EU Referendum

[MegaSteve]

Being an ex-patriot must mean you know longer support the country you left.

Is that how you felt when you moved to England then?

 

[vkurup]

Was trying to do a deal for new carpets as we refurbing. The last carpets that were put down in 1983 and were felt-backed and they have crumbled and there is black dust everywhere as we try and remove them. The new carpets are now foam backed among other things. So while trying to negotiate a deal with the carpet fella I asked if we can get felt backed ones. His response had me chuckling..

<parphased>
Salesguy: Well the felt backed ones are cheaper but we stopped selling them due to EU regulations. The EU is phasing them out as no one is sure what kind of dioxins are in them and they dont want us to put it into residential use. Otherwise I could help.

I wanted to ask him if he is exit or Remain as the EU is affecting his carpet business, but did not ask him that question.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Our local BBC channel had an interview with some of the UK ex pats in Spain the other day. And some of them were hilarious, sat there drinking their lager and having their Full English breakfast next to the sea in Spain taking advantage of the free movement of people within the EU, moaning about immigration and how the UK was going to the dogs so they were voting out.

The line between reality and parody is very thin at times and I swear with some very slight changes to some of the dialogue, it would have made a very funny comedy sketch.

I have been listening to a phone-in on LBC this morning (James O'Brien) looking at what is behind the poll by YouGov for LBC that has found that 46% of Leave voters believe the vote will be rigged to Remain. Some of the callers have been hilarious - if it wasn't so worrying and indeed frightening. Because it is quite clear that many voting Leave are completely deluded, and even if UK votes Leave (please God no) when the brave new world that they have been sold by the Leave campaign does not comer to pass (which it won't) - then that will be a conspiracy by the establishment.

And listening to Gove this morning on Today - he hadn't a clue about how immigration was actually going to be controlled - and indeed said that nothing could be done until 2020 at the earliest. Not I think what has been sold to Leavers

And as far as Bojo's usual and shockingly arrogant dismissal of yet more expert opinion warning of problems to come. He and Gove should be forced to take a lead in sorting out a post-Brexit disaster - they just want to walk away - disgraceful

We are all in a handcart heading to hell. And the demons that Leave have let out of the box are going to cause us huge issues in the coming years and we may not be able to get them back in the box once owned by Pandora.

 

[Fyldewhite]

Stuck my vote in the post this morning, now roll on Friday so it's all over.

It will only just have begun.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Is that how you felt when you moved to England then?

No, I was an economic migrant, like many of my fellow countrymen/women.

I was just wondering about the term ex pat.......nothing sinsiter.

 

[bluewolf]

If you want to open a discussion on that alone then I would be happy to continue discussing away from the Referendum issue. I would also discuss by PM if you want.

Sorry, only just seen this post... Thanks for the offer, but I believe that this topic is important to the general direction of this thread and I would prefer to keep the discussion public for now.. Not that I don't enjoy our back and forth :thup:..

Anyway, I see we now have a genuine bonafide Economist on the thread, and one who clearly leans towards the Brexit camp.. I would welcome his expertise...

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Was trying to do a deal for new carpets as we refurbing. The last carpets that were put down in 1983 and were felt-backed and they have crumbled and there is black dust everywhere as we try and remove them. The new carpets are now foam backed among other things. So while trying to negotiate a deal with the carpet fella I asked if we can get felt backed ones. His response had me chuckling..

<parphased>
Salesguy: Well the felt backed ones are cheaper but we stopped selling them due to EU regulations. The EU is phasing them out as no one is sure what kind of dioxins are in them and they dont want us to put it into residential use. Otherwise I could help.

I wanted to ask him if he is exit or Remain as the EU is affecting his carpet business, but did not ask him that question.

I'll be hearing next that it's the pesky EU that has caused the demise of the asbestos building supplies industry. Of course back in the the day we didn't realise the health dangers of asbestos - I think if we'd even suspected the potential killer that asbestos is back then they'd have been banned - and no doubt some would have been complaining.

 

[bluewolf]

No, I was an economic migrant, like many of my fellow countrymen/women.

I was just wondering about the term ex pat.......nothing sinsiter.

My sister and her family (husband and 2 kids) live in Southern Spain.. My BIL runs his UK based business from their Villa, pays taxes in the UK, pays private school fees in Spain, stimulates the local economy by spending every weekend socializing .. Each of them now speaks 3 languages, and have integrated into the local way of life almost completely... Annoyingly, they also fly in to watch Wigan Athletic and West Brom at least 5 times a season, as well as holding season tickets for Ayamonte CF....

I'm not even sure they consider themselves English anymore.. They speak Spanish at home, read Spanish books and watch Spanish TV..

 

[MegaSteve]

I'm not even sure they consider themselves English anymore.. They speak Spanish at home, read Spanish books and watch Spanish TV..

A former workmate took early retirement due to ill health...
As he could get more bang for his bucks he took himself with the wife off to France...

Are you gonna learn the lingo he was asked...
Am I 'eck he replied... Loud English will get me through...
After two years he spoke almost perfect French...
After five years, when coming back here to visit, he would have to translate English into French as it had become his first language...

 

[FairwayDodger]

I've always believed that brexiters who claim that trade etc will continue much as before with the EU in the event of brexit were either downright lying or living in cloud cuckoo land.

The U.K. Can expect a very rough ride in any negotiations as the desire to preserve the EU and discourage further departures outweigh the need to sell us some cars....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36578515

 

[MegaSteve]

It just means you're white.

Does it? I know several 'ex-pats', seeing out their days on the Costa's, that don't fit that pigeon hole...

 

[vkurup]

Does it? I know several 'ex-pats', seeing out their days on the Costa's, that don't fit that pigeon hole...

As an expat myself, I find it funny when people call me an immigrant and I am surely officially classified as an inward immigrant. My definition of immigrant would be someone who has come to a country and has not much options to go to a particular country only due to language, economics or post-colonial ties. As against an expat who can move to any (or most) countries and be economically active. That was till I read that ONLY white people can be expats while the rest have to be immigrants.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-d...r/13/white-people-expats-immigrants-migration

 

[Hobbit]

I've always believed that brexiters who claim that trade etc will continue much as before with the EU in the event of brexit were either downright lying or living in cloud cuckoo land.

The U.K. Can expect a very rough ride in any negotiations as the desire to preserve the EU and discourage further departures outweigh the need to sell us some cars....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36578515

Equally, the second European politician quoted said they would push for a quick resolution. Both are guessing. The Brexiters are saying it will be fine, and the Remainers are saying it won't... do either of them really know?

 

[FairwayDodger]

Equally, the second European politician quoted said they would push for a quick resolution. Both are guessing. The Brexiters are saying it will be fine, and the Remainers are saying it won't... do either of them really know?

We need to form our own opinions. IMO the idea that it'll all click easily into place and we won't be disadvantaged is just pie in the sky.

 

[Hobbit]

We need to form our own opinions. IMO the idea that it'll all click easily into place and we won't be disadvantaged is just pie in the sky.

I can't disagree with that. There'll be give and take from both sides depending on what aspect is most important to each party. The Leavers would no doubt win some things but will also lose. One thing is for sure, as you alluded to previously, the remaining EU member states will have books to rebalance and will be out for their pound of flesh.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I don't know the truth of it but my daughters 'city' friend said that the banks have booked up all of the central London hotels on results night. They are expecting a severe run on the pound if the separatists win.

 

[Foxholer]

As an expat myself, I find it funny when people call me an immigrant and I am surely officially classified as an inward immigrant. My definition of immigrant would be someone who has come to a country and has not much options to go to a particular country only due to language, economics or post-colonial ties. As against an expat who can move to any (or most) countries and be economically active. That was till I read that ONLY white people can be expats while the rest have to be immigrants.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-d...r/13/white-people-expats-immigrants-migration

Yep! As an ex-pat Kiwi, I'm an immigrant (to UK)!

It's perhaps only the English talking about their ex-pats that continues that 'white supremacy' illusion - if it actually exists!

 

[TheDiablo]

I work for a fairly well known, large mulit-national, and just sat in on a 3-5 strategy roadmap meeting - up comes the SWOT analysis by our Head of Strategy. Number 1 threat was Brexit, where using our data and expertise (we have access to more financial data, public, private and international than you could possibly imagine) we are forecasting a 10% drop in GDP in the UK over next 5 years as well as the pound taking an enormous hit this year should there be a leave vote - very, very scary with repercussions for a generation.

 

[Hacker Khan]

I work for a fairly well known, large mulit-national, and just sat in on a 3-5 strategy roadmap meeting - up comes the SWOT analysis by our Head of Strategy. Number 1 threat was Brexit, where using our data and expertise (we have access to more financial data, public, private and international than you could possibly imagine) we are forecasting a 10% drop in GDP in the UK over next 5 years as well as the pound taking an enormous hit this year should there be a leave vote - very, very scary with repercussions for a generation.

Scaremonger, don't you know it's not cool to listen to the 'so called experts' (trademark anyone not agreeing with what said experts say)

Is it a good time to withdraw all my money in shares and my pension pot and stick it under the mattress then?

And your company seems to be missing the main issue in that we would not have to have straight bananas when we come out. Or something like that.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Remember the Millennium Bug?

I rest my case