Westministenders: Don't forget to stockpile. Again.

[RedToothBrush]

The government is telling pharmacists and drug manufactures to stockpile drugs ahead of the end of transition on 31st December.

In the middle of a pandemic.

What could go wrong?

RE: BoJo the 🤡 - we all know he's crap at maths.
He can't even tell you how many kids he has.

A couple of weeks ago my friend and I were playing "guess the secret tattoo" and we decided Boris has a bottle Bolinger on an arse cheek. Either that or tally marks for each kid on his groin. Bit of a grim discussion actually...

John Crace in today's Graun:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/aug/07/digested-week-i-had-big-plans-for-lockdown-but-mostly-i-watch-tv

"If you thought most European countries still liked the UK, then think again, as a new YouGov poll published this week tells a rather different story. Asked to imagine that a country had suffered some kind of major crisis and was looking for help from others, those polled from 14 EU countries were asked to consider whether their country should be willing to offer financial help. Out of a list of 35 different countries in Europe and elsewhere in the world, the UK came 33rd out of 35. Only Tunisia and Colombia polled worse. In fact, there were only four countries – Poland, Denmark, Romania and Sweden – where a greater percentage of respondents were prepared to help out the UK. And even that was done grudgingly. In Romania, a country that was so well disposed to giving aid that there wasn’t a single country it would turn down, only 6% more people were prepared to offer help to the UK than not do so. Meanwhile, Greece, France and Finland would actively go out of their way not to provide us with help. Their scores were -35, -25 and -30 respectively. Even the Spanish, who would come to the aid of everyone but us – Portugal weighed in with +64 while even Tunisia and Colombia got a healthy +20 – couldn’t bring themselves to give a penny to the UK. Our polling with Spain was a dismal -14. Nor, as YouGov points out, was this merely the case that the UK was perceived as a rich country and so people wouldn’t donate on the basis that the UK could look after itself. People were far more willing to provide assistance to other wealthy European countries, such as Germany and France. Global Britain is proving a tougher sell than anticipated. And that trade deal with the EU looks more and more of a long shot unless Boris Johnson backs down on his red lines."

The YouGov report on its poll is here
yougov.co.uk/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/08/03/what-should-eu-be

Scroll down to the paragraph beginning "These results also demonstrate quite how far the UK has alienated its European neighbours."

I pity the UK entrant in the next Eurovision Song Contest whenever that can be held

and yes, I know Eurovision has nothing to do with the EU

Oh, and while I remember...

Those UK immigrants expats in the EU who don't think Brexit will affect them, they do exist.

Young man whose MIL I know, his parents have had a house in Dordogneshire for 15+ years, took early retirement and moved out there to live 5 years ago. My friend asked son-in-law whether Brexit would affect his parents, he said they don't know, they haven't tried to find out and they have no plans to do so. When my friend suggested perhaps they should look at the situation, he just shrugged.

Most Britons living permanently in France move in very British circles, so unless they are very isolated I'd be surprised they didn't know that things will change. The son may just not have talked to them about it.

OTOH I can well believe that people who split their time between the U.K. and France / Spain might have their heads in the sand - mainly because there is not a lot they CAN do about it, short of moving permanently before the year end.

I would also be surprised if people could be unaware of the situation. I know very few other British people in my bit of France, but those I do know have been talking about Titre de Séjour all the time for several years. Generally I find people locally are very supportive and Maires will certainly play a role in smaller rural communes.

This couple speak no French at all (!), they can't even ask for things they want in shops.

And I suspect, from what I hear of them, that if any other British people mention Brexit they say "Oh, I don't want to talk about that".

Well I guess there are idiots everywhere. The website for Cartes de Séjour goes live at the end of October and we have until July to register / update our cards. I am not sure what the mechanism for checking will be though.

And I suspect, from what I hear of them, that if any other British people mention Brexit they say "Oh, I don't want to talk about that".

If they are at all integrated in their local British community (and if they don't speak French they'll socialise with local Brits) they will have heard talk about it. But in any case they can't do very much about it until October.

I am not sure what the mechanism for checking will be though.

The first practical consequence for unregistered people who are not in work will probably be a threat to their carte vitale or their CAF benefits.

For Britons in work, I'd guess that employers will start asking for papers.

Mistigri I was just musing on how they would know who was living here and hadn't applied for titre de séjour. Cross-check with tax system? Obviously if you get stopped by the gendarmes or involved in a financial transaction it would be discovered very quickly, but we certainly used to know of people living under the radar, though I think they have pretty much all gone now. I was trying to count the British people I know and got to about six. 😀

@Mistigri

I am not sure what the mechanism for checking will be though.

The first practical consequence for unregistered people who are not in work will probably be a threat to their carte vitale or their CAF benefits.

For Britons in work, I'd guess that employers will start asking for papers.

In this couple's case, I doubt whether they have Cartes Vitales. Or health insurance.

