Expats/Brits Abroad and the EU Referendum
Discussion
Currently working in Germany. The Germans who have mentioned it today seem to have a mix of envy and the sort of disapproval you would expect if you told a sensible person you were going to cash in your pension and buy a Vantage.
I think because of Germany's history and place in Europe they feel that the option to leave is simply not available to them. Yet they are also frustrated with the institutions of the EU.
An Italian who I spoke to was very enthusiastic, saying he hopes Italy will do the same, but he doesn't think the Italian political class would ever allow it. The other Brits here mostly seem pleased though it hasn't really come up much.
I am very optimistic. There is a move for change, and it's very positive. Having been a Leaver for 15+ years I always feared that the EU might unravel in a crisis such as Greek debt or a tantrum from Italy over it's crippled economy. This would risk it being replaced with something worse.
That Britain has voted to leave in a relatively stable and prosperous period of time is monumental. Despite the best efforts of the government, the BBC and many others the large mass of the public who fear change and fall for scare stories were outvoted by a motivated and enthusiastic Leave campaign. Changing the status quo in good times is real courage and the best way to make genuine improvements.
I think because of Germany's history and place in Europe they feel that the option to leave is simply not available to them. Yet they are also frustrated with the institutions of the EU.
An Italian who I spoke to was very enthusiastic, saying he hopes Italy will do the same, but he doesn't think the Italian political class would ever allow it. The other Brits here mostly seem pleased though it hasn't really come up much.
I am very optimistic. There is a move for change, and it's very positive. Having been a Leaver for 15+ years I always feared that the EU might unravel in a crisis such as Greek debt or a tantrum from Italy over it's crippled economy. This would risk it being replaced with something worse.
That Britain has voted to leave in a relatively stable and prosperous period of time is monumental. Despite the best efforts of the government, the BBC and many others the large mass of the public who fear change and fall for scare stories were outvoted by a motivated and enthusiastic Leave campaign. Changing the status quo in good times is real courage and the best way to make genuine improvements.
I put my foot in it on another forum predicting it was all a fuss over nothing and that we'd stay in. I hold my hand up and was wrong, completely wrong. Remember the "Swingometer" and Jon Snow?
For me it is the start of a new and exciting period, even though I live in France. No more paying for two parliaments and expenses travelling from one to another plus hotels etc. That always riled me, as does the rest of the gravy train. I hope and pray that this will put the Great back in Britain.
But can someone explain to me why the market reacted as it did? It plunged to under 6000 on opening and has risen back to a gain of 5% on the day. Sterling dropped to 1.20 and now stands at1.24, admittedly a loss of .06 on the day, but overall not a lot really. Just traders lining their own pockets?
For me it is the start of a new and exciting period, even though I live in France. No more paying for two parliaments and expenses travelling from one to another plus hotels etc. That always riled me, as does the rest of the gravy train. I hope and pray that this will put the Great back in Britain.
But can someone explain to me why the market reacted as it did? It plunged to under 6000 on opening and has risen back to a gain of 5% on the day. Sterling dropped to 1.20 and now stands at1.24, admittedly a loss of .06 on the day, but overall not a lot really. Just traders lining their own pockets?
AJS- said:
Currently working in Germany. The Germans who have mentioned it today seem to have a mix of envy and the sort of disapproval you would expect if you told a sensible person you were going to cash in your pension and buy a Vantage. Yet they are also frustrated with the institutions of the EU.
I've been living in Germany now for almost 50 years all told, 42 unbroken years. I have difficulty finding ANY German who has something positive to say about the idiots in Brussels, mostly it's negative if not downright insulting. Hooligans, crooks, bent politicians etc is the norm. I've heard praise from a lot of Germans today who say it't the beginning of democracy again, and well done for GB and for the EU!Just look at all those so called MEPS, most of them are people who were "promoted away", to use a german expression, because they were either useless or cluesless, mostly both, or just that they were unable to fire them because they were civil servants, and that from the majority of the EU members. So just look at the dross that has been washed up on the Brussels shores!
