Brexit Mega Thread 16 – Who's Next?

[LouiseCollins28]

We are approaching the 6th anniversary of Brexit, or I suppose the 5th, if you count the period of transition as "in."

Since then, the world has endured Covid-19, seen war in Ukraine and many other things. Brexit has had reduced salience in the minds of many people recently.

When digesting the latest setbacks to befall the elite who govern our islands, a phrase I keep returning to, is “OK, so now do you get it?”

Brexit is undoubtedly the biggest “OK, so now do you get it?” moment directed at our leaders in my life. It’s surely the largest since 1979, since the Labour victory of 1945? or even since the advent of universal suffrage?

The U.K. local elections in 2026, and subsequent national ones, could see a big increase in support for the Green Party and Reform U.K. Two parties with more different attitudes to European integration could scarcely be found, so Brexit’s salience in the U.K. may rise again soon
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There are many electoral contests in progress or coming across Europe too (the Netherlands and France, for example) which will be worth paying attention to. Maybe the next questions we will face are less about "what next?" and more about "who's next?"

Relations between mainland Europe and the UK remain a worthy topic for discussion, whoever leads the nations of Europe, or leads the E.U. itself.

It is all so glib, isn't it?

Just to take a couple of examples - a number of firms have invested in office buildings to cater for say 2000 employees. Now with say half to two thirds working at home part time, what exactly do they do with the spare capacity? An airy "smaller offices can be used" isn't going to happen immediately; meanwhile they still have to maintain a half empty builiding. Where too are these smaller offices that other employers in the same boat will be chasing?

Improved life/work balance - by no means necessarily the case for those employees who live on their own. Who need the company that going into an office brings them. And the costs once paid for by the employer -.e.g. heating now paid for by the stay at home person.

🍷 “You could track the confidence that the civil servants and the ministers involved [in talks] had whether we were going to emerge unscathed, or what kind of tariffs would be applied, by just how much European domestic goods they were importing."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-no-deal-wine-tomatoes-eu-trade-b2947061.html

I am currently trying to source vegetable seedlings.

Most tomato plants come from the Netherlands.
I used to be able to get 20-30 varieties from any shop.
Now only the few top sellers are sent through the paperwork maze to the UK
also seed is harder to source
so even UK growers have a narrowed range.

@MaybeNotBob

You do not need a visa for short trips to the EU or countries in the Schengen area if both of the following apply:

• you’re staying for 90 days or less in a 180-day period
• you’re visiting as a tourist or for certain other reasons

Other reasons include:

• studying a short course
• getting medical treatment
• travelling for business for your UK employer, for example to attend a business meeting or conference
• journalism or other media activities

Source gov.uk

For stays longer than 90 days per 180, a Visa can be had for €423. The client/employer will pay this when the application is made, but there is nothing to prevent the employee from reimbursing the client/employer. Contractors can claim this cost as an expense.

Regards time, the employee can adhere to the 90/180 whilst the visa is being processed.

As hybrid working is the new norm, a Visa is not necessary.

Ooh bargain! Once I could go and get a job in EU - cost of visa £0.00
Now I/employer have to pay £423.00.

In what world is that a bonus?

@Peregrina

Daily commuting cost in the UK is £18.

Source: National express.

People who are told to work from home by their employer can claim £6 per week for additional costs.

Source: Gov.uk

So, 2 days WFH saves £18x2 + £6 =£42.00 per week. Would additional energy costs on the two days at home exceed £42 per week? No, they won’t. Average daily energy cost per day in UK is £4.30. So, the net savings are approximately £33 per week.

Also, there is time saved by not having to commute. Last time I worked in London, I was averaging 1.5 hours each way.

Source: Energyhelpline.com

@Peregrina

Ooh bargain! Once I could go and get a job in EU - cost of visa £0.00
Now I/employer have to pay £423.00.

Making the reasonable assumption that people will only move away from their native country if they are better off, a one off payment of €423 is insignificant. For example:

Working in London paid €750 per day plus €3450 per month for travel and accommodation costs. When I returned to my former client in the Netherlands, the day rate was €925 and all travel and accommodation costs were borne by the client.

As a contractor, I would be able claim the cost of the Visa as an expense. However, as I never exceeded 90 days per 180, a Visa was never necessary.

@DuncinToffee

UK imports more wine from France than anywhere else. So, what’s your point?

Making the reasonable assumption that people will only move away from their native country if they are better off, a one off payment of €423 is insignificant.

Another blank, "one size fits all" statement. I was thinking of young people who have just left school or university and go to EU countries just to try their luck. I knew many who took advantage of freedomeof movement to do just this.