I think they're trusting to luck and/or going back to the UK for any treatment they need - they've kept a house in the UK and I doubt whether they've deregistered with their GP.

If that is the case, even without Brexit, surely the wheels would eventually have come off as they got older.

If you thought most European countries still liked the UK, then think again, as a new YouGov poll published this week tells a rather different story.

hard not to think of Blackadder ...

Am I .... not liked ?
Well, let's put it this way. When people step in something that a dogs done in the street, they do say 'Whoops I've stepped in an Edmund' ....

This couple speak no French at all (!), they can't even ask for things they want in shops.

"Brits" ? Or English. As with the French, you quickly realise the Spanish can hear the difference and react accordingly.

It would be interesting if YouGov (or an equally large polling body) were to repeat that poll for the constituent countries of the UK. I suspect the results would show a lot of love for the Irish, Scottish and Welsh with a corresponding trough for the English.

If they have relied on EHIC in France they will definitely be in trouble. They would have to register with the tax authorities and obtain their S1 status for health cover by the end of the year. Otherwise they will have to go back to the UK and use the French house as a holiday home. Frankly that sounds like the best idea.

For Britons in work, I'd guess that employers will start asking for papers.

The irony being immigrants in the UK are well used to that.

@missclimpson

If they have relied on EHIC in France they will definitely be in trouble. They would have to register with the tax authorities and obtain their S1 status for health cover by the end of the year. Otherwise they will have to go back to the UK and use the French house as a holiday home. Frankly that sounds like the best idea.

My five-pound bet is on them having to move back to the UK, undoubtedly with much bleating about how badly they've been treated by France / the EU.

Sounds likely Chersfrozenface. I cannot get my head round how you can live here without some grasp of the language. Despite what people say round here I have yet to encounter an English speaking doctor, nobody speaks more than a few words of English in the shops or anywhere else much. We are in Normandy campaign country where the Brits are still regarded with some affection (though DGR I frequently have to remind my students that it was not just the English who landed).
There were quite a lot of Brits when we first came fifteen years ago, but the vast majority have gone. Those who are left have pretty much had to learn the language (even though I know some where the only verb form is infinitive.).

We are in Normandy campaign country where the Brits are still regarded with some affection (though DGR I frequently have to remind my students that it was not just the English who landed).

Well to balance the universe, 99% of Americans think it was only Americans.

@missclimpson

Sounds likely Chersfrozenface. I cannot get my head round how you can live here without some grasp of the language. Despite what people say round here I have yet to encounter an English speaking doctor, nobody speaks more than a few words of English in the shops or anywhere else much. We are in Normandy campaign country where the Brits are still regarded with some affection (though DGR I frequently have to remind my students that it was not just the English who landed). There were quite a lot of Brits when we first came fifteen years ago, but the vast majority have gone. Those who are left have pretty much had to learn the language (even though I know some where the only verb form is infinitive.).

The thing is, if I'm right they never see a doctor in France. They probably shop in supermarkets and/or use businesses owned by Brits or geared to British tourists where the staff speak at least some English.

The thing is, if I'm right they never see a doctor in France.
Must be quite restful. My DH spends his life being sent to see various "ologues".
Seriously though, that is unsustainable in the long term.
DGR I meant Welsh and Scots regiments. 😀

The thing is, if I'm right they never see a doctor in France. They probably shop in supermarkets and/or use businesses owned by Brits or geared to British tourists where the staff speak at least some English.

And long may it continue !!!!! That way the more intrepid of us, who aren't scared of ... well words and stuff ... can toddle off around the hidden gems of a country that don't pull in the tourists.

My colleague sent me this (we are disputing our employer’s idea of a bubble)

@missclimpson

The thing is, if I'm right they never see a doctor in France. Must be quite restful. My DH spends his life being sent to see various "ologues". Seriously though, that is unsustainable in the long term. DGR I meant Welsh and Scots regiments. 😀

You see here's a point ... surely they're the British army ?

Or should we start thinking about what states the US soldiers came from ?

What we have lost (only some will never realise) is that lovely ability to be all things to all - enabled by the almost organic nature of our isle. Going back I could have been British at the same time as being English and acknowledging the same in the Scottish and so on. While simultaneously being European. And in such a way that I can almost forget my Italian half.

All lost. Certainly for the few years left of my life .

Now it's pick a side and stay there.

it's horrid and it will do so much more harm that it will ever do good.

All empires fall. It's what they do.

The thing is DGR that round here the regiments are remembered. The next village up from ours has the graves of five Welsh soldiers who were tended all night by the villagers until they died. When they referred to English soldiers I was just pointing out that many of them were not.
I did a session with my U3A students last year when I asked them to ask their oldest relatives for memories of the arrival of the British in 1944. The stories were extraordinary and very moving. My oldest student is in his eighties and he just told us what he remembered.
There is a real sense of shared history here.