All the Germans I know have always said that they were not asked if D should join, they were just told, and they DO want a say whether or not D is a member of a political union. It seems really only the ex-stasi Linke, the SPD and a the misguided greens who want a political union, the majority of CDU and CSU don't want to be ruled by Brussels either. No help of course is Honeckers Revenge Angela Merkel....
What has been kept quiet by all parties, to the detriment of clarity is, that ALL EEC law about trade is NOT AFFECTED by a refusal by GB to join their EU socialist union!
SO we can still trade without duties, still move around and get a job without hindrance etc etc... so TBH really nothings changed apart from the crooks in Brussels get a 22" warning shot across their bows, by the people.
I'm waiting now to see when Holland, France, Denmark, Italy and Sweden make the same move, to blow this corrupt political union out of the water!!
I sincerely hope so JMG.
I'm a weird "eurosceptic" in that I love Europe as a whole. I feel a sense of a European identity and I'm proud of it. But I don't want political union.
My parents live in France and say most French people said similar.
If this is the catalyst to make Europe what it always should have been then it is an even more monumental triumph than I dared to hope for.
I'm a weird "eurosceptic" in that I love Europe as a whole. I feel a sense of a European identity and I'm proud of it. But I don't want political union.
My parents live in France and say most French people said similar.
If this is the catalyst to make Europe what it always should have been then it is an even more monumental triumph than I dared to hope for.
JMGS4 said:
Absolute Horses
t! I moved around Europe long before there was an EU, never had any problems apart from having to show a passport to some bored border people. There will be no restriction of movement for Brits as there was none before. If you travelled to/from GB within your short life you had to show docs at the border, so what will change? Exactly, NOTHING!!!!
Exactly! Free travel around Europe???? Everybody has to show a passport to get into England, so what is FREE about it all???????? t! I moved around Europe long before there was an EU, never had any problems apart from having to show a passport to some bored border people. There will be no restriction of movement for Brits as there was none before. If you travelled to/from GB within your short life you had to show docs at the border, so what will change? Exactly, NOTHING!!!!
[url=url]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-disenfranchised-expats-denied-eu-referendum-missing-postal-votes-demand-re-run-hundreds-a7103066.html
[/url]
So according to the independent there's been quite a few expat votes not counted.
Although I can't imagine it's anywhere near the 1.3m+ needed to swing it. A quick google suggests that in 2004/05 there were 13.1m British nationals living abroad and of that 5.5m of those where born in the UK, the number eligible to vote taking into account the 15 year rule will be even smaller again.
As much as I wanted a remain, this whole thing is starting to look like clutching at straws from the stayers. All this talk of a re-vote or whatever. The country just needs to now look forward and get on with it.
Edit: Another thought.......How many registered to vote on the day of the deadline to be registered leaving no where enough time for a turn around for the postal vote to be sent out and then sent back from a foreign country.
[/url]
So according to the independent there's been quite a few expat votes not counted.
Although I can't imagine it's anywhere near the 1.3m+ needed to swing it. A quick google suggests that in 2004/05 there were 13.1m British nationals living abroad and of that 5.5m of those where born in the UK, the number eligible to vote taking into account the 15 year rule will be even smaller again.
As much as I wanted a remain, this whole thing is starting to look like clutching at straws from the stayers. All this talk of a re-vote or whatever. The country just needs to now look forward and get on with it.
Edit: Another thought.......How many registered to vote on the day of the deadline to be registered leaving no where enough time for a turn around for the postal vote to be sent out and then sent back from a foreign country.
Edited by NordicCrankShaft on Sunday 26th June 14:40
NordicCrankShaft][url said:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brex...
[/url]
So according to the independent there's been quite a few expat votes not counted.
Although I can't imagine it's anywhere near the 1.3m+ needed to swing it. A quick google suggests that in 2004/05 there were 13.1m British nationals living abroad and of that 5.5m of those where born in the UK, the number eligible to vote taking into account the 15 year rule will be even smaller again.
