adam277:
teech:
We always had control of our borders. We were not in Schengen and under EU rules anyone from another EU country not finding work within 3 months could be sent home. Under the Dublin agreement we had the ability to send some asylum seekers back to other EU countries without hearing their claim. Our Government chose not to implement control for reasons known to them.
Brexit has only benefitted the disaster capitalists and those not wanting their tax affairs to be examined. The EU proposed implementing Tax transparency laws in 2020 and the city ran scared!We did not.
It is disingenuous to say we did.Like it or not the reason people voted brexit was because they blamed immigration for the lack of jobs or undercutting of local people.
This was happening in the building trade 10000% percent. There is no denying this.
Same in the trucking game. When I worked at Tuffnells… 70-80% of the hgv driver were from Romania.As for asylum seekers… we basically had an open door policy. We would send them back and they would go back to Calais for their next crack at getting in. Their chances were pretty good as we had free movement of goods so not all trucks were checked. Now it is more difficult and they opt for boats.
Yea technically we ‘could’ send someone home after 3 months. did it happen? probably but rarely.I agree Brexit has been a failure. But it should of been an opportunity.
We could of had a good trade deal with the EU… we did not for various reasons. We could of had a good trade deal with many other countries… for whatever reason that has not happened.Well the reason is clear. This government is completely useless. They wasted billions during the pandemic and they are wasting even more money now in Ukraine.
But either way.
Re-joining the EU is not an option. Even if we did rejoin the EU it would not solve much.
It is far from dis-ingenuous to say we had control of our borders. No country ever has complete control of it’s borders in the modern trading world, and history tells us thus, way back to Medieval history, with the Jews, Romans, Anglo-Saxons. Huguenots…all driven by trade and the pull of prosperity coming to Britain.
People forget that borders have two sides and the flow of people takes both parties to control them.
That we failed on our side was much a political decision as anything else, as you alluded to! We could have controlled flows better but didn’t due to actions you highlighted ie Builder and Driver shortages, but again that is down to policy failures by our Governments’ and Businesses’ for not investing in Education and Training, but relying on cheaper imported labour. It is a two way street. Remember the 80s when builders went to Germany to work and pre-Brexit how Ex-pats, sorry immigrants (for that is what they are though they gripe at the sheer idea of being labelled as such) flocked to Spain and Portugal to retire because the conditions were better. That many of them voted Brexit really was akin to Turkey’s voting for Christmas, given their circumstances. (and yes I understand why they voted as such having been lied to by the Government of the day regarding their status)
Now we have left, the EU they are now doing what we should, and could have done pre-Brexit given the concessions granted to us, controlling their borders with Britain!
This is worth a read. ft.com/content/c921bf8a-26a … c9efe432a9
Asylum seekers? Whilst not an ideal situation by any metric, we receive small numbers compared to other EU countries and again the failure lies at the door of the Government. During Covid workers from the immigration and Asylum services were re-directed to implement Brexit and have not been replaced hence a huge backlog in processing and returns. Migrants will always try to get to their chosen country of destination. It is how you deal with them when they successfully enter the country having avoided any controls put in place.
I would opine that we have in fact made the problem worse. The EU proposed allowing Britain to open Asylum application centres in capital cities in Europe. The British Government refused and have implemented policies that preclude any opportunity to apply for asylum from anywhere - unless you have money of course. People might agree with that but it goes against International Law and diminishes our status within the world community.
As you say Brexit gave us opportunities but they were thrown away due to absolute ignorance, stupidity and intransigence from our negotiators and a Government consisting of MPs just not being anywhere up to the job.
That this Government is useless? Totally agree and I would argue dangerous as well. They have made an appalling job of Brexit due to ignorance, stupidity, greed, arrogance, entitlement and elitist ideals, and produced a polarised population to boot!
FPTP will not change that situation and in my opinion PR voting needs to be implemented now. Won’t happen of course as the present system favours the political elite. Even if PR (if introduced) were prove no better at least the people of the country would be better represented - and yes that includes the far right, far left, Greens, Liberals, Radicals, Monster Raving Loonies … That is surely a better form of democracy.
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)…hope the re.hab therapy went ok. 