Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Zanza]

They are not part of the European Union. I don't see any reason why we should accept their status as tax havens anymore though. We should write that on our list of points to negotiate during the divorce.

[mongers]

Gibraltar voted 96% remain. That suggests to me that the electorate there would go to great length to keep EU membership. Maybe some kind of autonomous status within Spain.

Their entire economy is dependant on being part of the EU (financial services, online betting and the like, and a lot of Spanish workforce needed to keep everything running), they can't survive out of it in the modern day once their strategic importance has all but dissappeared.

Did the Channel Islands vote or do they have a status akin to the Isle of Man of not being part of the EU?

That's it and they're not part of the EU, hence when I used send something there or IOM, I had to make a customs declaration.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Honestly, in this day and age I think with NATO and such, British control of Gibraltar (traditionally a strategic military holding) is of no real importance in a meaningful sense to Britain. I think it's still part of Britain solely because the concept of self-determination has seen its residents overwhelmingly support remaining. If Gibraltar ever wanted to leave I think few in the British government would feel too put out about it. Similar to the situation with the Falklands in that regard, Westminster would be happy to dump it if not for the fact the residents overwhelmingly wish to remain.

I think this is correct. The main problems are that Britain does not want to let the Gibraltarians or the Falklanders down.

On the other hand there are the Chagos islanders and the British Indian Ocean Territory, currently a highly-prized naval base leased to the USA; that base is still very useful so the poor old Chagos Islanders never get a look in.

[Josquius]

They're brown

[Richard Hakluyt]

They're brown

The Gibraltarians are not exactly a bunch of lily-white golf club members you know.

[Zanza]

I think this is correct. The main problems are that Britain does not want to let the Gibraltarians or the Falklanders down.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that Gibraltarians feel let down by Britain just now.

[The Larch]

They're brown

The Gibraltarians are not exactly a bunch of lily-white golf club members you know.

But they try really hard at being exactly that.  Native Gibraltareans are like 25% of British origin, and 10% of the population is actually British.

[Richard Hakluyt]

It is a weird place, I was there for a week back in 1980, at that time the frontier with Spain was still closed. That didn't stop people owning cars though, they would go out for a drive precisely like the middle classes in the Britain of the time would  . I believe the longest possible journey was all of two and a quarter miles 

[The Larch]

It is a weird place, I was there for a week back in 1980, at that time the frontier with Spain was still closed. That didn't stop people owning cars though, they would go out for a drive precisely like the middle classes in the Britain of the time would  . I believe the longest possible journey was all of two and a quarter miles 

Well, the border has been open for a while already and they're actually quite dependant on Spanish workforce to keep the rock running. Reinstating tight border controls (there are some to prevent smuggling which is a traditional activity over there) would be a nightmare for them.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I don't see any reason to punish them, if Spain comes up with a decent offer then you will get that small piece of territory back.

[The Larch]

I don't see any reason to punish them, if Spain comes up with a decent offer then you will get that small piece of territory back.

Well, finesse is not our politicians' speciality.  And it's such a convenient smokescreen for them...

Hopefully rationality will prevail.

[The Larch]

Checking the detailed results of the referendum it seems that the more pro-Leave place in the UK is Boston, in Lincolnshire, with around 75% of the borough voting for Leave. It is also apparently the town with the highest obesity rate in the UK.  Other constituencies with 70%+ for Leave can be found in South Holland in Lincolnshire woth 73% as well as a couple of Essex constituencies (Castle Point and Thurrock) with around 72%. What's in the water in those places, Brit forumites?

The constituencies with the highest Remain % were the London's boroughs of Lambeth and Hackney, with 78%, followed closely by Foyle, in Northern Ireland, where Derry is located.

Overall, the Midlands were the region with the higher Leave % (59% for the West Midlands and 58% for the East Midlands), as well as NE England (58%). The higher Remain % was in Scotland (62%), followed by London (almost 60%). Every region in England except for London voted to Leave.

[CountDeMoney]

I agree that the referendum was constructed extremely poorly. It just expressed what the voters don't want, not what the voters want.

I don't know, the ballot was pretty goddamned simple.




In any case, a referendum is not the appropriate venue for a protest vote.  [/quote]

[Legbiter]

[Ed Anger]

Lolz