May blocked granting rights to EU citizens *before* she was PM

I don't think that Theresa May was ever a Remainer. I think she just pretended to be one because she thought that was going to be the winning side.

Saying, as whitewave and maizie have, - there is a growing crisis in healthcare staff levels due to a massive drop in recruitment of healthcare professionals from the EU, farmers are reporting difficulties in recruiting agricultural workers for fruit picking, etc., no-one seems to have any idea how our representatives are going to negotiate an exit from the EU whilst at the same time making overtures to and entering into lengthy and complicated discussions with other large economies - is not opinion it is fact.

So just saying, as ninny did, "I don't agree with your opinion" is a statement based on nothing. What counter-argument do you have to address these fairly major issues? You may well not care about guaranteeing the position of EU workers here but if no assurances had been given to them, there may have been an influx of disgruntled elderly pensioners returning to the UK, requiring housing, health care and pension credits.

Added to all these issues, May does not command a great deal of confidence or respect here or in the EU - and no one really seems to know what is going on. It doesn't look too impressive at the moment - and the EU negotiators have said as much.

I wondered that, too. But perhaps they'd decided that it needed a unanimous decision.

Whatever it was, it gives the lie to claims that the EU not being willing to reciprocate was stopping us giving unconditional assurances to EU citizens.

Ref Jane10

I read it as telling you to do what you like says Elegran.

Those words 'telling you' rather give the game away, I think.

Nelson and Katwala seemed to think that May's opinion was given more weight because she was Home Secretary at the time. On the strength of that, presumably that position carries more weight than most other cabinet positions.

I don't understand, Maizie, how one person could block something like that. I know in the EU every country has a veto, but I didn't realise that rule was used in the government. It doesn't sound very democratic to me.

You were Humpty Dumoty-ing as well

Of course she did -bless.

Elegran read my post exactly as I intended it.

Elegran what a very Humpty Dumpty way to read Jane's post.

It raised a laugh and that seemed to make him angrier.

Particularly when he was saying the DM was a most accurate and fair newspaper.

We must not stop arguing the case for remaining in the EU. We owe it to future generations not to acquiesce in something so damaging.

I have noticed that some Gnetters have become less keen on brexit, but I've not noticed any who have moved in the opposite direction. The same applies to people we talk to in RL. Some who voted remain do think that brexit cannot be avoided but that is not the same as agreeing with it.

Perhaps the wider realisation of the likely damage is one factor in making the angry brexiters more angry, the less sure they are of their justification for wanting to leave, the more they refuse to recognise the problems and yhe angrier they get.

I wondered if he was drunk, Welshwife.

Sometimes doing something has rewards. Some of the EU residents in UK and Brits in the EU sent letters to the Parliamentary committee for exiting the EU and explained the position many European citizens - including Brits- find themselves in and representatives of the group - (who got together on Facebook) - were invited to the HoC to put their case. Another group have had a couple of meetings in Brussels and Guy Vernofstadt answers mails and actually acts on some of the facts he is given - hence this possibility of individual EU citizenship. The EU have spoken of the 48% all the time and been well dispossd to them and the worries they have.
T May is doing UK no favours by the strange attitude she is taking when she hopes for co-operation from the EU to give the Uk a good deal. The European press cannot understand what is going on in the UK.
Anyone who watched QT last evening would have seen the almost uncontrolled anger shown by the Daily Mail columnist - a most ignorant man.

Those who voted for it in the first place were telling those who didn't what to do.

How is complaining about it on here doing anything?

As you say, Jane 10, brexit is astupid thing to do, so why on earth should those of us who can see that not do our utmost to prevent the damage to our country?

Did Jane tell you what to do? I read it as telling you to do what you like but don't expect it to make a difference.

Jane10

Why are you, and other Gnetters, so ready to tell other people what to do?

It's really odd behaviour IMO

Brexit is a stupid thing to do. However, thats what the great British public voted for. All the nitpicking issue by issue and personalising your complaints is pointless. Let off steam if you want but as previously stated won't make a blind bit of difference.

I've just listened to this podcast on the issue. Fraser Nelson and Sunder Katwala are talking to Lara Prendergast.

ninny just which British citizens' rights is it protecting? Those of us who live here are fine; we don't need protecting. The ones who have a problem are those living abroad. I presume you don't care about them either?

And can you not see any connection between losing EU workers who are vital to the economy and the NHS and the diminishing of the 'interests' of us citizens who live in Britain?

ninny no it won't and neither will all the hubris and nonsense talked about by the hard right.

Varian that's just your bias bigoted opinion. whitewave I have no influence over trade deals nor do you let the politicians get on with it. Keep posting on here will make not one iota of difference to the negotiations.

So ninny once we have left we are then potentially in a position to start negotiating trade deals.

Have you any idea how long it takes to negotiate a trade deal, and that with the supposition that the WTO is agreeable in relation to all other countries