EU Referendum: The result and aftermath...

[Johnuk123]

There are many Polish shops where I live, but they don't sell their cheap under-the-counter Polish fags to British people. BREXIT!!!

One of the local Eastern European shops near me has just been caught with a huge amount of illegal cigs and tobacco hidden in a concealed compartment.
I don't know if locals bought any or it was for migrants only.

 

[Howardh]

We all know that Easyjet are moving their *legal HQ* (their words) to the EU, although that will only involve a few staff. BUT, to which country will they pay taxes on any profit? OK< pax will pay their departure tax form an UK airport to the UK, but what about the company's tax??

 

[Spamcan81]

One of the local Eastern European shops near me has just been caught with a huge amount of illegal cigs and tobacco hidden in a concealed compartment.
I don't know if locals bought any or it was for migrants only.

Are you suggesting that only Eastern European shops sell illegal goods? If so, I can quote an example of a local English shop owner who was caught selling stolen goods and went to gaol for it.

 

[Johnuk123]

Are you suggesting that only Eastern European shops sell illegal goods? If so, I can quote an example of a local English shop owner who was caught selling stolen goods and went to gaol for it.

No not at all, I was just responding to another poster regarding the subject of illegal cigs being sold by foreign shops.
I'm sure that there are plenty of illegal items being sold in all types of shops.

 

[northwichcat]

So what would you have instead? What would you say to Vodafone who have said that they will move their headquarters unless we retain freedom of movement?

I'd say Vodafone needs to move their customer support from India to the UK. Or at least have a UK or Ireland centre* covering normal working hours and one in North America/Australia/New Zealand covering what would be anti-social hours for UK workers.

* It could also work in some European countries where a lot of people speak English fluently as a second language like Sweden or Germany but there are too many problems which occur when companies chose cheap Indian labour for customer support and Santander UK putting people through to a Spanish call centre in the past didn't work either.

 

[Spamcan81]

No not at all, I was just responding to another poster regarding the subject of illegal cigs being sold by foreign shops.
I'm sure that there are plenty of illegal items being sold in all types of shops.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Mvann]

We all know that Easyjet are moving their *legal HQ* (their words) to the EU, although that will only involve a few staff. BUT, to which country will they pay taxes on any profit? OK< pax will pay their departure tax form an UK airport to the UK, but what about the company's tax??

It's a technical move so they can still fly over Europe. It's the same as a bus company needing a legal address to work from.

 

[northwichcat]

It's a technical move so they can still fly over Europe. It's the same as a bus company needing a legal address to work from.

When First Group were formed they set up their registered head office in Scotland but seemed to do their real head office work from Plymouth because there were tax benefits for having a limited company registered in Scotland opposed to England & Wales.

The CEO of Norwegian, appearing on the news before the referendum, implied it's very easy for a non-EU airline to operate flights in the EU and offer competitive prices - disagreeing with the CEO of Ryanair. It sounds like Easyjet are taking the same view as Ryanair.

 

[Mvann]

It maybe easy to fly into and out of Europe, but it is easier with an EU air licence to fly internal flights, eg Dublin to Paris.

 

[radamfi]

To those leavers who just say "get a visa", I had a look at the Netherlands immigration rules for people coming from outside the EU/EEA

https://ind.nl/en/individuals/residence-wizard

there is no option for people who just want to retire, and so not interfere with the labour market. You have to work or study or have 1.25 million euros.

 

[Howardh]

It's a technical move so they can still fly over Europe.

Agreed, but where do they pay their tax?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

To those leavers who just say "get a visa", I had a look at the Netherlands immigration rules for people coming from outside the EU/EEA

https://ind.nl/en/individuals/residence-wizard

there is no option for people who just want to retire, and so not interfere with the labour market. You have to work or study or have 1.25 million euros.

People assume getting a visitor/tourist visa is easy. But judging by that alone, one needs proof of somewhere to stay - eg a hotel. Fine...but what happens if you want a day trip? I'm sure many from the UK will pop over to Amsterdam for a day out, sightseeing, shopping, sport etc? Looks like you wouldn't be allowed entry or be forced to stay overnight.

Tat would work both ways, there will be n-number of day-trippers visiting London and the UK from the EU, it's so easy with cheap flights and Eurostar, and losing those would dent our tourist income.

Admittedly I haven't heard anyone on the Leave side suggest we may need visas to visit the EU, but Schengen being Schengen, it only needs one country within to play hard-ball and won't the rest have to fall in line?

 

[Gutfright]

Assuming you intend this remark as criticism I presume you have reported your concerns to Trading Standards or even Customs & Excise?

Customs and Excise surely must know that Eastern European cigarettes are being sold under the counter in Polish shops. I can only conclude that the authorities have bigger fish to fry and are concentrating their efforts elsewhere.

People assume getting a visitor/tourist visa is easy. But judging by that alone, one needs proof of somewhere to stay - eg a hotel. Fine...but what happens if you want a day trip? I'm sure many from the UK will pop over to Amsterdam for a day out, sightseeing, shopping, sport etc? Looks like you wouldn't be allowed entry or be forced to stay overnight.

Tat would work both ways, there will be n-number of day-trippers visiting London and the UK from the EU, it's so easy with cheap flights and Eurostar, and losing those would dent our tourist income.

Admittedly I haven't heard anyone on the Leave side suggest we may need visas to visit the EU, but Schengen being Schengen, it only needs one country within to play hard-ball and won't the rest have to fall in line?

