This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/jun/10/big-issue-brexit-short-term-thinking-long-term-chaos
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Short-term thinking has led us to long-term Brexit chaos : the big issue | |
| (2 days later) | |
| Will Hutton is spot on about the government’s lack of preparation for leaving the single market and customs union (“Britain is being led to an epic act of national self-harm”, Comment). Due to the Conservative policy of reducing civil service numbers, there are hardly any staff left in HMRC with the requisite expertise in customs import and export procedures and it is nothing less than wilful negligence on the part of the government that we are in this situation less than two years before we leave the EU.Ian Arnott, ex-HM Customs and ExcisePeterborough | Will Hutton is spot on about the government’s lack of preparation for leaving the single market and customs union (“Britain is being led to an epic act of national self-harm”, Comment). Due to the Conservative policy of reducing civil service numbers, there are hardly any staff left in HMRC with the requisite expertise in customs import and export procedures and it is nothing less than wilful negligence on the part of the government that we are in this situation less than two years before we leave the EU.Ian Arnott, ex-HM Customs and ExcisePeterborough |
| Not many people are listening to what you are saying about the difficulties of negotiating a good Brexit deal. Tory Remain supporters have walked away from trying to influence the outcome, while Labour is very constrained by its many Leave voters. Your article offers no way forward for a better outcome from this situation. | Not many people are listening to what you are saying about the difficulties of negotiating a good Brexit deal. Tory Remain supporters have walked away from trying to influence the outcome, while Labour is very constrained by its many Leave voters. Your article offers no way forward for a better outcome from this situation. |
| For me, one way forward is to modify the freedom-of-movement-of-people law and this modification could apply to all EU nations. There should be some threshold on annual numbers coming to the country from all nations and, when exceeded, the host government could apply extra constraints. The employer would be required to show that no local person is available for the job. The job could then be offered to EU nationals, then to people outside the EU. | For me, one way forward is to modify the freedom-of-movement-of-people law and this modification could apply to all EU nations. There should be some threshold on annual numbers coming to the country from all nations and, when exceeded, the host government could apply extra constraints. The employer would be required to show that no local person is available for the job. The job could then be offered to EU nationals, then to people outside the EU. |
| Also, when no local person can be found, the government must get involved to offer training to improve the outcome for future vacant posts.Brian O’NeillNottingham | Also, when no local person can be found, the government must get involved to offer training to improve the outcome for future vacant posts.Brian O’NeillNottingham |
| I cannot agree with William Keegan that Brexit is the biggest disaster facing this country since the second world war (“Let’s hope a hung parliament can halt the Brexit disaster”, Business, last week). At least we managed to be on the winning side in 1945. How about 1066?Steve ShearsmithCottingham | I cannot agree with William Keegan that Brexit is the biggest disaster facing this country since the second world war (“Let’s hope a hung parliament can halt the Brexit disaster”, Business, last week). At least we managed to be on the winning side in 1945. How about 1066?Steve ShearsmithCottingham |
| The phrase “the British people have voted to Leave the EU” is highly misleading: 52% of those who cast a ballot may have voted to Leave, but only 39% of the British electorate and 26% of the UK population did so. | The phrase “the British people have voted to Leave the EU” is highly misleading: 52% of those who cast a ballot may have voted to Leave, but only 39% of the British electorate and 26% of the UK population did so. |
| This was made possible by short-sighted politicians who allowed such a fundamental change to Britain’s constitutional law and way of life to happen by such a narrow margin. While the British electorate can remove a government regularly in a general election, it is profoundly selfish and sad that they have chosen to remove the right, privilege and pleasure of future generations, who will not have had the opportunity to vote in a EU referendum, to live, study, work and travel freely in 27 other EU countries.Marcus Loxton | This was made possible by short-sighted politicians who allowed such a fundamental change to Britain’s constitutional law and way of life to happen by such a narrow margin. While the British electorate can remove a government regularly in a general election, it is profoundly selfish and sad that they have chosen to remove the right, privilege and pleasure of future generations, who will not have had the opportunity to vote in a EU referendum, to live, study, work and travel freely in 27 other EU countries.Marcus Loxton |
| Chelmsford, Essex | Chelmsford, Essex |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| The big issue | The big issue |
| European Union | European Union |
| Foreign policy | Foreign policy |
| letters | letters |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |