feel really scared now...

[Crimson72]

I’m feeling incredibly anxious about Brexit, today more than ever. I think it’s because of the new Question Time, where everyone was cheering that Isabelle Oakshotte woman when she advocated no deal.

I’m terrified my home is going to drop into negative equity and I won’t be able to keep up the mortgage payments, and that my business could go under. I know these fears are immaterial when compared with some other people’s, who worry they could lose access to life saving medicine.

Is there anything anyone can say to reassure me even just a little bit - that no deal might end up not being as bad as people are predicting; or even better, that the whole thing is called off or we get a PV and remain wins? What’s the likelihood of that?

I just need a glimmer of hope right now...

All this talk of wages and 'benefits' is an indication of a significant problem. 'you' are EXPECTING things to be handed to you, rather than getting off your backside and making things happen.
If you are unemployed you go to the library (if there is one still) or on the internet and learn things. Do a shit job but then evening classes, just don't whinge about others not running after you.

Yes it's that easy. Libraries are closing. How do people just get on the internet? Please tell me? People are living in homeless hostels - an entire family in one room, no cooking facilities, others can't afford to even buy food and rely on foodbanks. Yep, I can see them affording the internet plus a computer. You have no idea.

My son is a teacher. 3 yr undergraduate, 1 year PGCE. He earns £24,000 a year. After tax, NI and pension, which is £150 a month, his take home pay is about £1500 a month. He pays nearly £900 a month rent for a 1 room studio flat. He then pays £50 a week petrol travelling to work, £60 a month insurance on his car. We are still subsidising him. Don't talk to me about about "getting off your backside" or sitting back expecting help to be given to you. He gets to school for 7am and gets home at 7pm. He works for 1 day at the weekend.

Climb down from your ivory tower and really look at what life is like in the UK

I am merely pointing out that if your life is shit, it is up to you to do something about it

They did, they voted leave.

{My concern is that if we leave the EU and we lose the minimum protection we will be in a race to the bottom with unfettered capitalism running riot in the the U.K..}
Since Kent County Council planners have identified a problem with truck drivers working and rest hours, they have already asked the government to suspend the working time (driving) hours directive.

A few points.
The minimum wage should be higher. That pretty much goes without saying. Perhaps government should reward businesses for employing people and paying them properly rather than working people having to relyon benefits.
Yes, a job is better than no job. But a job that is beneath your abilities, is unfulfilling and could wreck your health is not as good as one that allows for development, helped develop self-worth and doesn’t make you ill (I’ve done physically demanding jobs - very demanding- and they are really only for the relatively young and fit.).
All the traditional apprenticeships still exist and are very popular. Some of the newer ones are finding their way, but are generally improving. There are good apprenticeship routes into accountancy and architecture. There are also apprenticeships in IT, security systems and beauty therapy. I’m sure most people would prefer that any practitioner they engage or interact with was properly qualified, reliable and safe. It’s reasonable to point out problems with apprenticeships but not reasonable to dismiss them wholesale because of those problems.
Degree apprenticeships can be a very good way for people in the workforce who have got to a relatively high position through ability, but are stuck because they don’t have the qualifications to progress, gain those qualifications.

{I am merely pointing out that if your life is shit, it is up to you to do something about it
They did, they voted leave.}
Like burning your house down to prove a point is a good idea?

A house dropping into negative equity or a business going bust are normal risks of life. These things can happen with it without brexit but it is good that brexit has got you thinking about these risks because they are definitely more likely to come to pass this year. If you are worrying about them then you need to consider whether you would be able to find a job/had enough savings to live off if you had to wind down your business or whether you could afford your mortgage if interest rates went up. The key to not being stressed is ensuring that you have adequately planned to mitigate these kinds of risks.

They’re not burning their house down - they're voting to leave the EU.

Stop with your histrionics.

borntobequiet

I'm not dismissing them at all. But they aren't being highlighted in schools (certainly not the ones that my children went to).

And degree apprenticeships are great for school leavers, not just those in the work force. They offer a degree without debt and a wage as you study plus relevant work experience. Why aren't they promoted to A level students?