More tourists visit the Netherlands from Britain than from any other country in the world apart from Germany. I don't think the Dutch will be too keen to damage their tourism industry, so reaching an agreement that allows Brits to pop over for the day should not be too difficult at all.

 

[radamfi]

More tourists visit the Netherlands from Britain than from any other country in the world apart from Germany. I don't think the Dutch will be too keen to damage their tourism industry, so reaching an agreement that allows Brits to pop over for the day should not be too difficult at all.

I'm not worried about short trips. That should be no different to now. But stays over 90 days is totally different. Scum like Gove seem hellbent on blocking that for Brits and Europeans alike.

 

[Mvann]

I'm not worried about short trips. That should be no different to now. But stays over 90 days is totally different. Scum like Gove seem hellbent on blocking that for Brits and Europeans alike.

For the reason that total, no strings attached, come and stay as long as you like movement is unsustainable.

 

[radamfi]

For the reason that total, no strings attached, come and stay as long as you like movement is unsustainable.

But how do you keep immigration from the UK to the EU going whilst blocking it the other way? Surely it is highly undesirable to make it more difficult for people coming in to the UK to work from rich western European countries like the Netherlands and Sweden?

 

[Mvann]

With the EUs insistence of complete freedom of movement, you can't.

 

[Howardh]

My point is with Schengen, if any country within Schengen requires a UK citizen to have a visa, then it must be all as once in country A (visa-free) you can simply travel unmolested into country B (which requires us to have a visa); it's either all visa-free or all require a visa. Again, I think it's a very low chance of anyone wanting a tourist to have anything more than a passport.

Of course, if the UK insisted on travel visas to keep EU's out for simple travel (again VERY unlikely) then that would be futile as - yet again - the Irish border's open AND the potential loss of tourist revenue.

Can anyone think of one Schengen country that MIGHT want us to have a visa for tourist short stays?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I could see something like ESTA developing, but that doesn't have any of the hassle involved in getting visas, just an irritating but small fee.

 

[Mvann]

No. It's only since ww1 that you have needed passports and visas to travel.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And at the end of the day, tourism and short business trips aren't the problem.

 

[ExRes]

Another brilliant piece of factual news from the BBC, their online reporting of the march in London states that "More than 46.5 million people voted in the referendum .......", perhaps if they had we wouldn't be having all this hoo-ha now

 

[Mvann]

And perhaps if mr Junkers hadn't said "you voted leave, now go" on a non legally binding referendum and mr Cameron hadn't said "if leave win, I'll start the article 50 process the next day" we wouldn't be where we are.

 

[Mojo]

I could see something like ESTA developing, but that doesn't have any of the hassle involved in getting visas, just an irritating but small fee.

Plenty of countries have alternative systems to the US Esta scheme that involves less hassle and no fees. There's countries like Australia where you can apply online (and pay no fees), loads like Singapore and Mexico where you can just turn up and get a stamp in your passport, and others where you can apply for a Visa on arrival.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Customs and Excise surely must know that Eastern European cigarettes are being sold under the counter in Polish shops. I can only conclude that the authorities have bigger fish to fry and are concentrating their efforts elsewhere.

So you aren't going to answer a simple direct question. That leads me to think your statement was at best anecdotal, at worst plain made up. Perhaps you hadn't noticed but in democratic countries the rule of law and order depends greatly on citizens doing their bit by reporting suspicions of criminality. But seemingly it doesn't apply to you.

 

[Mvann]

Another brilliant piece of factual news from the BBC, their online reporting of the march in London states that "More than 46.5 million people voted in the referendum .......", perhaps if they had we wouldn't be having all this hoo-ha now

It's a shame that we have no way of knowing if all those there voted remain.

 

[Mojo]

Customs and Excise surely must know that Eastern European cigarettes are being sold under the counter in Polish shops. I can only conclude that the authorities have bigger fish to fry and are concentrating their efforts elsewhere.

The TV show "Fake Britain" regularly shows council employees visiting shops and attempting to buy dodgy cigarettes under the counter.

 

[AntoniC]

Customs & Excise ceased to have responsibility for monitoring the borders when the UK Border Force was established and HMRC was set up.

They still have responsibility for raiding shops selling illegal tobacco, but like all government departments they have had their staff numbers cut and so have less capability to enforce the law.

Your more likely to find that your local councils Trading Standards Officers are doing the raids than HMRC. although they have been known to carry out joint raids.

 

[Busaholic]

When Newlyn had rather more fishing boats than it has now it was said that some of them unloaded more cigarettes than fish (it was not only fish that got thrown overboard when Fisheries Protection vessels hove into view!)

 

[Groningen]

To blaim everything on the East Europeans?! On television i saw that your border control scans luggage coming in and they have to pay extra duty. To understand this better; i like to know what you are paying for beer and sigarettes. Cheapest beer is here around 38 pence for half a liter. Sigarettes are at a maximum of 7,67 pound, but increases almost every year with around 10 %.

 

[VauxhallandI]

To blaim everything on the East Europeans?! On television i saw that your border control scans luggage coming in and they have to pay extra duty. To understand this better; i like to know what you are paying for beer and sigarettes. Cheapest beer is here around 38 pence for half a liter. Sigarettes are at a maximum of 7,67 pound, but increases almost every year with around 10 %.

Last night I was delayed coming through Customs at Gatwick from Lanzarote, I said to the guy that this was a insight to the future.

I wonder how many Leave voters will be moaning their fag smuggling wee heads off at being held up and charged in the future.

 

[Mvann]

But most don't fly. They take the car on the ferry.