Happy Independence Day, Great Britain!.For the first time since 1973, the Brits have shaken off the yoke of being controlled from Brussels by the European Union..For some Brits it will mean an extra-patriotic version of God Save the Queen on Friday because Brussels will no longer be able to dictate what shape British sausages are sold in. For others, their nightly cuppa will be taken with some trepidation for what the future may hold..Most of the celebrations in London on Friday night will be low-key. In other parts of Britain there will be protests. Britain celebrates independence from E.U.Telegraph .There will be a massive light show around the Parliament and Big Ben and the U.K. will formally leave the E.U. at Friday 11 p.m. their time. The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace has been bedecked with Union Jacks..However, there will be no booze, fireworks or live music, as most British politicians know the hard work is just beginning.. Britain celebrates independence from E.U.Flags along the Mall in London – Photo from Twitter .Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday morning will hold a special cabinet meeting before addressing the nation that night..In Brussels this week, there was an emotional final meeting with British MEPs..Ursula Von Der Leyen, European Commission president, said: “We will always love you and we will never be far.”. Britain celebrates independence from E.U.Ursula Von Der Leyen .‘No new partnership will bring back the benefits of being part of the same union but we have the duty to seek the best for the British and for the European people in a post-Brexit world..‘To our British friends and many – perhaps not all – but many of our British MEPs here in the room, I want to use the words of the famous British poet George Eliot..Von Der Leyen quoted: ”Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depth of love.”.‘We will always love you and we will never be far, long live Europe.’.But not everyone was as congenial as Von Der Leyen..As Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage waved a Union Jack, vice-president Mairead McGuinness cut off his microphone, saying: ‘Please sit down, put your flags away, you’re leaving – and take them with you.”.The Parliament eventually voted 621 votes to 49 to ratify Brexit..Now the hard work begins with the E.U. and Britain having only 11 months to hammer out things like trade deals with all the countries. The E.U. has already said it can’t be done in that timeline, while Johnson has refused to extend it..The Brexit world will also see changes to immigration into the country..The removal of the current E.U. freedom of movement will likely slow immigration growth in the U.K..Johnson said he will bring in a points-based system similar to one used in Australia, where applicants get a personal score based on their skills and age. . Britain celebrates independence from E.U.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson – from Twitter .In a poll in early January, most Britons said nurses, doctors and dentists should score the highest under the points-based immigration system..The government has already said businesses will face increased paperwork for the deals with the mainland. Everything from cell phones to pet travel is now up in the air..The U.K. joined the E.U back in 1973 and a 1975 referendum approved staying in it..The road to Brexit hasn’t been easy. There was a June 2016 referendum where a slim 51.9 percent voted to leave. That was followed in March 2017, when the British government formally began the process..But then things became bogged down. Tory PM Theresa May lost her job. The process remained in a quagmire until Johnson won a massive majority in a December general election.There now begins an 11-month process of formalizing the withdrawal and securing new trading deals within the E.U. for Britain..Economist seemed mixed in their predictions for the future, with some even issuing dire warnings..There are approximately 759 international agreements, spanning 168 non-E.U. countries, that the U.K. would no longer be a party to upon leaving, reported the Financial Times..Economist have predict a 2-2.5 per cent drop in the British GNP and up to a 10 per cent hit in income per capita..Johnson has said there will be a investment boom in Britain now the Brexit uncertainty has gone away..In Scotland, some residents are less than happy they are leaving the E.U..In fact, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will mark Britain’s historic exit on Friday by flying the flag of the E.U. over the Scottish Government HQ..Johnson has already turned down a request by Sturgeon to hold another independence vote for Scottish voters..This week Scottish MPs voted 64 to 54 to agree that circumstances have changed since the 2014 ‘indyref,’ and that “a referendum should be held”.Sturgeon has said Jan. 31 is a “sad day for Scotland” and a “future in Europe can only be achieved by Scotland becoming an independent country.”. Britain celebrates independence from E.U.Nicola Sturgeon. Courtesy Wikipedia .“While the impacts on business and citizens may not be immediate, there is no doubt that from 11 p.m. on Friday Jan. 31 there will have been a material change in Scotland’s circumstances against the wishes of the vast majority of people in Scotland,” Sturgeon told the Telegraph.. A total of 17.4 million people in Scotland, 62%, voted against leaving..Another problem remains the Irish border. It now becomes the only U.K.-E.U. land border..The Johnson government has announced they will not perform customs checks at the border, which has been basically unmanned since 2005..Saturday morning, Brits will wake up realizing they are now going it alone..Its success or failure will only be told in time..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter: Nobby7694
