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
.
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.

@pointythings

Free movement resulted in reduced wages for unskilled workers. Trades people are earning more since free movement ended as they are not being undercut by cheap labour.

Half of asylum seekers secure employment in a range of jobs. However, my question was:

What are the half that don’t find work doing to support themselves? Are they living for free at the taxpayers expense?

My other question was:

Why are remain supporters not queuing in Dover to collect asylum seekers/illegal immigrants and house them in their own homes? £7500 tax free could be earned and the government (taxpayers) would save an estimated £5 million per day.

Asylum seekers and illegal immigrants aren't the same thing.

@SerendipityJane

As the UK birth rate declines and the population ages, more people will be required from outside the UK to fill jobs.

Watch the BBC episode of Question Time broadcast 5 December 2024. Both Alastair Campbell and Nigel Farage agreed that it only made sense to allow people to enter the UK if they were working.

@pointythings

Asylum seekers and illegal immigrants aren't the same thing.

Do they not both need housing? My questions are:

Who pays for those that don’t find work?

Why aren’t remain supporters accommodating them in their own homes?

Brexit: how it has hit your wallet at the supermarket and on holiday

Ten years on, leaving the EU has made life more difficult and costly – here are some of the ways we’ve lost out

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jun/22/brexit-supermarket-holiday-travel-prices-costs-eu-passports

@DuncinToffee

How many people travel with pets?

Is Erasmus not being reinstated? Not that many students took part anyway. 18,000 out of 2,000,000. ie 0.9%.

My SIL is Spanish. He was charged £16 when he entered the UK last year. However, when I attended the wedding in Spain in May this year, neither myself nor my mother were charged anything.

As for food prices, why has the Guardian not mentioned that Rachel Reeves has lowered tariffs on 100 supermarket items to help with the cost of living. This could not have been done if the UK was in the EU.

As per the grocer.co.uk

UK has the lowest food prices in Western Europe.

You still have that EU passport EE?

Ten Years After Brexit, the Dismal Verdict Is In

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/22/opinion/brexit-britain-europe-power.html

So you would support a policy change that would allow asylum seekers to work before their asylum claim is decided then.

@DuncinToffee

I have the red passport which has the Bulgarian resident visa issued in 2005.

Cant read the nytimes link as I don’t have an account. However, which is more relevant:

What the UK people think, or

What the nytimes think.

I would say the former.

Based on Obama lying publicly in April 2016, as prompted by Cameron and Osborne in an attempt to attempt to discredit Nigel Farage, I am not convinced the US is impartial.

@pointythings

So you would support a policy change that would allow asylum seekers to work before their asylum claim is decided then.

I remember that Asylum seekers can work if their application has been in process for more than 12 months, but not concluded if the delay is not their fault.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/handling-applications-for-permission-to-take-employment-instruction/permission-to-work-and-volunteering-for-asylum-seekers-accessible

Best of 2 worlds he EE

The NY article is an opinion piece and I am sure you can find ways to read it if you were interested.

Still waiting for all those celebrations of how wonderful Brexit has proven to be 10 years on.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/22/brexit-bellwether-constituencies-revisited-10-years-eu-referendum

@DuncinToffee

Best of 2 worlds he EE

When I was issued with the Bulgarian visa in 2005, article 50 was not in existence. Nor was Bulgaria an EU member until 2007. Even then it was done by foul play.

The NY article is an opinion piece……

So, it’s not measured data

Still waiting for all those celebrations of how wonderful Brexit has proven to be 10 years on.

Why? How do celebrations, or lack of, prove anything?

Foul play?

@DuncinToffee

The Guardian article is based on 5 constituencies. 5 out of 650 is 0.76%

Hardly a national opinion.

Keep trying EE

Maybe EEimmigrant can get us reports of the other 645 constituencies all saying how wonderful Brexit is.

No?

Colour me shocked...

North 'lost' regeneration funds after Brexit

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4rgkl1dlno

@DuncinToffee

Foul play was as follows:

Bulgaria’s accession to the EU was conditional on the decommissioning of the KNPP (Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant). It was an old Russian design that EU was not comfortable with, but provided significant power locally.

To compensate, one of the power plants in the Maritza East basin was refurbished to extend its life by 15 years plus and produce more electricity. Many safety corners were cut during the refurbishment work to complete as soon as possible. The plant was as signed off as being safe fraudulently as the QA/QC manager would not sign himself as the pressure parts were not replaced and repaired in accordance with industry standards.

Fatalities on the Project were never officially recorded. Dangerous work like asbestos removal was given to local gypsies who were glad of the cash in hand.

The client and main contractor were both major EU members, but not UK.

@MaybeNotBob

What prevents you from collecting reports from the other 645 constituencies? Remember the burden of proof is upon the one who points the finger.

While you are doing that, can you post your proof that the cost of the UK rejoining the EU would be recovered in one year. A statement you made two months ago.

For information:

Andy Burnham has said Britain needs to make more use of immigration detention centres, and that he agrees with Reform leader Nigel Farage that the country needs to “get back to a sense of order”.

Source:

https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/andy-burnham-immigration-views-starmer-resign-b3000198.html

Is this why Andy Burnham won last Thursday?

What prevents you from collecting reports from the other 645 constituencies? Remember the burden of proof is upon the one who points the finger.

Erm, you were the one complaining that it was only 5 constituencies. I'm quite happy that they reflect the same opinions as the other 645 - you're the one who thinks they don't. Ergo, the burden of proof is on you...

@MaybeNotBob

Erm, you were the one complaining that it was only 5 constituencies.

Not a complaint, but an observation that 5 out of 650 is 0.76% of the total.

I'm quite happy that they reflect the same opinions as the other 645 - you're the one who thinks they don't.

The above raises the following questions:

On what basis do you know beyond a reasonable doubt that the view of 5 constituencies can be extrapolated to reflect the other 645?

If there is proof that such extrapolation is possible, does that mean elections are not necessary anymore?

MPs will be elected, not by voting, but by reference to opinion polls?

Will the electorate accept such a methodology?

If the answer to all the above questions is yes, why has it not already happened?

What a load of unmitigated drivel!

@MaybeNotBob

What a load of unmitigated drivel!

Again the questions are not answered. Like the one about the cost of the UK rejoining the EU would be recovered in a year.

The reason I am not convinced that small samples are accurate is what polls said from 2013 to 2016 regards the outcome of the referendum. They favoured remain even when the polls that had a difference of 4% or less were ignored.