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Brexit
Original poster

Why are we no more informed about what will be the reality after 31 dec?

60 replies

SoTiredNeedHoliday · 17/11/2020 17:12

I can't believe the lack of information so close to the exit date. Is it really acceptable that the government has left it this late? How are small businesses meant to plan efficiently? There are so many 'what if's'

OP posts:
Mistigri · 30/11/2020 13:28

There is still lots and lots of good Brexit coverage in the serious press, especially in the FT.

But among the wider population, with the exception of people who are directly affected (customs and freight haulage folks, EU in U.K. and British in Europe) there is remarkably little interest. I think with Brexit last year and Covid this, people have become very desensitised to bad news.

I expect that we'll see a lot more Brexit coverage over the next month or so though.

Kazzyhoward · 30/11/2020 13:34

@Neolara

We're not more informed because nothing has yet been decided. Nobody yet knows whether there will be a deal or not and the deal (or non deal) will be the first step in clarifying what needs to happen. And we haven't got a deal because what we want is fundamentally incompatible with what the EU wants, and currently neither side wants to blink first. Boris was probably waiting for results of US election to see whether no deal was worth a punt.

But yes, I completely agree that not have have achieved some clarity by now is exceptionally unhelpful for lots and lots or businesses.

Exactly. We just don't know what things will be like on 1 Jan, we don't know if there'll be a deal or not. None of this a surprise. It was always going to end with last minute brinkmanship. "Negotiations" have been ongoing for a few years now and not really reached any meaningful agreements, so it's clear there is no "deal" that satisfies both the EU and the UK. Hence why it's now down to who blinks first. Leaving the EU was never going to be easy. It's such a shame that the last Parliament constantly thwarted Theresa May's attempts to reach a negotiated settlement - she knew how hard it was going to be and tried to find a way forward, and indeed did agree a deal with the EU, but the UK Parliament MPs voted against everything she put foward and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing that as it's led to us being where we are now.
ListeningQuietly · 30/11/2020 13:39

Kazzy
Theresa May was not a victim.
Her hostile environment sowed the seeds
and Brexit means Brexit set the tone

megletthesecond · 30/11/2020 13:47

Because it's going to be a mess and the government want to blame it on business and local government for "not being ready".

Kazzyhoward · 30/11/2020 14:00

@ListeningQuietly

Kazzy Theresa May was not a victim. Her hostile environment sowed the seeds and Brexit means Brexit set the tone
Well the alternative has worked well, hasn't it?
ListeningQuietly · 30/11/2020 14:03

If Theresa May had been less racist as Home Secretary
and less dogmatic once she became PM
we might not have ended up with Johnson

ReturntoSpamfritters · 01/12/2020 18:16

I'm sure a good guesstimate of what it will be like next year is contained in government reports, which they are not disclosing. Yellowhammer was relabelled worst case scenario, I don't think it is. I think there is a real worse case scenario.
Spaffer just has to delay for another month, and then he's in the money. We'll be in chaos.

ReturntoSpamfritters · 01/12/2020 18:19

It's completely unacceptable, but until people realise that Spaffer doesn't give two fucks about them, or their lives, and do something about it, he'll just carry merrily on his way.

SwedishEdith · 01/12/2020 18:28

@isitsnowingyet

How many more times will there be an extension?

It feels like this will be a 7th or 8th extension, although I really have not a clue

There can't be another extension. This govt chose to not ask for one in July, in the middle of a pandemic. The BBC has today been far more forthright about how much more red tape there is going to be for businesses that import/export. But, yes, Leavers are just fingers in ears/shrug/not interested/moved on.

But there may well have to be some sort of "transition" period (but not called that) for businesses to adapt. I mean, what can they seriously be expected to do when a) they don't know, b) some shut down for Christmas and c) many are struggling to stay afloat because of Covid. You write it out and it's insane. And we're doing it to ourselves.