As much as I wanted a remain, this whole thing is starting to look like clutching at straws from the stayers. All this talk of a re-vote or whatever. The country just needs to now look forward and get on with it.
Edit: Another thought.......How many registered to vote on the day of the deadline to be registered leaving no where enough time for a turn around for the postal vote to be sent out and then sent back from a foreign country.
[/url]
So according to the independent there's been quite a few expat votes not counted.
Although I can't imagine it's anywhere near the 1.3m+ needed to swing it. A quick google suggests that in 2004/05 there were 13.1m British nationals living abroad and of that 5.5m of those where born in the UK, the number eligible to vote taking into account the 15 year rule will be even smaller again.
As much as I wanted a remain, this whole thing is starting to look like clutching at straws from the stayers. All this talk of a re-vote or whatever. The country just needs to now look forward and get on with it.
Edit: Another thought.......How many registered to vote on the day of the deadline to be registered leaving no where enough time for a turn around for the postal vote to be sent out and then sent back from a foreign country.
Edited by NordicCrankShaft on Sunday 26th June 14:40
lowdrag said:
But can someone explain to me why the market reacted as it did? It plunged to under 6000 on opening and has risen back to a gain of 5% on the day. Sterling dropped to 1.20 and now stands at1.24, admittedly a loss of .06 on the day, but overall not a lot really. Just traders lining their own pockets?
They are just like any other commodity where there is likely to be a change. If you see a share tip in a Sunday paper, the price is higher at start of trading.If someone says there is going to be a coffee shortage, retailers hike the prices, if people keep buying, they increase it more. If no one buys, they reduce the price until someone starts to buy. That's how you discover the new market level.
Fortunately, I bought a few months supply of Euros on Tuesday @ €1:30. Although it looked like €1:35 might have been a good number on Friday, it was too good an opertunity to miss, given that I am always needing them.
I live in Canada, and won't be coming back to the UK anytime soon, so I didn't actually vote, but my preference was to leave the EU edifice and set about changing the nature of the UK's relationship not just with Europe, but the rest of the world.
I am now seeing all this talk of a 2nd referendum, and no one invoking article 50 anytime soon, none of which is good, the decision is made, now get on with it, any 2nd guessing is not good for anyone, and cannot be a good basis for negotiation on future deals. What is now needed is strong leadership to take the country and actually lead it, not sit around waiting to be told what to do.
I am now seeing all this talk of a 2nd referendum, and no one invoking article 50 anytime soon, none of which is good, the decision is made, now get on with it, any 2nd guessing is not good for anyone, and cannot be a good basis for negotiation on future deals. What is now needed is strong leadership to take the country and actually lead it, not sit around waiting to be told what to do.
Trexthedinosaur said:
audidoody said:
You can bet there are a lot of Greek 27-year-olds feeling that there may be light at the end of the tunnel for them too
I do not know what you mean about the Greek's sorry, I would say perhaps it is the beginning of the end for them.lowdrag said:
But can someone explain to me why the market reacted as it did? It plunged to under 6000 on opening and has risen back to a gain of 5% on the day. Sterling dropped to 1.20 and now stands at1.24, admittedly a loss of .06 on the day, but overall not a lot really. Just traders lining their own pockets?
Because traders behave like headless chickens when there's a political event like this; the true market impact won't be clear for weeks, or possibly months if the politicians don't grasp the nettle.AJS- said:
Currently working in Germany. The Germans who have mentioned it today seem to have a mix of envy and the sort of disapproval you would expect if you told a sensible person you were going to cash in your pension and buy a Vantage.
I think because of Germany's history and place in Europe they feel that the option to leave is simply not available to them. Yet they are also frustrated with the institutions of the EU.
An Italian who I spoke to was very enthusiastic, saying he hopes Italy will do the same, but he doesn't think the Italian political class would ever allow it. The other Brits here mostly seem pleased though it hasn't really come up much.