Happy Independence Day, Great Britain!.For the first time since 1973, the Brits have shaken off the yoke of being controlled from Brussels by the European Union..For some Brits it will mean an extra-patriotic version of God Save the Queen on Friday because Brussels will no longer be able to dictate what shape British sausages are sold in. For others, their nightly cuppa will be taken with some trepidation for what the future may hold..Most of the celebrations in London on Friday night will be low-key. In other parts of Britain there will be protests. Britain celebrates independence from E.U.Telegraph .There will be a massive light show around the Parliament and Big Ben and the U.K. will formally leave the E.U. at Friday 11 p.m. their time. The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace has been bedecked with Union Jacks..However, there will be no booze, fireworks or live music, as most British politicians know the hard work is just beginning.. Britain celebrates independence from E.U.Flags along the Mall in London – Photo from Twitter .Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday morning will hold a special cabinet meeting before addressing the nation that night..In Brussels this week, there was an emotional final meeting with British MEPs..Ursula Von Der Leyen, European Commission president, said: “We will always love you and we will never be far.”. Britain celebrates independence from E.U.Ursula Von Der Leyen .‘No new partnership will bring back the benefits of being part of the same union but we have the duty to seek the best for the British and for the European people in a post-Brexit world..‘To our British friends and many – perhaps not all – but many of our British MEPs here in the room, I want to use the words of the famous British poet George Eliot..Von Der Leyen quoted: ”Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depth of love.”.‘We will always love you and we will never be far, long live Europe.’.But not everyone was as congenial as Von Der Leyen..As Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage waved a Union Jack, vice-president Mairead McGuinness cut off his microphone, saying: ‘Please sit down, put your flags away, you’re leaving – and take them with you.”.The Parliament eventually voted 621 votes to 49 to ratify Brexit..Now the hard work begins with the E.U. and Britain having only 11 months to hammer out things like trade deals with all the countries. The E.U. has already said it can’t be done in that timeline, while Johnson has refused to extend it..The Brexit world will also see changes to immigration into the country..The removal of the current E.U. freedom of movement will likely slow immigration growth in the U.K..Johnson said he will bring in a points-based system similar to one used in Australia, where applicants get a personal score based on their skills and age. . Britain celebrates independence from E.U.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson – from Twitter .In a poll in early January, most Britons said nurses, doctors and dentists should score the highest under the points-based immigration system..The government has already said businesses will face increased paperwork for the deals with the mainland. Everything from cell phones to pet travel is now up in the air..The U.K. joined the E.U back in 1973 and a 1975 referendum approved staying in it..The road to Brexit hasn’t been easy. There was a June 2016 referendum where a slim 51.9 percent voted to leave. That was followed in March 2017, when the British government formally began the process..But then things became bogged down. Tory PM Theresa May lost her job. The process remained in a quagmire until Johnson won a massive majority in a December general election.There now begins an 11-month process of formalizing the withdrawal and securing new trading deals within the E.U. for Britain..Economist seemed mixed in their predictions for the future, with some even issuing dire warnings..There are approximately 759 international agreements, spanning 168 non-E.U. countries, that the U.K. would no longer be a party to upon leaving, reported the Financial Times..Economist have predict a 2-2.5 per cent drop in the British GNP and up to a 10 per cent hit in income per capita..Johnson has said there will be a investment boom in Britain now the Brexit uncertainty has gone away..In Scotland, some residents are less than happy they are leaving the E.U..In fact, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will mark Britain’s historic exit on Friday by flying the flag of the E.U. over the Scottish Government HQ..Johnson has already turned down a request by Sturgeon to hold another independence vote for Scottish voters..This week Scottish MPs voted 64 to 54 to agree that circumstances have changed since the 2014 ‘indyref,’ and that “a referendum should be held”.Sturgeon has said Jan. 31 is a “sad day for Scotland” and a “future in Europe can only be achieved by Scotland becoming an independent country.”. Britain celebrates independence from E.U.Nicola Sturgeon. Courtesy Wikipedia .“While the impacts on business and citizens may not be immediate, there is no doubt that from 11 p.m. on Friday Jan. 31 there will have been a material change in Scotland’s circumstances against the wishes of the vast majority of people in Scotland,” Sturgeon told the Telegraph.. A total of 17.4 million people in Scotland, 62%, voted against leaving..Another problem remains the Irish border. It now becomes the only U.K.-E.U. land border..The Johnson government has announced they will not perform customs checks at the border, which has been basically unmanned since 2005..Saturday morning, Brits will wake up realizing they are now going it alone..Its success or failure will only be told in time..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter: Nobby7694
