Are you able to explain why Canada, when agreeing upon movement of goods between it and the EU, didn't allow unbridled movement of workers between the two?

Or the US and Mexico.

I'm in favour of free movement in Europe.

Canada's immigrant population is a significantly higher percentage of the population than that of the UK. I can't recall exactly but it's something like 12% versus 24% or similar. Immigration is handled differently in Canada and I don't just mean the Economic Class. To give an example: family class sponsorship (spouse/dependents) process is far cheaper and far less onerous in terms of the requirements.

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Are you in favour of free movement in North America?

It's a different context and I don't know enough to comment.

Within North America and Mexico there is NAFTA (for certain professionals). Within North America it is easier (generally speaking) for Canadians/US citizens to cross the border. The US and Canada do not share other organizational structures that are shared within the EU. So free movement is one of the shared principles of the EU: there are others. Free movement can't be discussed in isolation (except in the UK as a cause of the referendum).

Do you realise that free movement of goods, services and people didn't exist in the EU prior to 1992. People were able to immigrate from one now EU country to another back then, they will continue to be able to move to and from the UK to members of the EU post Brexit.

Out of interest, do you know the numbers of people in the UK that are likely to be affected by such a scenario post Brexit (I appreciate you could say all but, clearly, the whole of the UK did not intend to move to another EU state pre-Brexit)?

What a strange way of thinking.

Perhaps we should also change the conditions on which Canadians can visit the US. What do you reckon, a special visa that takes a year to come through? A $20k security deposit needed?

I mean you could say it might affect all Canadians but clearly the whole of Canada would not intend to go to the US but for such a change in accessibility.

I have no idea. But we could suggest that lots of future generations will essentially be denied that choice. My children for example.


21 per cent of the pop in Canada in 2011 was foreign born:

150 years of immigration in Canada

Seems to be 12.7% in the UK in 2011:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreig...United_Kingdom

No, they have the choice to apply for immigration to many countries around the world as long as they the requirements each state has put in place to meet best the needs of their society.

I am saying that it will have a minimal affect upon the population of the UK, such that it simply isn't worth worrying about.

However, if I was working again as a carpenter, and if I was being undercut by workers from other countries that were willing to live in a situation that I wasn't and were sending money back to their families in less affluent countries, I would be happy with Brexit.

The point about Brexit (in my opinion) is that it fundamentally changes UK citizens rights. It takes something (or several things away). You might decide that those rights "simply aren't bothering about" but that's not my opinion.

Sure. I accept it takes some things away that some may believe are important to them. Just as it gives some things to others that are important to them, but which others don't think are important to them.

A bit like our government here: We will impose a carbon tax upon you as we want to you use less carbon; then will we remove the tax break you get for using public transport thereby, one assumes, attempting to reduce one's carbon.

How you trade and who you trade with is all a question of economics. Admittedly the EU is closer to the UK than the US or Canada... but...
If distance was that important why do baked beans cost so much less in the UK than Canada?
'Tesco: Baked beans are grown in America, then shipped to Italy, before they make it to our shops in the UK.' https://www.eathappyproject.com/reso...do-beans-grow/
It's clear that italian baked bean suppliers will not be happy with tarrifs and there will be a great many like this on both sides lobbying for common sense.
But of course, as I keep saying, we are dealing with bureacrats and politicians here so common sense will play no part in the brexit negotiations as the tiff that gave rise to the current thread exemplifies.