Worth mentioning that I guess that I’m the only person on this thread that has been a migrant labourer. Any others?
I spent a number of years in the 70s harvesting grapes in the autumn in France and Spain. It was pretty common then for young British people to do this. I met people from all backgrounds and a number of countries.
It was very hard work in the hot sun - you couldn’t do it if you weren’t healthy - but I imagine vastly better that picking Brussels sprouts in East Anglia in December.

Weetabix - schools want to hang on to students in the sixth form for the funding, not lose them to college. (Unless they are “problem students”, when they can’t get shot of them fast enough).
It is sadly true that some teachers don’t think well of apprenticeships. In my opinion these are people whose own sense of self worth is bound up in their academic ability- they are academic snobs.
My college has to work very hard to sell apprenticeships. Parents can be a problem (and it works both ways, some parents want their child to do an apprenticeship when that child would benefit from HE, and some push university on children that would really hate it).
To be fair, the school I left when I retired was really doing its best to direct people into apprenticeships if they thought it was right for them. So do others. So some schools get it right.

Degree apprenticeships are being heavily promoted to A level students.

borntobequiet For some reason your post about being a migrant labourer makes me want to sing Pulp’s Common People!

Moussemoose

It's good that it's changing.

My son left 6 years ago and there was no mention at all. My dd left 2 years ago and no mention at school but a friend's son had found out about them via an industry open day that he attended so we found out that way.

The only downside seems to be the scope of industry that they cover at the moment.

Thanks @Bluntness100. What's the probability of that motion being passed do you think?

I think it's very high, a lot of senior government ministers support it. Of course none of us can predict, but I think if it comes to it, parliament will prevent no deal. It's the one and only thing that has over whelming majority support.

Yeah, I’m a bit of a champagne middle-of-the-roader, I’m afraid. But well meaning...

On second thoughts, Prosecco. Or possibly Merlot.
In the 70s, even knowing those words would make someone very upper middle class (I didn’t know them then).

{ (I didn’t know them then).}
Not a serious point but if you were picking grapes in France, how did you know nothing about wine?

^^

@weetabixandshreddies not actually disagreeing with you but the fault goes back further than the government's actions since the referendum. Calling the referendum was ill thought out, selfish, self-serving and dangerous.

Reading these threads makes it abundantly clear that this was a decision that should never have been put to the public vote or if it was certainly not in such a black and white ill thought out fashion.

I have studied the EU at university and was able to make an educated decision on the role and value of the EU but still didn't appreciate some of the effects of leaving because it is a complex and far reaching organisation that has been woven into the fabric of our legislation and regulation for over 40 years. How the hell does the average man on the street make a decision on something so complex based on anything other than soundbites and press articles? Hell the majority of the press don't seem to get it at trot out the same old bollocks about bendy bananas and imperial units of measurement while failing to hold the government to account for their own decision-making.

There was no clarity in the question asked, as there was no explanation of what "leave" would look like and elements of the campaign were illegal.

Cameron called this referendum to save his own and his party's skin. He knew that a split in the tory party would see them out of office for years, he could see UKIP gaining support from traditional tory voters. He chose to gamble with the future of the country to appease the right wing fringes of his own party who were worried that the EU were about to close some lucrative tax loopholes. He lost and we all have to pay the price.

The public need to wake up and realise that they have been scammed. If they do so before anything irreversible happens we might save ourselves generations of austerity and chaos. Sadly the "we won you lost, get over it" mentality suggests this is unlikely.

They did, they voted leave.

They voted in good faith but ended up digging a deeper hole.

The public need to wake up and realise that they have been scammed.

You could argue that business, social media, charities and politicians scan us all the time over many issues.

People aren't happy with the way the country is run.

Westminster runs the country. If you're not happy, vote for another government at the next GE. We are a sovereign country after all.

I just don’t have faith in most politicians to act in our best interests. What I mostly see are self-interested, self-serving individuals (and hypocrites in many cases) who are more concerned with saving their political skin or holding onto power than doing the right thing. People say vote Lib Dem but let’s face it, they’re never going to get into power and it would be a wasted vote. I’m just deeply cynical about politicians and politics in general I suppose.

Oh, and I’m talking about Conservatives AND Labour in my above post.

You could argue that business, social media, charities and politicians scan us all the time over many issues

Yes but when you are daft enough to post a cheque for £10,000 to a prince in Nigeria to help him release his inheritance. It doesn’t follow that I automatically have to do the same.