Preparedness for when

maryb

The traffic queues will be so long if they reimpose Customs checks, we might as well abandon the Tunnel, lol. One disadvantage of leaving for us as we are only 40 mins drive from Folkestone and it's really handy

nuatha

Nargleblast wrote: »

Didn't someone get into trouble on 11 September 2001, the day two planes crashed into the World Trade Centre, by saying "Today might be a good day to bury some bad news"....?

They did, however it was getting caught that caused the problem (as per usual) not burying news - which as my post shows still seems to be standard practise.

Open borders, not being part of the Schengen Agreement means we don't theorectically have open borders. We have to allow the free movement of EU citizens, but that doesn't mean we can't have border controls - government cutbacks and restructuring of how our borders are controlled means there's less control than we could have. Massive investment in another failed IT system hasn't helped the budgets which (like all government departments) have been cut to the bone - though with all the cuts why is the deficit rising?

GreyQueen

maryb wrote: »

Re the point that younger voters don't bother because nothing changes.... this won't be a first past the post election based on constituencies. Every vote WILL count.

And a lot of middle class older women who are conservative (with a small c) are horrified by Cologne. Especially if they have daughters. It's one thing telling them not to go to North Africa on holiday but it strikes deep fear when you have to worry about them having a city break in Western Europe, irrational as that may be.

My point about the age-related differences in voting is that my experience of my own age group (the middle aged) and the generation older is that we are both more likely to take part in elections and also probably more likely to vote for leaving the EU.

Older people are particularly shocked at the working conditions and pay of their children and grandchildren and can't believe people put up with it. I point out that it's a question of supply and demand - the labour market is over-supplied and if you don't like your T & C, someone else will be all too glad to do the work. Quite often, that alternate worker is a personable individual called something like Agnieszka or Wladyslaw.

The media gives a lot of weight to the opinions of the middle classes like themselves whilst being comically blind to the numbers issue; that they are actually a minority group in the overall population and are vastly outnumbered by the working classes.

But the EU debate is going to be an interesting one because it bestrides party political lines. There are passionate pro and anti types in both parties, and they are heavy-hitters on both sides nailing their colours to the mast very publically, not just unimportant back-benchers chuntering away in corners.

Politicians will be weighing the opportunity cost of voting against the declared wishes of their leadership (career down toilet) vs being caught with their pants down by their personal consitituents if they choose the opposite to the expressed majority view, once the dust has settled post-ballot (losing their seat, possibly).

And, politicians being the type of beast they are, there will be plenty who are expecting to see the big beasts of the Westminster savannah critically-wounded and they will be ready to bring them down.

moneyistooshorttomention

thriftwizard wrote: »

MTSTM, are you sure it's not The Way of Mrs Marietta Cosmopolite you're quoting there?

I'm not as green as I'm cabbage-looking...

That's me learnt summat for the day - thinking "Errr...who?" and google tells me Terry Pratchet character.

Now I liked the one "Big events cast their shadows". Seems rather apt right now - as this Big Event is casting its shadows some way ahead of it....

Speaking personally - and I think we are on the cusp of one of Britain's Major Turning Points in History and which road we go down here could make a pretty large difference to the future of our country in a variety of respects. Was sitting there pondering yesterday how the way I think things will go in one respect could be 30-40 years time, rather than 20 years time if we vote to come out (which would mean it happening after my lifetime - when I had hoped to be around to witness it).

I see voting to stay in as something that will make a Huge difference to us in the fairly short term and I would witness (from afar to a large extent - considering where I live now) some major change for the worse in Britain.

Time will tell.

moneyistooshorttomention

GreyQueen wrote: »

When confronted in person with ninnies, one can choose to make nee-naw noises.

When asked the reason why, tell 'em it's your B*ll***t Dectector going off.

I'm not bothering with listening to the meeja telling me the pros and cons for the next 3 months. My mind was made up many years ago and my decision is re-inforced on a daily basis by what I see around me.

Well - we've agreed on that one GQ.

Fuddle is still being a little "mysterious"....but can I lay bets on it?:)

moneyistooshorttomention

Maryb - You make a good point too re many women in our agegroup now being worried for their daughters - after incidents like Cologne.

I guess even women our age shouldn't regard ourselves as "in the clear" totally as regards our safety - though our chances of being attacked are much lower (as one of my friends put it "Let's face it - we're not 'hot' any longer":().

But yes...our daughters. For those of us who don't have children - then general sympathy with younger women when we see incidents like that or attacks in Swedish swimming baths, etc. This sort of incident might lead to a lot of "self-censoring" of our Way of Life and I suspect some in the West have already made alterations to plans for social events because of things like this (and that's probably the intention of the attackers:mad:).

You are right - we do see other European countries basically as "Not us - but they are Western countries too and with a similar Way of Life to our own" and hence the fellow-feeling in that respect with them and the fact that we feel free (normally) to go off on holidays in them without fear. Whereas - many of us weren't planning on going to Arabic countries on holiday anyway (ie because of the risk to us - just courtesy of being women).

maryb

Apparently there is a news item in thr Times (behind paywall unfortunately) saying the Dutch are beginning to mutter about wanting a referendum and if they can get a certain number of signatures their constitution allows for it. Polls suggest a pretty even split, much like here.

GreyQueen

I read some mutters about that, too, maryb. Wasn't The Times, but it was somewhere else in the last 48 hours - online.

Pal who sells gold and silver bullion coins for investment is out of krugerrands and low on sovreigns and silver Britannias and has lots more potential buyers than sellers. He's even bidding more per coin than his usual margin, trying to secure stock, but most would-be sellers are testing the market and sitting on their hands waiting for the price to go up.

Lots of people trying to buy gold all in a rush is usually a sign that they don't trust the current state of affairs. They could all just be bonkers, of course, but they're prepared to turn cash into bullion to the tune of several thousand quid at a time. I saw someone drop £6k on bullion only a few days ago, and he looked like a Joe Soap without a penny to his name not a Richie Rich.

Interesting, this sharp uptick in activity (and price) predated the EU referendum announcement by about a week.

maryb

Well I have a £5 off a £40 spend vulture for Lidl this week so the Armageddon cupboard will get a bit of a top up in advance of rising food prices

fuddle

MITSTM for all fuddle's online bravado she is a little afraid of life, change and doesn't like insecurity at all. A vote for out for a person like me would be a huge step... but I am a determined little blighter too!

I am siding on out because that is how I feel in my world of ignorance right now. I don't know if that is how I will vote in the end because I suspect I will allow myself to be 'got to' panic and vote for the near norm and not the unknown. It's just a battle between the stubborn online persona/real me when rattled or the person I am now wracked with anxiety and nerves. Darn eh?!