ScatteredMama82 · 02/12/2020 11:09

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55151333

Brexit trade: 'Serious disruption' risk at Channel post-transition period

"They added it was "vital that businesses and citizens make their final preparations too", and they were "intensifying our engagement... so they know exactly what they need to do to get ready."

....what engagement??

Greektome · 03/12/2020 20:10

What preparations are citizens supposed to have made?!

Whenwillow · 03/12/2020 20:35

I'm assuming they mean for residency and such, for EU citizens.
They are still trying to convince us that there won't be any food shortages.
I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

wewereliars · 03/12/2020 21:01

How can there not be food shortages when we have a JIT supply chain and we have taken a hacksaw to it with no replacements. We are beyond screwed.

wherearemychickens · 03/12/2020 21:29

Greektome, on a practical level I have prepared for food shortages, water shortages and power shortages. And spent all year 'all the stuff'-ing - if I've had an idle thought about needing something, I've bought it, on the basis of things probably not being reliably available, or more expensive, next year. I'm doing a Masters to make myself more employable as I have a high chance of being made redundant next year.

TantieTowie · 04/12/2020 10:30

Not sure what you mean about not being covered in the media. It depends what you read - plenty of coverage in the non-tabloid media though. FT very strong on it - Daily Mail/Sun not so much. There's also lots of trade discussion on Twitter.

I think the problem is that the terms of the negotiations are intrinsically very boring – until it's all gone wrong so people don't tend to want to read about it. Plus a reasonable subsection of the population thinks it's all done.

It will be wall to wall coverage on Jan 1 if we leave on no deal terms though and if it has the effect that many of those who are following it think it will. But a lot of people just don't believe it as yet - which is why no deal is even being contemplated. Personally I think it will take the real effects of a no deal for the reality to be properly understood. Vote Leave did a real job on half the population.

Peregrina · 04/12/2020 12:39

2nd Jan maybe, because 1st is a Bank Holiday, and a lot of people will be too bladdered to care about anything.

TantieTowie · 04/12/2020 14:42

Though Jan 2 is a Saturday and Jan 3 a Sunday... So perhaps Jan 4 is the day it will all hit (except Scotland where it is a bank holiday).

Mistigri · 05/12/2020 08:51

Though Jan 2 is a Saturday and Jan 3 a Sunday... So perhaps Jan 4 is the day it will all hit (except Scotland where it is a bank holiday).

There will probably be much reduced traffic from the last week or so of December, as EU hauliers avoid the U.K.

One way or another traffic across the short ferry routes will have to fall significantly - its not clear yet to what extent this will be due to hauliers simply avoiding those routes, or via queuing. But there's no way round this, because the large container ports are saturated too and have been diverting ships to continental European ports.

ListeningQuietly · 05/12/2020 10:40

The Drivers will stop coming before Christmas
because they will want to be CERTAIN to be back out of the UK before New Years

Crustmasiscoming · 05/12/2020 10:48

If nothing has been officially agreed upon then I suppose they have nothing to say, and telling everyone that they have nothing to say looks very bad. It's all pretty scary. Still, covid is a nice distraction and also will serve as an excellent scape goat for literally any problems that Brexit causes. "Everything is shit because of that virus" sounds much better than "Everything is shit because none of us are capable of doing our jobs"

SwedishEdith · 05/12/2020 11:12

I see the Daily Mail has another Carrie Symonds story. I have thought that it will be her briefing Johnson on what to discuss with Ursula von der Leyen. I still maintain, semi-tongue in cheek that she's a honey trap for Johnson.

Peregrina · 05/12/2020 11:22

I digress, but I could see Carrie Symonds ditching Johnson for a younger model in the not too distant future.

SwedishEdith · 05/12/2020 11:50

@Peregrina

I digress, but I could see Carrie Symonds ditching Johnson for a younger model in the not too distant future.
Yes, I can see that as the plan. Got the child, got the education paid for, move on back to Harry Cole Grin
tobee · 05/12/2020 19:15

Because it's all our fault.

In other words it's a delusion that there is anything to learn. So if Brexit is shit blame us for not finding out the information that doesn't exist in the first place.