Re: This makes grim reading
 

So as you refer to " our terms" with reference to EU goods you must be of multiple nationalities. If not then it would suggest that you thought that only the UK bought products from EU which would be a daft thing to say?

Re: This makes grim reading
 

You wait until Albania, Bosnia and Serbia join....why do you think they are so keen......

We had a Referendum. Leave won. Then we had a General Election in December which basically shut down all talk of a second referendum.

Unlike France, Ireland and the Netherlands where they are asked to vote....and vote again....until they give the "correct" answer.

Re: This makes grim reading
 

Ironically the Irish Motorway between Galway and Dublin was built by a Spanish company called FCC Construcción:lol:

Re: This makes grim reading
 

Okay now I see the fishing line!! Tenga un buen dia👍

Re: This makes grim reading
 

Paid for out of EU (mainly British) funds.

Re: This makes grim reading
 

If you believe everything comes from British funds why complain and then leave your fellow citizens behind? Now these poor British have to work even harder while you are enjoying all these new fancy motorways in Spain:lol:.

Re: This makes grim reading
 

Because there are not many of my fellow citizens left in most big cities in the UK

Re: This makes grim reading
 

EU commerce negotiations are invariably the precise opposite of this, with every country wanting an exception for industries that are most significant to their country, and with everyone else wanting a "level playing field" so they can try to steal business away! :rolleyes:

Re: This makes grim reading
 

No, it's not a level playing field in reality because the EU sets minimum standards for worker protection etc, and many countries choose to go beyond those minimum standards in certain areas. To be fair, so does the UK in some areas such as animal welfare. (Which is another thing where the UK contradicts itself tries to twist by pretending that leaving the EU will mean it can raise its standards higher than if it was still a member.)
What the EU is concerned about is that it doesn't trust the UK to maintain the EU's minimum standards unless there is a "robust" legal agreement in place. Particularly as regards worker protection where the UK along with Poland barely go an inch beyond what EU rules obliges them to do. Cutting back on workers rights and working conditions (holiday pay for temporary workers for instance) will enable the UK to produce goods more cheaply. Hence why the EU is concerned about unfair competition.

Re: This makes grim reading
 

The UK treats its workers far better than the Spanish do.. I agree that things like zero hours contracts are wrong but workers have far more rights in the UK than they do in Spain.
Look at the minimum wage in Spain...it is given as a monthly amount....no mention about the number of hours you have to work......could be 70 hours a week....giving you 3 or 4 euros an hour.
The Spanish ignore their labour laws....certainly in small companies anyway. In fact, they ignore most laws.

Re: This makes grim reading
 

Yes I have been told that Spain's a bit rubbish on workers rights but I didn't know that about minimum wage being a monthly amount. Italy isn't great either. Probably if there was an ESPexit or an Italexit the EU would be saying the same to them ;). But, if workers are treated better in the UK then it's because they have a good employer. Minimum wage isn't enforced, zero hours contracts are a scandal, there's nothing to stop company's firing and rehiring on worse conditions, and the government turns a blind eye.

Re: This makes grim reading
 

It´s like Ryanair....an Irish company....staff only start to get paid when the cabin doors are shut.

Re: This makes grim reading
 

I suspect that many of the problems that the UK had with the European Onion was that the UK was actually pretty good about enacting the apparent intent of EU directives, and then enforcing them, and that conversely if the UK had adopted the approach of paying lip service to EU directives, or just not enacting them at all, as I hear is common in one of the, er larger members of the EU, ;) then Brexit might not have happened.

Re: This makes grim reading
 

Too true Pulaski

Re: This makes grim reading
 

I think that's very true.
But, I also think that this was maybe another aspect of the UK never fully embracing EU thinking, there was always an us and them thing getting in the way. It obeyed rules as you would obey rules imposed on you by an outside authority that you don't have a close relationship with and there is no give and take. You bite your lip and do what you're told and the resentment builds up inside. Other countries seem to feel they can take liberties and they will be forgiven, like you do with friends and relations when you don't feel you always have to be on your best behaviour. Sometimes they go too far and get sanctioned of course. But the UK seems to have a problem, and not only with the EU, with being assertive in a positive way. Either it's too passive and it does what it's told but with no enthusiasm which kind of reduces the positivity, or it kicks back too aggressively which leads to squabbles. Or maybe I'm talking rubbish.