I'll grant that for a more established person perhaps with a family to support they are not as likely to up sticks and go - but it's an additional cost and bureaucracy which they didn't once need to face.

I know people for whom Brexit has completely messed up their chances. Which works both ways - with British citizens wishing to find EU jobs and EU citizens wanting to come here. It may be just one extra cost here but these costs all add up.

Brexit law

EU ministers agree on negotiation mandate for treaty with UK re electricity and UK contribution to EU funding
- also on UK participation in Erasmus in 2027 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/03/30/eu-uk-relations-council-greenlights-talks-on-electricity-and-cohesion-deals-as-well-as-uk-s-participation-in-erasmusplus-for-2027/

EEmigrant's bland statements, as per usual, completely ignore the repeated fact that employers are not going to bother organising visas, or even interviewing those that require visas, if there is someone who doesn't readily available. Which is in 99.99% of cases. In other words, it's not going to happen for 99.99% of people.

Therefore, I'm pretty sure we can not claim that it is in some obscure way a benefit...

Maybe they need sauce, not source

The winning never stops...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-food-prices-shortage-inflation-haulage-b2951547.html

@MaybeNotBob

employers are not going to bother organising visas, or even interviewing those that require visas, if there is someone who doesn't readily available

I will repeat again. Visas are only necessary if someone needs to be in the Schengen area for more than 90 days per 180. Hybrid working will result in never exceeding 90 per 180.

As hybrid working is the new norm (look on LinkedIn if you need proof), Visas are not needed. Link is:

https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy_en#:~:text=Non%2DEU%20nationals%20need%20a,90%20days%2C%20every%20180%20days.

We will repeat again, there was no need for a visa when in the EU

Obstacles brought in by Brexit

Does it honestly have this much trouble understanding basic English?

@DuncinToffee

Hybrid working negates the need for Visas. A fact that you don’t seem to understand.

Whilst EU membership removes the need for a Visa if someone needs to stay longer than 90 days per 180, countries will still have to explain why a job was given to a non-national instead of a local.

@MaybeNotBob

There is more inbound traffic into the UK through the channel tunnel than outbound into the EU. So, the EES is a bigger problem for the EU exporters.

@EEexpat hybrid working is not an option for everyone, hth

Your beloved brexit has made things a lot harder for people in the UK. Ofcourse it doesn't matter to you as you are fine.

Hybrid working may have increased, but it is still not the norm. And hybrid can still mean 4 days in the office. So, you've still fucked it up for the majority who might have wanted to work in the EU, whatever mealy-mouthed words you try to use in a desperate attempt to justify your stupidity.

"Hybrid working negates the need for visas"

So the chalet girls in the alps can send in a picture of the food ?

So the DJ in Ibiza can send a spotify playlist ?

So the builder can imagine plastering that wall ?

So the musicians can mime being in the concert hall ?

Maybe UK teens can join virtually?

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/young-europeans-to-be-given-free-rail-passes-this-summer-unless-youre-british-404866/

However the UK is due to return to the Erasmus programme as associate members. Will free rail travel apply then?

(Just waiting for EEexpat to tell me that this is irrelevent anyway.)

There are approximately 1.3 million UK citizens living/working in the EU. That’s less than 2% of the UK population. This demonstrates that the vast majority of the UK does not; desire, need or want to work in the EU.

Hydrid is the new norm for office based working. Look at:

https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/news/2023/12/businesses-say-hybrid-working-is-here-to-stay/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20British%20Chambers%20of%20Commerce,are%20more%20likely%20to%20expect%20remote%20working**

Arrival in the EU on Monday morning and departure Thursday evening (4 days in office) represents 3 nights in the EU (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) and 4 nights in the UK. This means that the 90/180 guideline will be maintained as:

180 x 3/7 =77.143

Well below the maximum of 90. Add public holidays and annual leave entitlement, the figure reduces even more. I know this as I worked in the Netherlands between 2020 and 2025 without issue.

In 2019, approximately 15,000 to 18,000 students took part in Erasmus. This is 0.75% to 0.9% of the total student population. This tells me that 99.1 to 99.25% of students are not interested in Erasmus.

@DuncinToffee

If you read the link you have posted, there will be 40,000 travel passes issued to EU students. That’s 0.2% of the estimated million 19 million EU students. Tiny.

This demonstrates that the vast majority of the UK does not; desire, need or want to work in the EU.

No, it demonstrates that they may have been unable to work in the EU, because the racists voted for Brexit. Come on, use a tiny bit of logic in your answers, they're just nonsense otherwise...