To paraphrase Theresa, Europe is Europe.

Not really, what race is Europe? Is there any discrimination of colour or religion if you are from continental Europe, say? No. What is common, it is simply that nearly all countries from a geographically and geopolitically united continent came to a mutual agreement, a deal to promote prosperity through freedom and unity. Maybe India would be in it, if it were in Europe.

The racist thing is daft, be like saying the UK is racist because only NI, Scotland, Wales and England can move and travel freely in it. 🙄

Actually the UK is becoming a bit racist, but that's a different story...

Take the financial services industry and pharmaceuticals industry, both global, both highly regulated. If the Britain ends up on the periphery of Europe, suddenly instead of being party to regulation, it is a follower (for the product it wishes to sell into the massive EU market). It lacks influence and may well be shut out of certain businesses or constantly playing catch up on meeting regulations. As a result, British businesses are less competitive (within Europe) revenues are lost, companies chase sales in further flung less affluent markets. Or perhaps that big easy market to crack, the USA.

I partially accept the immigration argument. That freedom of movement had created unsustainable immigration rates, at least it seemed that way. However, I don't think leaving the EU was the solution, there must have been some way of addressing this. And I think that gets back to the hard/soft issue. I also think that, despite immigration pressures, if the refugee crisis had not coincided with the referendum, it would have not swung so far to a Brexit.

Of course it's racist if you privilege one ethnicity over the other. Why not assess everybody's claim for immigration based on their qualifications and skills rather on where they were born?

On the point about leaving SM, yes. Agree. UK will still have to abide and follow them to trade, now with added lack of say.

As for immigration, disagree. Firstly the EU rates net are small, 0.14% PA, tiny and smaller than controlled RoW (really it is all controlled, just to different degrees). Studies have shown immigration is a benefit, the downside is small, a negligible wage suppression in the least skilled jobs.

In any case, government has already confessed immigration probably won't come down they know, it was in the report they tried to doctor up.

Actually interesting question in an expat forum. How do you see yourself, a drain on the host country you live in? Probably not? But if the papers and leaders said you were as a scapegoat, that would be nice I guess 👍

EU immigration is small? Negligible wage compression?

Societal cohesiveness?

I think the UK would do well to adopt Canadian immigration policy.

Correct. On the former, 0.14% as stated, hardly an invasion 😂 On the latter, hard to even measure but insignificant or negligible are appropriate words.

Maybe, what key advantages do you see from that in particular?

I accept that it will no longer have a voice at the table but, as it was only one of a number anyway, one could argue that its voice was somewhat diminished anyway.

On the issue of "catch up", that applies to those in, and out, of the EU, so I would argue that everyone is equally affected.

I believe that, post referendum, the EU may have woken up to this but, pre-referendum, they were deaf to the noise. Their insistence that the single market includes free movement of workers post brexit simply reinforces the fact that, as a block, they have no answer to that particular issue.

Because people are admitted based on their qualifications and skills rather on where they were born?

I believe you have personified the "elite" versus the "man on the street" with such comments.

The plumber that lost his job to an immigrant from the EU doesn't care about how insignificant or negligible he is statistically, all he cares about is how he is going to feed his family.

What is 0.14%?

Widespread wage compression in the trades, and job competition in retail and entry-level jobs.

Absolutely. The intellectual who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing will dispassionately view the level of immigration as insignificant. He will never be affected, his job will never be at risk, his children will never fight for a place at the local underfunded school, his hip replacement will never be delayed.. in short he is never in a position to understand the stresses that affect those who daily keep the UK and the EU ticking over.

Immigration is one of those topics that is visually prominent, whether it's the carribean in the the 50's and 60's to the burka wearing woman of today, the immigrant provides a visual reminder and focus for discontent and like Enoch Powell in the 60's, politicians will always seek advantage by highlighting the issue.

Incindentalyy, we should be able to gauge the current French feeling on the problem in a few days time. Le Pen might very well succeed, it all depends whether her supporters, like those of Brexit, are more driven to get out of their armchairs and actually vote.