Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

but back in the 1970s when I was in my 20s we had a referendum over whether or not to join the common market which subsequently evolved into the EU.

Actually we didn't.

What we had, was a referendum over whether to remain in the EEC (aka the Common Market). We had already been a member for over 2 years, when the referendum took place.

[Deleted User]

Perplexed_Pineapple wrote: »

The only action I have taken is to take out as much cash as I can - I'm with B@rclys, their share price fell 30% initially on Friday which tells you something about the security of their business arrangements, so the cash is better in my pocket than on their computer.

I wouldn't worry too much, unless you have over £75,000 deposited there.

In the event of a bank going kaput, the FSCS will refund your money.

GreyQueen

BB is right.

And plenty of people who voted to leave the Common Market have been waiting eagerly for a chance to vote Out again. Sadly, some of them didn't live to see the day.

We Brits didn't get the choices that other EU nations gave their populations and there have been huge assumptions made, for decades, that the EU project was acceptable to the majority of this country.

Being down among the common people, and very much a common person myself, I could see that this was not true. Given that antipathy, I did not believe that the politicans would ever dare call the referendum, and that promises to do so would forever be at some inexact point in the not-too-distant future, which always receded like a mirage without ever being withdrawn as a possibility.

I laughed aloud when the referendum was announced. The political and media classes, where there is a fair degree of overlap, stand revealed in their ignorance of the opinions and concerns of the rest of the country.

Apart from the inevitable scrabbling for the top jobs in the Conservative and Labour parties, there is a crisis of confidence in the halls of power. Because, for all the crony capitalism, we do at least maintain a pretence of a democracy and it hurts them to know that so many in this country aren't happy to go along with the EU superstate.

Judging by the rumblings in several other countries, we will be the first of many.

Blue_Doggy

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I, like all the rest of us got on with what we'd been gifted by OUR elders, got on with learning a completely new weights and measures system, got on with learning a new metric currency and got on with life. It wasn't as difficult as I'd thought it would be! soon we were all just living a normal life.

I'm sorry to be pedantic , but the change to the decimal system had nothing to with the Common Market, we made the change in the early part of 1971, and there had been agitations and plans for it for at least the previous hundred years. It was supposed to be much easier for children to learn, but tbh the old imperial system was not a problem, and most older people could add up the weights and measures in their heads despite the numerous number bases involved.

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

To those who are feeling that the older generation has wrecked their lives, we thought the same back then it didn't and before I'm shot down in flames I KNOW this is bigger and a reversal of that same process but on a far bigger stage that the world has become. Life will still go on, we ALSO have a stake in the future, not as long a stake as you younger folks but I promise you this we, even if we are older will work our fingers to the bone to make the future we now DO have as good for you and us as it's possible to make it. I don't know anyone of my age who will sit back and do nothing, we will work and do our share towards whatever needs doing, retirement doesn't mean idleness and letting you do all the work, we will pull our weight as we have done through all the years of our lives while you were growing into the people you are now. Our parents did the same for us, fought wars for our future and we are the same stock as they were,we have a stake in our own futures that matters to us, why would we NOT make them good?

VERY WELL SAID!! The young as well as the old (and those in between) will all need to play our part, but I'm sure that today's young people have as much grit and determination as their grandparents.

BTW, I am Old and Proud, and my head is grey but unbowed.

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

Sadly, some of them didn't live to see the day.

Both my parents included.

GreyQueen

Blue_Doggy wrote: »

BTW, I am Old and Proud, and my head is grey but unbowed.

:T I love that statement.

Righty, going offline to get on with the gardening up at the allotment. Fascinating thought the media is, and the good people of this forum, one has to keep the practicalities in mind and time, tide and rampant weeds wait on no woman.

Onwards!

Blue_Doggy

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I'd like to think that once we ARE free to make our own decisions about agriculture and farming and be able to grow whatever type of produce we want to not be told that we can only grow certain strains of wheat etc. that British farming might be regenerated and become a vital part of 'new Britain'. It would take quite a bit of time to restore all the orchards that were grubbed out for EU subsidies and it would inevitable mean in the short term that prices rose but once re-established our Farmers are the best in the world and should be able to supply most of the nations needs with strains of wheat/types of potato etc. that grow best in our climate enough to feed the nation well.

Yes, our agriculture is very good, and our farmers are as you say the best, but they need people to be willing to pay at least the cost of production for the crop. Most people want cheap food, the cheaper the better. "Efficiency" in farming tends to mean removing the hedgerows and wildlife areas to put as much land as possible under the plough, and to keep dairy cattle by the thousand in cattle sheds or yards all year round, feeding them intensively and culling them when their milk yield falls off.

I usually agree with most of what you write, Mrs LW, so am very sorry to disagree with you on some of these topics.

I will shortly bow out and go back to my kennel to lick my wounds until my role in country-building becomes clear.

Best wishes.

greenbee

GreyQueen wrote: »

... and that you can't expect to be hired for professonal jobs in law firms with purple hair and nose rings.

You may not be hired like that, but once you're in it is possible to get away with it... mind you, it depends on how well you can carry off the purple hair and nose rings It's like tattoos - no reason not to have them, but in a professional context you might want to make sure they're not visible.

GreyQueen wrote: »

Yes, PP, I've also thought that if current events prove a wake-up call to the youth, in terms that voting does actually matter, that is of itself a very good thing. And may turn out to be the best outcome of the referendum.

The online petition to stage referendum v.2 is apparently running at 2.9 million and F@rage remarked that it isn't best of three. I don't have a lot of time for the man but I concur.

I agree with you on both these points. But then again, as the referendum apparently isn't legally binding then the politicians might just decide not to go ahead. Right now no one is looking very keen on actually getting on and sorting out when and how we leave. Maybe they didn't think they'd win, so didn't bother to plan?

However, now the vote has gone through, they need to get on and work out what they're going to do. The volatility of the last couple of weeks isn't going to settle down until there is some clear direction and leadership - something that has been sadly lacking in our political 'leaders' for some time now. They need to step up to the plate and live up to their responsibilities. Once there is more clarity, then the markets (of various kinds) will correct and settle into new patterns.

There also needs to be a VERY strong crackdown on some of the appalling racism that is emerging, which the perpetrators seem to think is validated by the 'Leave' vote. At the 'Leave' campaigners need to be the ones to clarify that they don't condone this. It doesn't take much time on the internet this morning to see plenty of examples of racism against both Eastern Europeans (and remember, many of the Polish community settled here after WW2 having been stationed here during the war after their own country was occupied - jk0 lives in/near Reading I believe, where there is a fairly large and established Polish community) and British Asians. I'm not quite clear how anyone thought that leaving the EU would mean 2nd and 3rd generation Asians would 'go home'.

Regardless of the way I or anyone else voted the behaviour I'm seeing from many people makes me ashamed to be British, and I can completely understand why the EU want us to invoke article 50 immediately. Why on earth would they want to be associated with us when we're busy displaying our worst traits to the rest of the world?

Perplexed_Pineapple

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

I wouldn't worry too much, unless you have over £75,000 deposited there.

In the event of a bank going kaput, the FSCS will refund your money.

True BB - eventually. It could be highly inconvenient in the short term though and sadly I have nothing approaching £75K in there :rotfl:

[Deleted User]

greenbee wrote: »

Right now no one is looking very keen on actually getting on and sorting out when and how we leave. Maybe they didn't think they'd win, so didn't bother to plan?

AIUI, only the PM can trigger Article 50, so the only person to blame, currently, is David Cameron.

To borrow a phrase, he needs to "S**t or get off the pot."