I am very optimistic. There is a move for change, and it's very positive. Having been a Leaver for 15+ years I always feared that the EU might unravel in a crisis such as Greek debt or a tantrum from Italy over it's crippled economy. This would risk it being replaced with something worse.
That Britain has voted to leave in a relatively stable and prosperous period of time is monumental. Despite the best efforts of the government, the BBC and many others the large mass of the public who fear change and fall for scare stories were outvoted by a motivated and enthusiastic Leave campaign. Changing the status quo in good times is real courage and the best way to make genuine improvements.
Agreed. Great too that there were enough of our population mature enough to see through the scare stories and to see beyond the end of their noses towards the mid / long term benefit of getting out of the EU economic and political disaster.I think because of Germany's history and place in Europe they feel that the option to leave is simply not available to them. Yet they are also frustrated with the institutions of the EU.
An Italian who I spoke to was very enthusiastic, saying he hopes Italy will do the same, but he doesn't think the Italian political class would ever allow it. The other Brits here mostly seem pleased though it hasn't really come up much.
I am very optimistic. There is a move for change, and it's very positive. Having been a Leaver for 15+ years I always feared that the EU might unravel in a crisis such as Greek debt or a tantrum from Italy over it's crippled economy. This would risk it being replaced with something worse.
That Britain has voted to leave in a relatively stable and prosperous period of time is monumental. Despite the best efforts of the government, the BBC and many others the large mass of the public who fear change and fall for scare stories were outvoted by a motivated and enthusiastic Leave campaign. Changing the status quo in good times is real courage and the best way to make genuine improvements.
avinalarf said:
You made your choices......live with them.
I am thanks, spent most of today snorkelling and enjoying the 30+ degree near constant sunshine, cheap food and drink far superior to that "back home" and hanging out with nice people, all of whom ask about the referendum in a manner questioning the sanity of the British public, genuinely confused as to how they could be so easily misled...
the_lone_wolf said:
avinalarf said:
You made your choices......live with them.
I am thanks, spent most of today snorkelling and enjoying the 30+ degree near constant sunshine, cheap food and drink far superior to that "back home" and hanging out with nice people, all of whom ask about the referendum in a manner questioning the sanity of the British public, genuinely confused as to how they could be so easily misled...
AJS- said:
I sincerely hope so JMG.
I'm a weird "eurosceptic" in that I love Europe as a whole. I feel a sense of a European identity and I'm proud of it. But I don't want political union.
My parents live in France and say most French people said similar.
If this is the catalyst to make Europe what it always should have been then it is an even more monumental triumph than I dared to hope for.
I lived in France for four years when working at Airbus. Learned that the majority of ex pats are ignorant shirts and have NO interest in integrating but I learned to appreciate France and her people, when in Rome etc, I completly agree with your comments re France the French and Europe and it's people.I'm a weird "eurosceptic" in that I love Europe as a whole. I feel a sense of a European identity and I'm proud of it. But I don't want political union.
My parents live in France and say most French people said similar.
If this is the catalyst to make Europe what it always should have been then it is an even more monumental triumph than I dared to hope for.
the_lone_wolf said:
Congratulations, nobody in Europe really cares... 
But maybe you should.I have no doubt that the position of British ex-pats living in EU countries will change over the next few years. If I was one of these ex-pats, I would be very concerned as to what the future may hold.
Enjoy your snorkeling whilst you can,. Make sure you don't get sick, don't get old or don't run out of money in the next decade or so.
Sylvaforever said:
I lived in France for four years when working at Airbus. Learned that the majority of ex pats are ignorant shirts and have NO interest in integrating but I learned to appreciate France and her people, when in Rome etc, I completly agree with your comments re France the French and Europe and it's people.
I always find it strange when people live abroad they are not willing to learn the language.It is so more enjoyable if you can have a good swearing session with your continental buddies.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff