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People are still bitter about this aren't they? I voted remain but it's time to move on. The idea of a "cliff-edge" is yet to materialise.

cstross 6y ago
The "cliff-edge" hasn't materialized because the UK is in a negotiated transition period during which nothing changes. That ends on December 31st, 2020. On January 1st, new arrangements are supposed to come into force -- except they haven't been agreed yet, apart from a customs barrier within the UK (between Northern Ireland and the mainland). Meanwhile -- before COVID19 -- Sterling devalued by about 20%, the government began borrowing heavily to cover a yawning revenue gap, an economic slowdown cost the UK economy more than the gross total of all UK payments into EU funds since joining in 1974 (many of which were redistributed right back in the UK), and we have a prime minister who, when told that the Confederation of British Industry was worried about his Brexit policies, famously said "f*ck business". Remember February/March, when everyone was sitting paralysed in the oncoming headlights of COVID19, wondering if it was going to be bad and if it was going to be necessary to make any changes? That's where we are with the end of the Brexit transition period, right now.
- SiempreViernes 6y ago
  To be fair, "cliff edge" is not a very accurate description of how it will play out in practice: the effects did not kick in as sharply and consistently as they do going over an edge, and there's not really any hard rock at the bottom to smash things apart violently.
TheOtherHobbes 6y ago
In fact we're living in the real world where most countries can see that the UK is about to slit its own throat in pursuit of a tabloid fantasy - which has been promoted by naive internal interests who are being taken advantage of by hostile foreign actors waiting to pick over the bones of whatever is left after the dust settles. Brexit makes as much practical sense as 5G COVID conspiracy theories. And they appear to have been promoted and astroturfed by the same sources, which should be a bit of a clue - as should the UK's utter failure to deal effectively with the pandemic.
- CodeGlitch 6y ago
  It was a public vote. Democracy in action. The remain-side failed to convince the public why we should stay in the EU. There was enough coverage across all forms of media to convey the messages on both sides. There was plenty of lying, but that's how things roll in a democracy. I'm happy that we got a chance to vote, and I'm happy that the result of the vote is being actioned on. I would have prefered to remain, but I'm happy we live in a country that gives us the chance to challange these things.
arethuza 6y ago
I had kind of forgotten about the consequences of Brexit - but a recent interview on Radio 4 with someone from the US Department of Agriculture reminded me of the kind of problems ahead - he seemed to regard the (relatively) high standards of animal welfare in UK farms to be the result of unnecessary regulations, which sounded rather alarming to me.
- DanBC 6y ago
  There was an amendment to the Agriculture bill that would have banned some things like chlorinated chicken. That amendment was defeated. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52653607 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52653607 It's a bit worrying.
rcxdude 6y ago
Because the cliff-edge has been put off repeatedly by delaying actually changing anything. It's current date is the end of this year, and there's not much indication it's going to change.

cstross 6y ago

The "cliff-edge" hasn't materialized because the UK is in a negotiated transition period during which nothing changes. That ends on December 31st, 2020. On January 1st, new arrangements are supposed to come into force -- except they haven't been agreed yet, apart from a customs barrier within the UK (between Northern Ireland and the mainland). Meanwhile -- before COVID19 -- Sterling devalued by about 20%, the government began borrowing heavily to cover a yawning revenue gap, an economic slowdown cost the UK economy more than the gross total of all UK payments into EU funds since joining in 1974 (many of which were redistributed right back in the UK), and we have a prime minister who, when told that the Confederation of British Industry was worried about his Brexit policies, famously said "f*ck business". Remember February/March, when everyone was sitting paralysed in the oncoming headlights of COVID19, wondering if it was going to be bad and if it was going to be necessary to make any changes? That's where we are with the end of the Brexit transition period, right now.

SiempreViernes 6y ago
To be fair, "cliff edge" is not a very accurate description of how it will play out in practice: the effects did not kick in as sharply and consistently as they do going over an edge, and there's not really any hard rock at the bottom to smash things apart violently.

TheOtherHobbes 6y ago

In fact we're living in the real world where most countries can see that the UK is about to slit its own throat in pursuit of a tabloid fantasy - which has been promoted by naive internal interests who are being taken advantage of by hostile foreign actors waiting to pick over the bones of whatever is left after the dust settles. Brexit makes as much practical sense as 5G COVID conspiracy theories. And they appear to have been promoted and astroturfed by the same sources, which should be a bit of a clue - as should the UK's utter failure to deal effectively with the pandemic.

CodeGlitch 6y ago
It was a public vote. Democracy in action. The remain-side failed to convince the public why we should stay in the EU. There was enough coverage across all forms of media to convey the messages on both sides. There was plenty of lying, but that's how things roll in a democracy. I'm happy that we got a chance to vote, and I'm happy that the result of the vote is being actioned on. I would have prefered to remain, but I'm happy we live in a country that gives us the chance to challange these things.

arethuza 6y ago

I had kind of forgotten about the consequences of Brexit - but a recent interview on Radio 4 with someone from the US Department of Agriculture reminded me of the kind of problems ahead - he seemed to regard the (relatively) high standards of animal welfare in UK farms to be the result of unnecessary regulations, which sounded rather alarming to me.

DanBC 6y ago
There was an amendment to the Agriculture bill that would have banned some things like chlorinated chicken. That amendment was defeated. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52653607 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52653607 It's a bit worrying.

rcxdude 6y ago

Because the cliff-edge has been put off repeatedly by delaying actually changing anything. It's current date is the end of this year, and there's not much indication it's going to change.