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.

I'm aware, Captain Obvious.

None of it explains why other countries where handguns are legal and where the police are armed have rates similar to the US. Clearly poor police training is a major factor. It is likely cultural factors are also at play.

ICE recently picked up and were forced to release a nun. Wearing an actual habit. Surprise surprise, she was black. This is what Louise wants for the UK.

@EEexpat What does the Nowak case have to do with US police violence and ICE?

@DuncinToffee

There is a link to the Police violence report in those stats.

The link made reference to the UK.

You didn't read it then

This was the only reference to the UK it made

In many countries, police routinely disarm people who have knives without shooting them.
In the United Kingdom, a country of 69 million people where police encounter knife attacks at a similar rate as US police, police fatally shot 2 people with knives in 2025.
In California, with a population of 39 million, law enforcement officers fatally shot at least 32 people allegedly armed with knives in 2025.

It’s over 20 year since I worked in the US, but I remember:

Low paid unskilled jobs seemed to have a higher percentage of black workers compared to the population percentage.

Police fined a guy $200 in a bar for smoking (El Cajon San Diego), but were okay with him having both a handgun and knife as he had a license. Crazy place.

Just occasionally EEexpat makes a sensible post.

Yet another RIP statement

Yet another RIP statement ????

I don't post much these days, but I am not dead yet.

Maybe he means to his online persona?

Wonder what the next mega thread will be about? This one has less than 100 posts remaining (get it).

Also, wonder if the OP found the answer they sought?

No I haven't really! 37 pages where too much time has been spend with unhelpful combination of lots of moaning remain/rejoin nonsense from people and mostly absolute lunacy in response from Expats. One or two good questions asked of me across the whole thing and one of those amid a side track about the police/govt agents in America that was truly, truly bizarre. Back through the same insults, the same tired re-treaded arguments which circle endlessly.

It looks like the answer to my "who's next?" question, in Britain at least, is being answered 😁and the answer is Andy Burnham, and he's not who I expected when I started the thread.

Le Pen it is sounding as though she won't is(!) going to run for President of France (edited as the story updated while I was drafting this). Somebody has to replace the largely discredited Macron who's government seemingly can't do very much rn, but I'm far from sure that Le Pen makes it. In fact, I'd predict she doesn't.

Who is next?

No country is planning leaving the EU , hth

☝️

This

@DuncinToffee

I can remember the date of the UK referendum on EU membership was 23 June 2016, but can’t remember the dates of the referendum that each of the existing 27 EU members had their referendums.

Please provide a link for :

Germany referendum
France referendum
Spain referendum
Italy referendum

……
and the other 23 members

They're not having them. Because they're not unfashionable enough to consider leaving.

@pointythings

Because they're not unfashionable enough to consider leaving.

Has that decision been made by governments by themselves or by reference to polls/referendums within the EU members?

@EEexpat

If you know of any countries planning to leave the EU, please share.

@LouiseCollins28

Back through the same insults, the same tired re-treaded arguments which circle endlessly.

That started on 24 June 2016.

Andy Burnham supported remain in 2016. So, UK again is going to have another unelected PM who didn’t want Brexit.

@DuncinToffee

If you know of any countries planning to leave the EU, please share.

Nobody knows if any of the existing EU members want to leave as the question has not been asked.

There you go

The answer Louise asked has been answered.

I thought referendums were banned in Germany.

BTW we have a Parliamentary democracy, so if Burnham does get elected and sticks to the Labour manifesto, he still has a mandate.

What do people think of Mr Brexit's antics?

@Peregrina

Labour manifesto regards EU was that UK would not join either the customs union or the single market. However, Labour also had in their manifesto that trafficking gangs would be smashed and taxes would not rise.

None of that happened. So, not delivering manifesto promises seems to be the norm.

Who of the 498 MPs who voted to leave the EU on 29 March 2017 shall be deemed to be Mr Brexit?

He was elected on June 18th. We do not directly elect a PM. I wonder why you don't want to accept that.

@pointythings

Andy Burnham was elected as MP for one constituency, Makerfield, on 18 June 2026. Starmer resigned 4 days later on 22 June 2026.

Should there be a general election when a PM resigns? YouGov poll suggests 53% say yes. Maybe Burnham will call a general election himself?

53% are idiots then, given the rate of PM churn since 2016. I don't want my taxes wasted like that. The cost to the country each time is phenomenal and that money could be better spent.